About Us


● Educational Goal


● Educational Object



 

Graduate Program

Overseas Partnership

In the face of globalization, as a higher-education institution, the Department ‘s mission has always been to introduce new knowledge to its faculty and students, and to promote dialogues. As of now, the Department has been encouraging international and cross-strait exchanges.


During the recent years, the Department has strived to develop cooperation with foreign institutions including Mainland China, the United States, Europe, Japan, and South East Asia. In 2007 the Department signed an agreement with the Science Po Lyon of France, stipulating the terms of professor exchange, student exchange, and other collaborations. The plan for dual degree programs and summer exchange programs are currently under negotiation with Aichi University of Japan (Department of Chinese Studies). The Department and Aichi University organized a dialogue event in 2013 for the first time. Talks on expanding the collaboration between the two institutions are in progress. Online course collaboration with the University of North Texas is under negotiation. An exchange student program with France’s Ileri Ecole Des Relations Internationals is also in the talk. For many years, scholars and students from the United States, Mexico, Poland, and Chinese University of Hong Kong have visited the Department for seminars, research and interviews.


The Department regularly holds international academic conferences, inviting overseas and domestic scholars to discuss, analyze or share information and knowledge about the current events and trends. The fourth International Human Rights Education Forum, held during November 21-24, 2013, attracted more than 150 scholars from 38 countries

The Department also regularly invites overseas scholars to give speeches, interviews or participate in seminars and academic exchanges. These include the well-known comparative political scholars: Ronald Inglehart、Donald Horowitz (Constitution Politics), Harold Clarke and Christopher H. Achen (Election Research)、Laurence Whitehead (Democratization)、Bill Black (Human Rights Law)、Austin College (Director of Political Science) Donald Rodgers、James Meernik (University of North Texas)、Leonard Díaz (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana).


Since 2013, the Department has started a summer program designed for current undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. students from Mainland China. Taiwan’s Legislature and Election Study Group was established during the 2013 summer program. Courses include “election system and voting behavior in Taiwan,” and “Taiwan’s political parties and legislature.” In addition to classroom works, participating students also went on field trips, experienced Taiwan’s culture and traditions, and got to know Taiwan’s government organizations and agencies. Receiving positive feedback from the students, the Department will launch the “Democratic Journey in Taiwan’ study group for the 2014 summer program, including topics in “voting behaviour and opinion poll” and “democracy and legislative body.”


To expand students’ worldview and develop their professional skills, the Department integrated two courses, “City Diplomacy” and “City Governance,” at the graduate level, to encourage students enrolled in the courses to visit foreign cities and their government organizations, universities and research institutions, and participate in ideas exchanges with local government officials, scholars, and students. The objective is to allow students to have the opportunity to apply and test the theoretical knowledge acquired in class, and most importantly, to experience learning in a foreign environment. Other prospective choices include Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur,  and Jakarta. Upon return, students are required to write a report and share at the end of the semester. 


Please see the following links for relevant information on various activities:

The Brief Introduction of Graduate Program

The graduate program of the Department of Political Science was set up in 1991. There are currently 81 students. The courses of the program are divided into four fields: political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and public administration and policy. The students are required to choose one major and one minor fields, and must complete 30 credit. Master’s degree is granted after the thesis is finished. In addition, in order to cultivate students’ independent research capability, we put emphasis on methodological training, and a variety of selective courses of methodology are offered. Of the 136 master degree graduates, many are engaged in scholarly research, while others also perform extraordinarily in various professions.

The Ph. D. program was set up in 1998 and there are currently14 students. Among them, one earned the degree last year, three have passed Ph. D. candidate qualifications. Students of Ph. D. program attend courses together with M. A. students, and the courses are divided into four fields: political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and public administration and policy. The students are obliged to take one major and one minor fields and must complete 24 credits hours. The Ph. D. is granted after they pass the qualification exams and complete dissertation. Beside two required courses in methodology, we also design a methodology course of political science specifically for Ph. D. students in the hope that they would commit themselves to teaching and research with their creativity as well as skills in the future.

Scholarships

The Department offer the following scholarships for international students:

1. Soochow University Scholarship for non-Taiwanese Students

Eligibility: 

When to apply: 

Who’s eligible:

For more information on International Students Scholarships, please see: http://www.scu-icae.tw/eng/int-s_1_1t.php?gid=4 


Curriculum

Curriculum planning is based on the four major areas of political thought: comparative politics, international relations, administration and policy. Undergraduate students are required to take courses from all four areas, while Master’s students can choose one primary research area and one secondary research area. Ph.D. students are required to choose two areas of research.

All courses include the inculcation of "fundamental political science knowledge,” "public speaking and organizational skills,” "talents in political science research,” "talents for public affairs participation,” "talents in political science teaching and research,” "leaders who participate in public affairs.” In terms of teaching strategy, the Department’s objectives include: the ability to understand political behaviour and political interaction, the ability to understand the constitutional system and the legal system, the ability to understand international affairs and international organization, the ability to understand ideology and political thought, possess skills of foreign language and cross-cultural communication, the ability to understand and participate in public affairs, the ability to critique rationally and democratic communication, leadership and organizational skills, analysis and decision making skills, argument and discourse skills, problem solving skills, research method skills, and the ability to conduct political science teaching and research. 


To graduate, undergraduate students must complete 128 credits (79 for required course and 49 for selective courses). In addition to the common required courses designated by the University (including 12 credits of general education), fundamental department requirements include Political Studies, ROC Constitution and Government, and Methods for Political Studies. Students must also complete 10 courses in the following areas of studies: Introduction to Chinese Political Thought, Introduction to Western Political Thought, Study of Political Codes and Records, Political Thought and Contemporary Issues from the area of political thought; International Politics and Public International Law, or International Political Economy, from the area of international relations; Comparative Government and Politics, and Party Politics and Election System, or Voting Behaviour and Election Strategy, from the area of comparative politics; as well as Administration and Public Policy, or City Governance, from the area of administration and policy.

For more undergraduate course program, please go to: Curriculum structure of the undergraduate program.


Soochow University’s graduate programs in political science offers five streams of studies: methodology, political thought, comparative politics, international politics, and administration and policy. With the exception of the methodology stream, graduate students should choose one major research area and one minor research area. All students, regardless of research streams, must complete a core theory course for their respective research steam: Contemporary European and American Political Philosophy for the Political Thought stream, Comparative Politics and Research for the Comparative Politics Stream, Theory of International Politics for the International Relations Stream, and Public Administration Theory for the administration and policy stream. 

Ph.D. and masters students will take courses together. In addition, there are courses designed specifically for Ph.D. students. Graduate students in the Ph.D. program must choose one primacy research area and one secondary research area. Program completion requirement for the primary research area is at least 4 courses, and it is at least 2 courses for the secondary research area, with the inclusion of the required courses for the student’s chosen research areas. The Ph.D. program places an emphasis on the training of research methodology and teaching abilities, therefore the students must complete 2 methodology courses and training in political science teaching. Total required credits for graduation for the Ph.D. program are 27 credits; during their course of study, students must publish one academic paper or two conference papers, pass a second language test and doctoral exam, and complete a Ph.D. dissertation. 

For course names, syllabi, or description for the graduate programs, please go to :https://scups.ppo.scu.edu.tw/about3/29  

Admissions



Considering the evolution of global political picture and the democratic development in Taiwan, the Department looks for international students who are deeply engaged in social issues or political theories. The Department welcomes undergraduate, masters, and doctoral applications from all international students who are interested in political science subjects such as political thought, comparative politics, public administration, and international relations. For more information on admissions and application, please see: http://twb.idc.scu.edu.tw/scu2007/zh_tw/enroll_foreign.htm

 

To further collaboration between the Department and overseas institutions, the Department does offer student exchange opportunities to undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students from overseas schools that have signed student exchange agreements with the University. The duration of exchange is either one semester or one academic year. For application deadline, number of placements, and relevant rules, please refer to the University’s International Affairs Center and Cross-Strait Center at: http://test.dtell.com.tw/intl/eng/exc-s.php


"Out-of-Region Students without aid” are undergraduate and master students from schools that have signed student exchange agreements with the University. The duration of exchange is one semester. Content of study will follow the curriculum assigned by the Department. Certificates of credits will be issued at the end of the study. For application deadline, number of placements, and relevant rules, please refer to the University’s Continuing Education Center: https://web-en.scu.edu.tw/extend/web_page/19