Program overview
Political theory is the foundational direction of political science. Simply put, it explores "what politics really is" and "what good politics should look like." You will study core courses such as the history of Western political thought, the history of Chinese political thought, comparative political systems, and contemporary political methodology. In Chinese universities, this program places special emphasis on the integration of Marxist political theory with China's political practice—for example, in-depth analysis of the governance logic of the Communist Party of China and real-world issues like whole-process people's democracy. If you are curious about questions like "Why are some countries stable while others are turbulent?" "How is power legitimized?" or "Can freedom and equality coexist?" this program is a great fit. Courses are centered on seminars and reading classic texts, requiring extensive thinking and writing—ideal for students who enjoy abstract reasoning and are not satisfied with superficial answers.