Program overview
Systems theory may sound a bit abstract, but it's actually a discipline that studies the idea that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.' Simply put, it teaches you how to understand complex systems from a holistic perspective—such as ecosystems, transportation networks, economic markets, and even the human immune system. Core courses include system dynamics, complex network analysis, nonlinear systems, modeling and simulation, and more. You'll learn to use mathematical and computational tools to analyze how systems evolve and how new properties emerge. This major is especially suitable for students who enjoy interdisciplinary thinking and are interested in the 'Internet of Everything.' Chinese universities have unique advantages in systems science—for example, the School of Systems Science at Beijing Normal University and the Center for Complex Systems Research at Shanghai Jiao Tong University both have world-class research teams and real-world projects (such as urban traffic optimization and infectious disease transmission modeling). If you are good at math and love exploring real-world problems, this major will be a perfect fit.