Research Master's Program

Master’s Degree Program (Academic Postgraduate)

The curriculum design follows the guidelines of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council. Involving the efforts of internal and external experts, the curriculum content meets rigorous national standards while aligning with the School’s mission. The curriculum experiences adjustments on an annual basis. Discussions on the curriculum usually happen in July every year, engaging the ideas of faculty, learners and experts.

The program contains three directions, which are Business Administration, Applied Economics and Theoretical Economics. They shared common curriculum structure:

• Compulsory Liberal Studies Courses (7 Credits)

• Elective Liberal Studies Courses (2 Credits)

• Compulsory Core Courses (minimum 8 Credits)

• Elective Core Courses (Minimum 7 Credits)

• Interdisciplinary Elective Courses (Minimum 1 Credit)

• Practice Work (1 Credit)

• Academic Engagement (2 Credits)

• Proposal and Graduation Thesis (2 Credits)

The minimum credits required for graduation is 30 credits.

Minor adjustments have been made to the deployment of curriculum modules, including the establishment of an independent Elective Liberal Studies Courses module, which provides learners with greater flexibility in course selection. In this module, courses focus on Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy are offered to enable learners to explore knowledge out of core business curriculum, fostering their intellectual curiosity, cultural literacy, and lifelong learning mindset.

Since 2021, the Interdisciplinary Elective Courses module has been added to the curriculum, which is corresponded to the IBS’s strategic goal of developing interdisciplinary competence. This module allows learners to select courses of other disciplines like Financial Statistics, Systems Engineering and Management, Structural Equation Modeling, Machine Learning etc., enabling them to integrate diverse perspectives into business decision-making.

Other modules remain the same with some courses adjustments to keep currency and relevancy.

Figure 4-2 The Curriculum Structure of Academic Graduate Program

The Compulsory Liberal Studies Courses contains Advanced English, Ethics, and Social Science Research Methodology, etc., with the similar goal as the electives to enhance learners’ holistic ability.

The Compulsory Core Courses focus on the medium-level economic and managerial knowledge. For learners of Applied and Theoretical Economics, courses like medium-level Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics, Game Theory and Informational Economics. For learners of Business Administration, there are courses such as Managerial Economics, Organizational Behavior, medium-level Operations Research, Empirical Methods in Management Research and Principal-Agent Theory. To keep up with the AI trend, Data Mining and Applications has been added to the list to support the curriculum, enabling learners to use new technologies to do data analysis and integrate it into decision-making.

The Elective Core Courses offer a comprehensive selection of advanced topics in economics and management, focusing on cutting-edge theories and contemporary practices. This diverse curriculum enables learners to deepen their expertise and broaden their perspectives within their respective research fields, fostering critical thinking and innovative approaches to complex business challenges.

For the Academic Engagement part, IBS offers a rich portfolio of lectures, academic salons, and seminars designed to actively involve learners in scholarly discourse. In addition, by inviting experts and scholars from renowned universities and providing grants to support learners’ participation in national and international conferences, IBS ensures abundant opportunities for learners to broaden their academic horizons, engage with cutting-edge research, and build professional networks. To meet the graduation requirements and earn the credit, learners are expected to complete the following tasks:

• Participating in seminars, lectures or workshops organized by the school or other academic institutions.

• Participating in at least 1 national or international conferences and writing reports for the activities.

The Practice Work requires learners to participate in one of several programs, including Teaching/Research/Management Assistant Program, 100 Enterprises Case Program, Social Survey, Volunteer Action Program, Challenge Cup competition, Entrepreneurship initiatives and others. These experimental opportunities are designed to cultivate learners’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world challenges while enhancing their sense of social responsibility and civic engagement.

The Proposal and Graduation Thesis represent the cornerstone of the academic graduate programs. Learners are required to conduct a thorough literature review, reading at least 15 scholarly works and producing a review of approximately 10,000 words. Following this, students select a research direction, develop a detailed proposal, design the research framework, collect and analyze data, and complete the thesis manuscript. Prior to the formal thesis defense, IBS organizes a pre-defense session to provide constructive feedback and ensure readiness. The completed thesis undergoes a rigorous double-blind review process to maintain academic integrity and quality. The whole process not only develops learners’ research capabilities but also prepares them for academic, professional, or doctoral pursuits by fostering critical thinking, methodological rigor, and scholarly communication skills.