Program for Master in the History of Education（040103）

1. Cultivating Objective

  (1) To further understand Marxism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory, to embrace the Party’s basic line, to love our motherland, to abide by laws and regulations, to study rigorously, to behave morally, to have a strong sense of devotion and dedication and to contribute actively for socialist modern construction.

 (2) To know the developing processes and latest achievements of educational theories at home and abroad, to grasp the major Chinese and foreign themes and basic clues in the evolutions of educational thoughts, in the changes of educational systems and in the promotion of educational practice;

 (3) To be familiar with the methodology of scientific research in education, to apply scientific the theories and methods of educational historiography to evaluate the historical facts of Chinese and foreign education, to carry out the research on questions and problems of educational historiography, to summarize the experience and lessons of educational development, to explore the historical laws of educational development, and to provide actively historical inspiration and experience for the reforms and development of practical education;

 (4) To possess an ability to independently engage in research on educational theory and in exploratory practice of educational reforms, to be qualified for the teaching, scientific research and education management of this discipline and the related specialties;

 (5) To be proficient in a foreign language

2. Cultivating Method and Duration

(1) Cultivating Method

A combination of supervisor guidance and steering group cultivating.

(2) Duration

3 years, no more than 5 years.

3. Research Concentrations

 (1) Research on the History of Educational Thoughts

 (2) Research on the History of Educational System

 (3) Research on the history of Education Management

 (4) Research on the Development of Educational Culture and Policy Development

 (5) Research on Historical Tradition and Regional Education

 (6) Research on History of Chinese and Foreign Education and Cultural Exchange

 (7) Research on the Problems in the Development of Chinese and Foreign Education

 (8) Research on Historical Tradition and Reform of Contemporary Education

 (9) Research on Educational Reforms in Primary and Secondary Schools

 (10) Research on History of Curriculum and Teaching Development

4. Credit and Curriculum

  (1) Course and Credit

 Courses of postgraduates includes common course, elementary course and specialized course. The common courses contain some public compulsory courses, such as Political Theory and foreign languages, andsome public optional courses, such as research methods.The elementary courses are degree’s compulsory courses for this discipline. The specialized courses contain two kinds of courses: one is professional compulsory course for this discipline; and the other is professional optional course according to directions.

 Course Assessment has two parts: examination and check. Examination scores areon a 100 point scale, and scores of check results are graded according to the rating system. Whether those postgraduates who belong to cross-disciplinary enrollment and have similar professional qualification will supplement the relevant courses of this major are decided by mentors according to their undergraduate course achievements and current requirements of this major. Supplementary course credits will be added to the required credits, but cannot replace them.

 Before the dissertation defense procedure, students’ total credits of this discipline should be at least 31 credits, and at the same time their sub-credits should not be lower than the following requirements:

 Among them, Political Theory that belongs to degree’s public courses includes Theory and Practice of Socialism With Chinese Characteristics (2 credits),Marxism and Methodology of Social Science (one nominated optional course for postgraduates of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1 credits), An Introduction to Dialectics of Nature (one nominated optional course for postgraduates of Science and Engineering, and postgraduates of medicine, 1 credits); there are 4 credits for public foreign languages; Discipline and Ethics in Academic Research can be learned by students themselves and assessed online but won’t be counted to credits.

 Some optional courses of degree’s public courses includes “the second foreign language.”, “computer applications”, “ literature retrieval technology” and other public optional courses, such as “research methods”. Postgraduates can choose one of them and get 2 credits.

 Postgraduates should earn at least 9 credits when concerned to degree’s basic courses; they should earn at least 5 credits when concerned to degree’s professional courses (compulsory courses); they should earn at least 6 credits when concerned to degree’s professional courses (optional courses). At least 2 credits should be earned when concerned to cross-subjects or Interdisciplinary optional courses (optional courses).

 (2)  Curriculum

 Ps: “public optional courses I” means “the second foreign language.”, “computer applications”, “ literature retrieval technology” and other public optional courses, such as “research methods”.Postgraduates can choose one of them and get 2 credits.

5. Research Achievements Requirement

 That postgraduates publish high-quality academic papers is encouraged. However, there is no united requirement for postgraduates in term of achievements in scientific research during the period of study.

6. Assessment

 (1) The Contains of Mid-period Assessment

 Mid-period Assessment is organized at the end of the fourth term after postgraduates’ enrollment. The contents of Mid-period Assessment contain:

 (2) The completion of various courses, practical links and scientific research training. According to the reading ability of specific basic literature, postgraduates’ reading ability of the basic literature will be assessed.

 (3) Opening argument and review of Dissertation. The scrutiny and argument of thesis proposal are conducted by the tutor with 3 to 5 teachers who are in the related fields of research. The result of the thesis proposal’s scrutiny is decided by the group who attend the argument of thesis proposal. The basic contents of thesis proposal include:

 a. to explain the reasons of selecting the topic;

  b. to clearly express the purpose and significance of the topic;

 c. literature review should introduce a more systematical and clear progress and dynamic of the research field at home and abroad;

 d. to introduce the research design of the topic;

 e. to introduce the research stage and work plan of the topic;

  f. to introduce the innovative points of the topic or the key problems to be solved;

 g. to introduce the research content of topic;

 h. to introduce the difficulties , doubtful points and existing problems in research;

 i. to introduce main reference materials.

 However, thesis proposal must be re-argued if there is one of the following circumstances: there is no value or little value of the selected topic;

 b. it simply repeats previous studies that have been made, and almost has few or no new ideas;

 c. The study was poorly designed or seriously flawed or unworkable.

 (4) The qualification evaluation of thesis defense. Before the last term ofpostgraduates’ graduation.  Postgraduates that are going to graduate will be evaluated if they has the qualification of thesis defense, specific after reviewing mid-period assessment, academic activities and scientific research results.

 (5) The organization procedures of mid-period assessment

 First, a basic assessment team that attends in the teaching and research room. The members of the group are mentors, the director of the teaching and research room, teachers and the counselor.

 Second, an assessment team that is organized by Party and Government of the department

 Third, results should be put on record by the faculty and postgraduate school;

 (6) The usage of mid-period assessment results

 The postgraduates that are qualified after the comprehensive assessment will go into the writing stage of master degree dissertation. The postgraduates that have good political and moral character, excellent academic achievements and outstanding scientific research ability will be selected to study for a doctorate or graduate in advance; the postgraduates that are  not fully qualified after the comprehensive assessment will be postponed to graduate or write their dissertations, such as in the following situations: thesis proposal is not passed, the scientific research ability  is evaluated 'general'; one of the specialized courses (basic  courses , optional  courses) is still failed after a makeup examination; the postgraduates that are evaluated “poor" after the comprehensive assessment will be proposed to dropout, such as in the following situations: the postgraduates have bad political and moral character, poor academic achievements or obviously lack scientific research ability.

7. Dissertation Requirement

 Master's degree of Educational History is a comprehensive training in scientific research for postgraduates of Educational History, and is an important part of cultivating their ability to analyze and solve problems comprehensively by using the knowledge of Educational History, and is also one of the important bases for deciding whether to grant a master's degree.

 For the specific content, requirements of dissertations of master's degree of Educational History are as follows:

 (1) There is theoretical and practical significance in the selected topic;

 (2) The research topic must be clear and specific, and the research methods must be appropriate;

 (3) The dissertation must be familiar with the academic background related to the dissertation, and understand the frontier research related to the dissertation, and clarify what problems the predecessors have solved and what problems have been left;

 (4) The dissertation must have a strict logical structure, and can make a complete and systematic exposition of the problem;

 (5) The dissertation can indicate that the author has mastered relatively solid basic theory and systematic expertise;

 (6) The dissertation has new ideas or discoveries.

 For the writing norms, requirements of dissertations of master's degree of Educational History are as follows:

 (1) The achievements of other people should be respected and literature should be treated seriously;

 (2) The dissertation should be dependently and completely under the mentor’s guidance;

 (3) One’s research results should be expressed in a realistic way;

 (4) The words should be concise, and expression should conform to the modern Chinese standards;

 (5) The abstract should be consistent with the main text, and can highlight new insights or innovative achievements of the dissertation.