MASTER'S

MA in Political Economy

Gain extensive knowledge of the dynamics of the Asian economies and the key trends underlying the global political economy and its transformation by specializing in

TSE's pedagogy is based on an integrative vision of enabling students to see the forest and not simply the trees. Our students will be trained to apply interdisciplinary knowledge to do holistic analysis and avoid the pitfalls of partial analysis or unidimensional thinking.

Key facts about this program
Minimum residence

Two years (four semesters)

Language

English

Admission slots

54 students
(6 local students, 45 international students, and 3 Overseas Chinese students)
(international students: subject to MOE’s “Regulations Regarding International Students Undertaking Studies in Taiwan,” the admission quota will be adjusted based on the university’s total quota)

Tuition

Full-time: NT$135,000 (per semester) 

Total cost for two-year program (four semesters): NT$ 540,000 (equal to US$ 18,000, at an exchange rate of US$ 1 = NT$ 30) *

Qualification

Proficiency in English and with sufficient social sciences background
(but not necessarily social sciences majors)

Specialization

Asian Political Economy (MAPE)
Global Political Economy (MGPE) 
Economic Development (MED) 

Course work requirement

24 credits (equivalent of 12 courses), plus 4 credits of Mandarin Chinese courses for International students***

M.A. thesis

Required

Start date

September 2025

Applications Open

September 2 2024 (international), October 2 2024 (domestic),
TBA (Oversea Chinese)

Find out more >


* Tuition:
The total tuition and miscellaneous fees of our two-year program are NT$ 540,000. Students are liable to pay for the first four semesters (two semesters an academic year), of which the tuition and miscellaneous fees are NT$ 135,000 per semester. For those who do not complete the program in the first four semesters, from the fifth semester on, no tuition and miscellaneous fees will be charged. Each year, students with outstanding academic performance may receive a scholarship. The type and eligibility requirements of the scholarship may vary each year.

** Changing your specialization:
Students may change their area of specialization by application.

*** Mandarin courses:
According to University’s policy, international Masters students must complete 4 credits of Mandarin courses before graduation. Students who meet certain criteria may apply for a waiver. See "Mandarin Course Requirements for NTHU International Students."

A typical bundle of coursework (around 5+1+4+2 courses, equal to 24 credits)
5 courses for building up foundational knowledge
1 to 2 courses for basic methodological training
4 to 6 core courses for field specialization
2 to 3 optional courses for field specialization
M.A. thesis

Curriculum

Click the course title to view course details, or check out the full curriculum.

Graduation Guidelines and Procedures

1

Foundational Knowledge

(minimum requirement for all students: 10 credits)

Comparative Political Economy (CPE) 

Microeconomic Analysis
Quantitative Methods I (QM1)

Methodology

(minimum requirement for all students: 3 credits)
Quantitative Methods III (QM3)
Experiment Design for Social Research
Game Theory for Social Research
Data Science for Policy Research
Core Courses for MAPE
(Minimum requirement: 8 credits)
  • Asian Development in Historical and Global Perspective
  • Asian Economic Development in Comparative Perspective
  • Chinese Development Model in Comparative Perspective
  • Civilizations and World Order
  • China in the Global Political Economy
  • Government and Politics in Asia
  • Regional Integration in Asia
  • State and Development in Asia
  • The Transformation of Global Order in the 21st Century 
Optional Courses for MAPE
(Minimum requirement: 4 credits)
  • East Asian Confucianism
  • Environmental Policy and Development
  • Ethnology of East and Southeast Asia
  • Financial Market Development in Asia
  • Foreign Direct Investment in Asia
  • Global Political Economy and India
  • Human Rights and Democracy 
  • International Financial and Monetary Relations
  • Law and Environment in East Asia
  • Political Economy of Cross-Strait Relations 
  • Political Economy of Development in Southeast Asia
  • Production Network in Asia
  • Political Economy of the Semiconductor Industry
  • Tax and Economic Development
  • Any Specialization Core Course 
Core Courses for MGPE
(Minimum requirement: 8 credits)
  • Civilizations and World Order
  • The Transformation of Global Order in the 21st Century
  • International Relations of East Asia
  • China in the Global Political Economy
  • Economic Transition of Socialist Countries and International Competition of Economic Systems
  • Political Economy of Global Trade System
  • Political Economy of Global Financial System
  • China and the Global South
Optional Courses for MGPE
(Minimum requirement: 4 credits)
  • East Asian Confucianism
  • Environmental Policy and Development
  • Ethnology of East and Southeast Asia
  • Financial Market Development in Asia
  • Foreign Direct Investment in Asia
  • Global Political Economy and India
  • Human Rights and Democracy 
  • International Financial and Monetary Relations
  • Law and Environment in East Asia
  • Political Economy of Cross-Strait Relations 
  • Political Economy of Development in Southeast Asia
  • Production Network in Asia
  • Political Economy of the Semiconductor Industry
  • Tax and Economic Development
  • Any Specialization Core Course 

 

Core Courses for MED
(Minimum requirement: 8 credits)

Core Courses

  • Asian Economic Development in Comparative Perspective
  • Development Economics
  • Economic Growth and Structural Transformation
  • Trade and Economic Development
  • Technology Policy and Economic Development
  • Human Resources for Economic Development
  • Regional Integration in Asia
  • Wealth of Nations: Economic Growth Theory and Practice
  • Industrial Policy and Economic Development
Optional Courses for MED
(Minimum requirement: 4 credits)
  • East Asian Confucianism
  • Environmental Policy and Development
  • Ethnology of East and Southeast Asia
  • Financial Market Development in Asia
  • Foreign Direct Investment in Asia
  • Global Political Economy and India
  • Human Rights and Democracy 
  • International Financial and Monetary Relations
  • Law and Environment in East Asia
  • Political Economy of Cross-Strait Relations 
  • Political Economy of Development in Southeast Asia
  • Production Network in Asia
  • Political Economy of the Semiconductor Industry
  • Tax and Economic Development
  • Any Specialization Core Course 

Contact Information

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.