Undergraduate programmes
International Studies combines the disciplines of history, international relations and politics. With more than 400 students, the school delivers a strong multi-discipline programme at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Of the 63 undergraduates who graduated from the school in 2020 and continued onto postgraduate studies, 63.5% were admitted by world top 50 universities according to the 2021 QS World University Rankings - including University College London, the University of Oxford and Johns Hopkins University. The other graduates found jobs with prominent Chinese and international employers in business and government agencies.
Postgraduate programmes
The School of International Studies at the University of Nottingham Ningbo offers three different master’s degree programmes. Each offers a unique taught postgraduate programme of the highest standard, delivered by experts in their field. These degrees are structured into compulsory modules providing the conceptual background, as well as elective modules allowing students to develop their particular interests in various facets of international studies. Click on the links below for more information about these programmes.
Research degrees - PhD programme
The PhD in International Studies is a three year full-time programme (or six year part-time) of doctoral study for students who would like to undertake advanced research in preparation for an academic or related career. If admitted to this degree, students will conduct their own research under the guidance of two academic supervisors, one based at the University’s China campus and another at the UK campus. Graduates will be awarded a University of Nottingham UK degree, which is also recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education.
Featured Student
To be honest, the more I learned about UNNC’s educational policies, the more questions I had. Universities boast of providing a “transformative” experience and “transferable” skills that empower their students to freely explore their interests and pursue their passions without fear and constraints. However, as emerging literature, spearheaded by William Deresiewicz’s “Excellent Sheep”, reveals, more and more college students no longer know where their passions lie. Instead, they “have a passion only for success”. College no longer seems like a haven for intellectual inquiry but a life of “all-consuming extracurriculars” and a means to maximize return on educational investment and attain gold stars on student resumes – whether it be Harvard Law, Wharton of UPenn, or McKinsey. In the four years I’ve spent at UNNC, I believe that the most important thing is to keep “trying and failing”, learning to reconcile with the “ordinary self”, and attempting to be consistent in this process. Try to figure out what you really want and what you love to do. Keep calm, and you’ll always be on your way!
Finally, a heartfelt gratitude to all the professors I met during my undergraduate studies, especially my dissertation supervisor, Dr Maria Julia Trombetta.