Research Focus
The intersection of computational social science and political science methodology, including:
- Large language model (LLM)-driven text measurement methods;
- Automated processing of open-ended questionnaire data;
- Political behaviour in urban governance and housing policy;
- AI safety and alignment.
Programme Structure and Funding
This is a full-time PhD programme with a duration of 4–5 years, admitting only 1–2 students.
The programme offers scholarship opportunities, including full funding and partial funding, awarded through a competitive selection process and disbursed in the form of scholarships, TA/RA allowances, and similar. The specific funding arrangement is subject to the final Funding Letter received; the supervisor will give a preliminary assessment of the applicant’s funding competitiveness during the interview. Applicants with strong backgrounds and performance may also have the opportunity to receive university-level scholarships (such as the Presidential Fellowship and Dean’s Fellowship). On top of the programme funding, students may receive an additional living allowance of up to RMB 180,000 per year after tax.
Entry Requirements
Sociology, political science, public policy, economics, statistics, computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, computational social science, psychology, communication studies, mathematics
- Academic background: a bachelor’s/master’s degree in a social science or a quantitative/computational discipline (such as statistics, artificial intelligence, computer science, computer engineering, etc.).
- Grade requirements: for direct entry from bachelor’s to PhD, a second-class honours bachelor’s degree or an undergraduate average grade of B or above (GPA ≥ 3.2/4.0) is required. There is no hard GPA requirement for master’s entry.
- Language requirements: TOEFL: 550 (paper-based) / 79 (computer-based/at-home); or IELTS: 6.5 (test centre/Online); applicants who have obtained a degree in an English-taught country may apply for an exemption.
- References: 2 letters of recommendation.
- Priority conditions: Applicants with relevant work experience, research outputs, and published influential research papers will be given priority. Applicants with a solid academic background from 985/211 universities or universities ranked in the top 100 of the QS rankings will be given priority. Good English ability, especially spoken English, with the capacity to clearly articulate one’s research ideas and participate in academic exchange and discussion. Strong interest in research, strong research motivation, and a spirit of academic exploration.
Application Materials
- Copies of official transcripts and grading schemes;
- Copies of academic/professional qualification certificates;
- English test scores;
- 2 letters of recommendation;
- Personal statement and CV;
- Copy of identity document;
- Research proposal;
- Written work (if any);
- Other supplementary materials (as required by the university).
Application Period
Autumn entry (September).
- First-round application period: October–mid-December;
- Second-round application period: mid-February–early April.
Autumn: mid-December (first round), early April (clearing round)
Tuition and Living Costs
Living costs
Approximately RMB 100,000 per year (depending on individual circumstances).
- Tuition: for entry in 2027 and thereafter — RMB 162,000 per student per academic year (tuition rises slightly each year).
Career Prospects
PhD graduates in computational social science, combining big data analysis with social science theory, become scarce talent in the digital age. According to recent employment statistics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), graduates’ starting salaries are concentrated at RMB 350,000–600,000 per year, with internet algorithm roles generally exceeding RMB 500,000, university teaching posts at around RMB 250,000–400,000, and think tanks and the public sector at around RMB 200,000–350,000.
In terms of career choices, PhD graduates mainly move into the following areas:
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Academia: they may undertake postdoctoral research at top overseas universities (such as the University of Chicago), or take up teaching posts at key domestic universities (such as Shanghai University of Finance and Economics), focusing on directions such as social network analysis and policy simulation.
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Internet and technology companies: working as algorithm engineers or data scientists, responsible for core business such as recommendation systems and user growth; major employers include Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and others, with opportunities also to enter the fintech field.
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Think tanks and public policy: joining the Development Research Center of the State Council or international organisations (such as the United Nations Development Programme), using big data to conduct empirical research such as poverty monitoring and public health emergency management.
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Culture, media and digital humanities: working on social media sentiment analysis, digital museum construction, news recommendation optimisation, and similar, serving mainstream media or cultural technology companies.
