Quality Control System and Assessment of MPA Education in China

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Quality Control System and Assessment of MPA
Education in China
YAO Xianguo College of Public Administration,
Zhejiang University Member of National Steering
Committee of MPA Program, China
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I. The Development of MPA Education in China
(1/2)

• In August 1999, the 17th plenary
  session of Academic Degrees Committee of the
  State Council discussed and passed the scheme of
  Masters professional degree of Public
  Administration.
• In August 2000, Peking University,
  Tsinghua University and other 24 institutions
  were approved as the first batch of pilot units
  of MPA education.
• In February 2001, Academic Degrees
  Committee of the State Council, Ministry of
  Education, Ministry of Personnel jointly
  established the National Steering Committee of
  MPA Program (NSCMP), responsible for coordinately
  regulating and guiding the MPA education and
  promoting the international communication and
  cooperation.
• The pilot units of MPA education were
  increased in 2003,2004 and 2006 respectively. So
  far, the number of high education institutions
  with MPA program has reached 101.

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I. The Development of MPA Education in China (2/2)

• From 2001 to 2006, the total enrollment of MPA
  has reached 35574.
• Table 1 MPA Enrollment of China (2001-2006)

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II. Quality Control System of Chinas MPA
Education (1/6)

• Constituting basic criterion of MPA education,
  strictly examining school-running qualifications
  of applying institutions.
• Before recruiting MPA trainees, the
  experts team is set up to study the running modes
  and teaching content of MPA education. In August
  2001, Academic Degrees Committee of the State
  Council enacted The education scheme for the
  masters professional degree of Public
  Administration(draft), which prescribes the
  detailed requirements on trainees, education
  styles, education years, course setting and
  thesis writing of MPA. Meanwhile, they carried
  out strict examination on school-running
  qualifications, number and quality of teachers,
  education style, etc. Although hundreds of
  institutions applied for running MPA program in
  each pilot units expanding year, only limited
  number institutions was approved.

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II. Quality Control System of Chinas MPA
Education (2/6)

• Reforming the recruiting measures, controlling
  the enrollment scale and ensuring the qualities
  of students.
• It is not allowed that the first
  enrollment number exceeds100 for each
  institution. Gradually, the enrollment number can
  be increased but should not exceed 300.
• The control of examination score and
  enrollment number should go parallel. Every year
  the matriculation score of each institution will
  be publicized and sorted, and the enrollment
  number of the institutions which fall into the
  last one-third would be restricted in the next
  year.
• The matriculation process is divided
  into two sections written examination and
  interview examination. The written examination is
  national uniform and the interview examination is
  organized by each institution.

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II. Quality Control System of Chinas MPA
Education (3/6)

• Implementing unified and flexible course
  structure.
• Credit system is introduced into MPA
  education with the length of education years from
  2 to 4 years.
• The overall credits of MPA candidates
  should not be lower than 42. And the curriculum
  is divided into three categories core courses,
  specialty compulsory courses and specialty
  elective courses. The number of core courses is 9
  which is nationally regulated ( totally 26
  credits).
• Each university can set up specialty
  compulsory courses and specialty elective courses
  according to respective circumstance, but the
  total credit should not lower than 20. There is
  also a 2-credit course Social Practice and Study.

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II. Quality Control System of Chinas MPA
Education (4/6)

• Enhancing training and assessment of faculty,
  improving teaching
• Each institution takes encouraging
  measurements to attract excellent teachers to
  join the teaching group of MPA, including
  introducing talented individuals from abroad,
  encouraging in-service teachers to participate in
  various activities such as training, seminars and
  exchanging programs. The National Educational
  Guidance Committee for MPA often organizes
  various seminars and meetings which provide a
  platform for teachers from different institutions
  to communicate and cooperate.
• In the meantime, each institution
  carries out the evaluation of each course,
  implementing incentive mechanism to promote
  teaching.

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II. Quality Control System of Chinas MPA
Education (5/6)

• Improving teaching methods, enhancing integration
  of theory and practice
• Unilateral teaching method should not
  be adopted alone in class. Diversified teaching
  methods should also be introduced to enhance the
  practicability and pertinence of courses among
  them case study and interactive teaching are
  especially important. Nowadays many institutions
  have set up case bases, case studying centers or
  public policy laboratories to enhance case
  teaching.
• Teachers are transferred to work in
  government to obtain practical experience.
  Officials and experts are invited to assume
  part-time teachers to give special topics reports
  and instruct candidates writing thesis.

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II. Quality Control System of Chinas MPA
Education (6/6)

• Enforcing uniform assessment of pilot units of
  MPA education
• Only passing the national uniform
  qualification assessment, the pilot units can
  transform to be the formal institutions to run
  MPA education.

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III. Criteria and Results of Teaching Assessment
(1/5)

• The index system is made up of 6
  first-level evaluation index, 25 second-level
  evaluation index. The weight coefficients for the
  second-level index are equally 4. The values for
  second-level evaluation index are divided into
  three categories AGood85 BPass70
  CFaillt70.
• Each second-level evaluation index has
  detailed criteria.
• If the number of good second-level
  index reaches 20, the result of overall
  assessment is Good. If the number of pass and
  good second-level index is more than 20, the
  result is Pass. If the number of fail
  second-level index is 6 and above, the result is
  Fail.

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III. Criteria and Results of Teaching Assessment
(2/5)

• Index System for Evaluating MPA education (1/2)

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III. Criteria and Results of Teaching Assessment
(3/5)

• Index System for Evaluating MPA education (2/2)

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III. Criteria and Results of Teaching Assessment
(4/5)

• Assessment Results of First Batch of Pilot Units,
  24 Institutions (1/2)

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III. Criteria and Results of Teaching Assessment
(5/5)

• Assessment Results of First Batch of Pilot Units,
  24 Institutions (2/2)

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IV. Problems for Further Studying

• The MPA education in China is just taking
  off, and a lot of problems need to be studied and
  solved such as
• How to integrate peer evaluation, institution
  evaluation and employer evaluation?
• How to improve case teaching and on-the-spot
  teaching?
• Is it necessary to write dissertation? How to
  evaluate and ensure the quality of dissertation?
• How to further arouse the enthusiasm of MPA
  candidates? How to make use of skills and
  knowledge learned from MPA education after
  graduation?
• How to coordinate criterion of MPA education and
  individual differences?

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• Thank you!