Courses on Domain Knowledge

Date: 23 Apr 2023

MPhil: minimum 9 credits of coursework

PhD: minimum 15 credits of coursework

Required Course List

UGOD 5010

Science of Cities

3 Credit(s)

Description

The course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the city and the system of cities, the challenges faced by cities, especially the rapidly-developing large cities, and the key tools for interventions in response to critical pressures linked to economic development, urbanization, globalization, migration, social inclusion, climate change, resource efficiency, technology etc.

Sample Elective Course List

To meet individual needs, students will be taking courses in different areas, which may include but not limited to courses and areas listed below.

UGOD 5009

Inferential Statistics and OLS Regression

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course introduces fundamental knowledge and practice of basic statistics in quantitative social science research, with a focus on how quantitative methods are used to assemble, describe, and draw inferences from bodies of numerical data. The course serves as an additional foundation for more advanced methodology courses (such as UGOD 5020). The course covers two modules. The first is about descriptive statistics and fundamentals of statistical inference. Topics include frequency distribution, probability theory, random variable and probability distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and contingency table analysis. The second is about linear regression techniques, which are widely used in social science research. The course materials are explored through the analyses of real data sets using STATA.

UGOD 5011

Applied Numerical Methods

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course introduces computational methods that are commonly used in social science (e.g. economics, finance etc.) and other disciplines (e.g. engineering). They are to solve/handle linear and non-linear equations, optimizations, numerical integration and differentiation, function approximation, dynamic models (discrete and continuous), etc. Classes will be interactive so that students can understand both theory and practice. Homework is designed for students to be familiar with those techniques.

UGOD 5020

Quantitative Social Science

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course builds on the knowledge of the linear regression models to introduce students advanced statistical methods to analyze survey, administrative and other types of data of interest to quantitative social scientists. The introduction of statistical methods is integrated into research contexts and designs from a holistic framework and bridge quantitative social science and computational social science (data science). Topics include measurement, prediction, causal inference, natural experiment and program evaluation (difference-in-differences, panel data, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity), applied to both survey and big data.

UGOD 5030

GIS and Spatial Analysis

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course introduces students to the basic concepts and methods in Geographic Information System (GIS), and their applications in urban design and governance, environmental and infrastructure sustainability, and smart city management. This course integrates social science and informatics perspectives, and is suitable for students with various backgrounds. In addition to learning traditional GIS data, spatial analytical techniques, and GIS software, this course also develops skills of manipulating spatially detailed urban sensing Big Data (about urban activities, environmental qualities, and mobility patterns).

UGOD 5040

Urban Data Acquisition and Analysis

3 Credit(s)

Description

The course introduces students to different methods of collecting data in the social sciences for urban analysis, focusing on sampling surveys designs and analysis in urban settings. Since alternative data sources (e.g., passive measurement, social media and administrative data) become increasingly available in recent years, the course will also cover other modes of data acquisitions such as using new technology on wearables, sensors, and apps in urban research settings, and exploration of cutting edge methods for collecting and analyzing web data, and how they can be used in combination with traditional survey data.

UGOD 5050

Cities and Society

3 Credit(s)

Description

The course looks at some of the major drivers of urban inequality and poverty, and the key actions that cities are taking to reduce urban inequalities through urban design, infrastructure and policy. Students are introduced with tools to analyze the socio-demographic profile of households and neighborhoods/communities and their relation to spatial distribution and clustering in cities of both the developing and the developed world. A particular emphasis is placed on identifying spatial strategies that can alleviate the concentration of urban poverty and inequality to enhance urban social cohesion by optimizing access to jobs, housing, education, health, public space, transport and community infrastructure.

UGOD 5060

Urban Data Analytics

3 Credit(s)

Description

Over recent years, the way data are used to understand urban system has changed dramatically. Cities are constantly adapting to incorporate new technology, and urban social life increasingly occurs in digital environments and continues to be mediated by digital systems, producing urban data not only in volume but also in form (i.e. text, image, audio, and video). This course delves into the challenges and opportunities of using new and emerging forms of data to study cities.

UGOD 5070

Urban Planning and Design

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course cuts across all major fields within urban planning and design and introduces the major theories, models, and methodological approaches that urban planners and policy makers use for urban planning and design. This course also critically examines the current practice of urban planning and governance in China at various geographical scales.

UGOD 5080

Cities and the Environment

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course will provide students a systematic framework of the interplay between urban growth and the environment and introduce them to the most pressing environmental challenges accompanied with fast-developing cities worldwide. It will familiarize students with the current research progress in this field, by walking them through the state-of-the-art research in urban and environmental studies from both developing and developed countries.

UGOD 5090

Urban Sustainability

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course provides a road map for examining the sustainability of cities through perspectives and approaches in urban governance and design. Drawing from an interdisciplinary literature, we will explore the following major themes in the context of urban sustainability: theories and assessment tools of urban sustainability, land use and transportation, urban design, energy and climate change, food and health, governance, and social ecology.

UGOD 5101

Empirical Methods for Urban Research

3 Credit(s)

Description

The course introduces students to basic practices and tools that will enhance their ability to conduct empirical research and analysis in applied economics and relevant disciplines in a data-rich world. By the end of the course, the students will be proficient in a variety of data management, visualization, and quantitative techniques necessary to efficiently conduct independent research. The course format is “hands-on”, and students will conduct most of their work on their personal computers using R and RStudio.

UGOD 5102

Life Course Research

3 Credit(s)

Description

Life course analysis provides a framework to understand many topics across different disciplines, such as family and fertility, migration, child development and education, paid and unpaid work, and wellbeing, heath and ageing. Those decisions or outcomes of individuals are a result of how individuals interact with each other in the specific culture and historical context that is shaped by our city, policy, and environment. This course will introduce the field of life course research and basic concepts, cover a range of established research topics, with a focus on the theoretical and substantive research in addition to the translation of these research questions into empirical applications. Another central goal will be the introduction of event history techniques and sequence analysis. Students will learn how social survey data, administrative data, and geographic information are synthesized to answer those research questions.

UGOD 5103

Economics of the Urban Labor Market

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course studies theoretical and empirical issues in economics of the urban labor market. Topics include theories and empirics of human capital in an urban area, labor search and matching, unemployment, and their applications. The modeling and empirical tools covered allow students to analyze various public policy issues facing contemporary urban governance and design, including minimum wage and unemployment benefits. Evidence from China’s urban labor market will be discussed along the course.

UGOD 5105

Urban Complexity Analysis and Modeling

3 Credit(s)

Description

Going beyond conventional GIS and geospatial analysis, this course delves into the realm of complexity-science methods, including fractal geometry, power law statistics, space syntax, complex networks, scaling hierarchy, and cellular automata. By embracing pivotal concepts like "natural streets" and "natural cities," alongside the tools such as Axwoman and head/tail breaks, students will explore city structure and dynamics from a complexity-science perspective. These concepts, methods and tools will be applied to open-access geospatial big data such as OpenStreetMap, nighttime imagery, and location-based social media data for revealing insights into cities for better transforming modern cities towards a sustainable planet.

UGOD 5110

Quantitative Macroeconomics

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course introduces the framework of modern macroeconomics and then conducts policy analysis based on it. We start from the classic economic growth model developed by Solow, then gradually add other features to the model to make it better explain the real world. These features include a life-cycle structure, income risks, incomplete credit markets, the role of government, etc. After building up the framework, we study its policy implications with a focus on fiscal policy.

UGOD 5120

Entrepreneurship and Modern Economy

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course studies the role of entrepreneurship in the modern economy. Theories and empirics of startups as a driver of job creation, growth and development, and business cycles will be discussed. The course also examines the effects on venture growth, wealth accumulation, inequality, and innovation in a society. Finally, examples of entrepreneurial public policies will be demonstrated and assessed.

UGOD 5200

Applied Demography

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course provides an introduction to applied demography, the practical applications of demographic analysis. Students will learn about the basic principles of demographic analysis, including measures of population size, composition, and distribution, as well as methods for analyzing demographic changes and trends over time. Through hands-on instruction, students will also learn the applications of these techniques to real-world situations, such as policy-making, urban planning, and marketing.

UGOD 5201

Spatial Econometrics for Urban Analysis

3 Credit(s)

Description

This course combines spatial analysis and econometrics to understand and analyze urban phenomena. It equips students with theoretical foundations and practical tools for understanding and analyzing urban data. The course covers spatial autocorrelation, heterogeneity, and various spatial econometric models. It also explores real-world applications in the fields of urban economics, regional science, and environmental economics.

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