Going beyond study abroad: An introduction to United States and Chinese joint undergraduate degree programs in public affairs education

Public administration has continued to see the international increase on the graduate level and is beginning to have an increasing interest at the undergraduate level. This article focuses specifically on the development of US-Chinese joint undergraduate degree programs in public affairs education. Joint degree programs are a step beyond study abroad, because they are generally not limited to a semester or two of work at any particular institution. Joint degree programs involve institutional agreements that allow students and faculty to take and teach classes at partner institution over the entire span of a student’s time in an undergraduate program. This article highlights the different types of joint degrees institutions can implement and items they should consider prior to beginning any joint degree. While this article focuses on China specifically there is information on programs broadly that will apply to any program considering joint undergraduate degrees in public affairs education.