The School of Sociology at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), founded in July 2005, has developed rapidly into an integral part of CUPL’s pursuit of global distinction. Guided by previous deans, including Yue Guoan, Ying Xing, and Zhao Bingxiang, and currently led by Yang Qingmei, the School has established a comprehensive academic structure that supports its diverse programs.

The School comprises four main divisions: Department of Sociology, Department of Psychology, Department of Social Work and Policies, and dedicated laboratory facilities. Over the past decade, the School of Sociology has expanded its academic offerings to span undergraduate and postgraduate education, training students to excel across these fields and contributing to CUPL’s reputation.

The School offers three undergraduate majors—Sociology, Applied Psychology, and Social Work—alongside two primary Master’s programs in Sociology and Psychology, an interdisciplinary Ph.D program in Political Sociology, and two professional master’s degree programs in Social Work and in applied psychology respectively. The faculty is composed of 40 members, including 10 professors and 16 associate professors, all of whom hold doctoral degrees. Nineteen faculty members bring a valuable international background, enhancing the School’s academic depth. The faculty have garnered several awards, recognizing specific faculty members, courses, and textbooks for the contributions to excellence in teaching.

Sociology was one of the three foundational disciplines at the Beijing College of Political Science and Law, the predecessor to the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). Established in 1952, the Beijing College of Political Science and Law emerged from the integration of key disciplines—law, political science, and sociology—drawn from prestigious universities including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Yenching University, and Fu Jen University. Although sociology as a field was discontinued nationwide at the time, renowned sociologists Yan Jingyao and Lei Jieqiong continued to teach at the college, playing a crucial role in preserving the legacy of sociology through their enduring contributions.

In the 1980s, Wang Kang, a prominent sociologist, assisted the eminent scholar Fei Xiaotong in the revival of sociology as a discipline. Wang also held notable positions in the Chinese Sociological Association and dedicated his later years to teaching at CUPL. Notably, CUPL was among the first universities to reintroduce sociology to its curriculum following the discipline’s resurgence in the 1980s. Another influential sociologist, Ying Xing, taught at CUPL’s School of Sociology from 2002 to 2018, greatly contributing to the program’s growth.

Since its formal establishment as a discipline in 2001, sociology at CUPL has prioritized faculty excellence and the development of uniquely specialized majors. Through sustained efforts, the sociology program earned the designation of "National-Level Major with Distinctive Characteristics" by the Ministry of Education in 2009, and in 2019, and it was further recognized as a national first-class undergraduate program.

The China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) has long been a pioneer in the fields of criminal and forensic psychology and continues to lead cutting-edge research in these areas. An academic team led by Luo Dahua, a key figure in modern criminal psychology, laid the groundwork for the development of the psychology discipline within CUPL’s School of Sociology.

In 1981, a teaching and research team dedicated to criminal psychology was established under Luo’s leadership within CUPL’s criminal investigation department. Two years later, in 1983, CUPL launched the country’s first dedicated teaching and research section for criminal psychology. In the same year, the Forensic Psychology Committee of the Chinese Psychological Society was established at CUPL, and the current chair, Ma Ai, is also affiliated to the School of Sociology. In addition, Yang Bo now serves as the chair of the Forensic Psychology Committee under the Chinese Social Psychology Society.

The discipline’s growth continued with the approval of CUPL’s application for a first-class graduate program in psychology in 2004, which also marked the launch of a dedicated postgraduate program in criminal psychology. By 2006, an undergraduate major in applied psychology had been established. Reflecting on three decades of consistent development, CUPL’s Department of Psychology now offers a comprehensive education pipeline from undergraduate to postgraduate studies, with a particular focus on forensic psychology, one of the most developed fields within the department.

Supported by its specialized disciplines and skilled faculty, the Department of Psychology has achieved rapid advancement, developing a “small yet strong, exceptional and excellent” model. This has solidified CUPL’s reputation as a leader in forensic psychology education and research.

With increasing national emphasis on cultivating social work professionals in the 21st century, CUPL’s social work education and research have developed rapidly. In 2012, the undergraduate program in social work was re-established, followed by the approval of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program in 2014.

Building on the foundational disciplines of sociology and applied psychology, and supplemented by insights from law and public policy, the Department of Social Work and Policies focuses on training social work professionals for roles in the judicial system, social services, and social governance. Key practical skills emphasized in the program include conflict mediation, correctional work, support for drug rehabilitation, assistance to vulnerable populations, and protection of legal rights. Through this specialized approach, the department aims to equip students with essential competencies in order to address complex social issues and contribute meaningfully to public welfare and justice.

Despite its relatively small size, the School of Sociology at CUPL has achieved notable success in diverse research areas, including historical sociology, political sociology, forensic psychology, forensic sociology, criminal psychology, and judicial social work. Among these, fields such as historical sociology, political sociology, and forensic psychology have established themselves as national leaders. Since the school’s founding, its faculty have contributed extensively to scholarship, publishing numerous academic articles in leading national journals like Social Sciences in China, Science China, Sociological Studies, Chinese Journal of Law, and Acta Psychologica Sinica, along with dozens of papers in international SSCI journals and many academic monographs. The school’s faculty have also managed numerous key research projects funded by national and municipal agencies, with their work receiving recognition and awards from the Ministry of Education, municipal governments, and respected international social work journals.

The School of Sociology is guided by two core objectives. First, it aims to strengthen the disciplines of sociology and psychology, aligning them as essential contributors to legal education and research, thereby advancing CUPL’s strategic ambition to become a leading law school. Second, the school seeks to cultivate its three majors—sociology, applied psychology, and social work—following a “small yet strong, exceptional and excellent” model to retain their competitive edge and to drive continued academic progress.

Contact Address:

School of Sociology, China University of Political Science and Law,

No. 27 Fuxue Road, Changping District, Beijing, 102249, China