Doctor of Professional Studies launches in Beijing

Global | Mar 20, 2016 | Nicole Gesualdo

The first class of DPS students at the program launch in Beijing with Dean Rapaccioli and dignitaries from Peking University.

Rose Hill, Lincoln Center, Westchester, and London aren’t the only campuses with Gabelli School students.

As of last week, the school officially has a program in Beijing, China: the Doctor of Professional Studies in Business. It can be thought of as a counterpart to a PhD: also a doctoral-level program, but whereas a PhD is designed for academics, the DPS is geared for professionals and practitioners.

The inaugural class comprises 29 students who have an average of 20 years of work experience and represent a variety of careers. They come from multinational companies such as IBM and from firms that are highly regarded within China, such as Tencent, TaiJi, and SanTong.

Dean Rapaccioli and Associate Dean An Yan attended the DPS’s opening ceremony last week at Peking University, which is running the program in partnership with the Gabelli School. Speakers included faculty; a renowned World Bank economist, Dr. Justin Lin, who holds an honorary degree from Fordham; and Dr. NuBo Huang, a Peking University alumnus who built his career in tourism and real estate. All of the speakers stressed the importance of continuous learning and using business research to advance society.

The Gabelli School DPS students will make New York their campus come summer, when they come to Lincoln Center to study under faculty from both Fordham and Peking University. It is expected that most students will require four years of study to complete the DPS degree requirements.