Integrating Generative AI into Postgraduate Sociology Curriculum: An Innovative Model and Reform Trajectory

This article explores the integration of generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI) within postgraduate sociology education, addressing the exigencies and prospects presented by the digital intelligence era. Informed by global trends in AI-driven educational transformation, the study analyses the imperative for postgraduate curricular reform in sociology, emphasizing the innovative application of Generative AI across didactic models, content, and assessment methodologies. By positing a “five stages + six dimensions” framework—encompassing instruction, cultivation, research, evaluation, and a six-dimensional design of content, methodologies, assessment, instructor-student interaction, resources, and educational research—the paper elucidates how Generative AI can augment personalized learning, intelligent teaching support, and virtual experimental milieus. Empirical analyses underscore that the integration of Generative AI cultivates students’ critical thinking and problem-solving proficiencies, concurrently mitigating educational resource disparities. Nevertheless, challenges pertaining to data privacy and ethical considerations necessitate systematic governance. The study concludes that a hybrid model of government-led innovation and multi-stakeholder collaboration is crucial for advancing intelligent pedagogy in the social sciences, thereby furnishing a theoretical foundation for curricular reform in sociology and allied disciplines.