International Education Guide - China - Enterprise and Advanced ...

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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATION FROM CHINA
• 15 credits of required specialty courses
• some elective courses
Each student is assigned a thesis supervisor, who must be
an associate professor or full professor authorized by the
institution to supervise master’s students. Upon successful
completion of the program, students receive a certificate of
graduation from a master’s program ( 硕 士 研 究 生 毕 业 证
书 ). They have to meet additional requirements set by the
institution (for example, grades of 70 per cent or higher
in all specialty courses) in order to be awarded a master’s
degree certificate ( 硕 士 学 位 证 书 ).
master’s level classes
Some universities offer master’s level classes that do not lead
to master’s degrees. For a short period, so-called graduate
classes ( 研 究 生 班 or 硕 士 研 究 生 班 ) provided qualification
education recognized by the Ministry of Education, with
admission and graduation standards set by the provincial
educational authorities. After successful completion of
such a program, students received certificates of graduation
from a graduate class ( 研 究 生 班 毕 业 证 书 ). Those with
high academic performance might choose to complete a
thesis and get a master’s degree. Graduate classes were
discontinued on January 1, 1996.
The majority of master-level classes are offered through
non-qualification education. They are usually called
graduate coursework training classes ( 研 究 生 课 程 进 修
班 , or 硕 士 研 究 生 课 程 班 ). Institutions set the admission
requirements, which generally include zhuanke, benke
or bachelor’s degrees followed by two or three years of
work experience. Some institutions ask applicants to sit
entrance examinations. Students may have the same access
to qualified teaching staff and facilities as those enrolled
in regular master’s programs. The programs consist of
one to two years of part-time study, usually with eight or
nine class hours each week. After successful completion
of the program, students receive certificates of completion
of graduate coursework ( 研 究 生 课 程 班 结 业 证 书 ) rather
than certificates of graduation.
As a type of non-qualification education, graduate
coursework training classes do not have unified standards
and there is no guarantee that the courses offered are
actually at the graduate level. Certificates of completion
of graduate coursework may be accepted for employment
purposes at the employers’ discretion. Students may use
such a program as the foundation to pursue a master’s degree
by challenging standardized examinations. For additional
information, refer to Comparable Educational Competence.
doctoral programs
Universities, colleges and research institutes offer doctoral
degree or PhD ( 博 士 学 位 ) programs that usually consist
of three to four years of full-time study. Applicants to a
doctoral program are required to hold a master’s degree,
usually be under 45 years of age and pass entrance
examinations that may include a foreign language and two
specialty courses.
In a typical doctoral program, students complete around 15
credits of coursework in the first two or three semesters and
sit for a comprehensive examination scheduled in the third
semester. The last two years are devoted to the preparation
and defence of the thesis. Only full professors are authorized
to supervise doctoral students. Candidates must have a
broad theoretical foundation in the discipline and in-depth
knowledge of their specialty. They must also demonstrate
the ability to undertake independent research and have
made original contributions in science or technology. Upon
successful completion of the program, students receive a
certificate of graduation from a doctoral program ( 博 士 研 究
生 毕 业 证 书 ) and a doctoral degree certificate ( 博 士 学 位 证
书 ). China awarded its first doctoral degrees in 1983.
correspondence programs
Correspondence programs at the zhuanke and benke
levels are part of the adult higher education sector.
Students may enrol in such programs at correspondence
departments of regular higher education institutions or
at a few independent correspondence colleges. Admission
requirements are identical to classroom-style programs in
adult higher education. Applicants must hold a certificate
of graduation from senior secondary school and pass the
relevant version of NACEE. Applicants for zhuanke to
benke upgrading programs must have a recognized zhuanke
qualification. Through correspondence, the usual length of
time for completion is:
• three to four years for zhuanke programs
• five or six years for full-length benke programs
• three years for zhuanke to benke upgrading programs
According to various regulations, including the Temporary
Regulations on Correspondence Programs of Regular