Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Academic Degrees (2004)

Article 1

These Regulations are formulated for the purpose of promoting the growth of specialized personnel, helping to raise the academic level of various branches of learning and promoting the development of education and science in our country, in order to meet the needs of the socialist modernization.

Article 2

Any citizen who supports the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system and has attained certain academic standards may apply for an appropriate academic degree in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations.

Article 3

Academic degrees shall be of three grades: the bachelor's degree, the master's degree and the doctor's degree.

Article 4

The bachelor's degree shall be conferred on graduates from institutions of higher learning who have good academic records and have attained the following academic standards:

(1) having a relatively good grasp of basic theories, specialized knowledge and basic skills in the discipline concerned; and

(2) having initially acquired the ability to undertake scientific research or to engage in a special technical work.

Article 5

The master's degree shall be conferred on postgraduates in institutions of higher learning or scientific research institutes or persons with qualifications equivalent to postgraduates on graduation, who have passed examinations in the required courses for the master's degree and successfully defended their dissertations and have attained the following academic standards:

(1) having a firm grasp of basic theories and systematic, specialized knowledge in the discipline concerned; and

(2) having the ability to undertake scientific research or independently to engage in a special technical work.

Article 6

The doctor's degree shall be conferred on postgraduates in institutions of higher learning or scientific research institutes or persons with qualifications equivalent to postgraduates on graduation, who have passed examinations in the required courses for the doctor's degree and successfully defended their dissertations and have attained the following academic standards:

(1) having a firm and comprehensive grasp of basic theories and profound and systematic specialized knowledge in the discipline concerned;

(2) having the ability to undertake independent scientific research; and

(3) having made creative achievements in science or in a special technology.

Article 7

The State Council shall establish an Academic Degrees Committee to direct the work of conferring academic degrees throughout the country. The Academic Degrees Committee shall consist of a chairman, vice-chairmen and other members. The chairman, vice-chairmen and other members shall be appointed and removed by the State Council.

Article 8

The bachelor's degree shall be conferred by those institutions of higher learning authorized by the State Council. The master's and doctor's degrees shall be conferred by those institutions of higher learning and scientific research institutes authorized by the State Council.

A list of institutions of higher learning and scientific research institutes that may confer academic degrees (hereinafter referred to as “degree-conferring units”) and the disciplines in which academic degrees may be conferred shall be submitted to the State Council by its Academic Degrees Committee for approval and promulgation.

Article 9

Each degree-conferring unit shall establish an academic degree evaluation committee and form dissertation committees for the disciplines concerned.

A dissertation committee must include relevant specialists from other units, and the committee members shall be selected and determined by the degree-conferring unit concerned. A list of the members of the academic degree evaluation committee shall be decided on by the degree-conferring unit and submitted to the relevant departments of the State Council and the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council for the record.

Article 10

The dissertation committee shall be responsible for examining the dissertation for master's or doctor's degrees, organizing their oral defence and adopting resolutions whether or not to confer the master's or doctor's degrees. Each resolution shall be adopted by secret ballot and with a two-thirds majority of the committee members supporting and then submitted to the academic degree evaluation committee.

The academic degree evaluation committee shall be responsible for examining and approving the list of holders of the bachelor's degree and for making a decision whether or not to approve each resolution on the conferment of a master's or doctor's degree submitted by the dissertation committee. Each decision shall be adopted by secret ballot and with a simple majority of the committee members supporting. The list of persons to be conferred a master's or doctor's degree shall be submitted to the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council for the record.

Article 11

After a resolution to confer an academic degree has been adopted by the academic degree evaluation committee, the degree-conferring unit shall issue an appropriate diploma to the holder of the academic degree.

Article 12

Postgraduates who have completed their studies in units that are not authorized to confer academic degrees may, upon the recommendation of their respective units, apply to nearby degree-conferring units for academic degrees. They shall be conferred appropriate degrees after their applications have been examined and approved by the degree-conferring units and they have successfully defended their dissertations and attained the academic standards stipulated in these Regulations.

Article 13

Upon the recommendation of relevant specialists and with the approval of the degree-conferring units, those who have written important works or made inventions, discoveries or other contributions to the development of science or special technologies may be exempt from examinations in the required courses for the doctor's degree and may directly take the oral examinations on their doctoral dissertations. Those who have successfully defended their dissertations shall be conferred the doctor's degree.

Article 14

Distinguished scholars and well-known public figures, both Chinese and foreign, may be conferred an honorary doctor's degree, upon the nomination of a degree-conferring unit and with the approval of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council.

Article 15

Foreign students studying in China and foreign scholars engaged in research work in China may apply to a degree-conferring unit for academic degrees. Those who have attained the academic standards stipulated in these Regulations shall be conferred appropriate degrees.

Article 16

If an academic body or a unit not authorized to confer academic degrees does not concur with a resolution or decision on the conferment of an academic degree, it may address its objection to the degree-conferring unit or the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, which shall study and deal with the objection thus addressed.

Article 17

If irregularities, fraudulent practices or other situations in gross violation of the provisions of these Regulations are discovered, the degree-conferring unit concerned may revoke the degrees already conferred, after reconsideration by its academic degree evaluation committee.

Article 18

If it is definitely established that a unit authorized to confer academic degrees has not been able to maintain the academic standards of the academic degrees conferred, the State Council may suspend or revoke its status as a degree-conferring unit.

Article 19

Measures for the implementation of these Regulations shall be formulated by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and submitted to the State Council for approval.

Article 20

These Regulations shall go into effect on January 1, 1981.