Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 26
Academic Degrees Law of the People's Republic of China
(Adopted at the 9th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress on April 26, 2024)
directory
Chapter I: General Provisions
Chapter 2 Academic Degree Work System
Chapter III Qualifications for Conferment of Degrees
Chapter IV Conditions for the Conferment of Academic Degrees
Chapter 5 Procedures for Conferment of Degrees
Chapter VI Degree Quality Assurance
Chapter VII: Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I: General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is formulated in accordance with the Constitution in order to standardize the work of conferring degrees, protect the legitimate rights and interests of degree applicants, ensure the quality of degrees, cultivate new talents of the era who will take on the great task of national rejuvenation, build a strong country in education, science and technology, and talents, and serve the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.
Article 2 The State implements a degree system. Degrees are divided into bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees, including academic degrees, professional degrees, etc., and are awarded according to discipline categories and professional degree categories.
Article 3 The academic degree work adheres to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, fully implements the national education policy, practices the core values of socialism, implements the fundamental task of cultivating morality, follows the laws of education, adheres to fairness, justice and openness, adheres to the unity of academic freedom and academic norms, promotes innovation and development, and improves the quality of independent training of talents.
Article 4: Chinese citizens who support the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system who study in institutions of higher learning, scientific research institutions, or receive education through other means prescribed by the State, and who meet the corresponding academic requirements, academic or professional standards, may apply for corresponding degrees in accordance with the provisions of this Law.
Article 5 Institutions of higher learning and scientific research institutions that have obtained the qualifications for conferring degrees in corresponding disciplines and specialties after examination and approval are degree-awarding units, and the disciplines and majors in which they confer degrees are degree-awarding points. Degree-awarding institutions may award corresponding degrees in accordance with the provisions of this Law.
Chapter 2 Academic Degree Work System
Article 6 The State Council shall establish a Academic Degrees Committee to lead the work of academic degrees nationwide.
The Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council shall have one chairman, vice chairmen and several members. The chairman, vice chairmen and members of the committee shall be appointed and dismissed by the State Council for a term of five years.
The Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council has set up an expert group to be responsible for degree evaluation, quality supervision, research and consultation, etc.
Article 7 The Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council shall set up an office in the administrative department of education of the State Council to undertake the daily work of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council.
The administrative department for education under the State Council is responsible for the work related to the management of academic degrees nationwide.
Article 8 The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall establish provincial-level degree committees to lead the work of academic degrees in their respective administrative regions under the guidance of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council.
The administrative departments for education of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be responsible for the work related to the management of academic degrees in their respective administrative regions.
Article 9 Degree-awarding institutions shall establish a degree evaluation committee to perform the following duties:
(1) To review the implementation measures and specific standards for the conferment of degrees in their own units;
(2) To deliberate on matters such as the addition and revocation of degree-conferring points;
(3) To make a resolution to confer or not confer or revoke the corresponding degree;
(4) To study and deal with disputes over the conferment of degrees;
(5) To accept complaints or reports related to the degree;
(6) To deliberate on other degree-related matters.
The Academic Degree Evaluation Committee may set up a number of sub-committees to assist in carrying out its work, and may entrust the sub-committees to perform corresponding duties.
Article 10 The Academic Degree Evaluation Committee shall be composed of persons in charge of senior professional and technical positions and teaching and research personnel of the degree-awarding institution, and its composition shall be an odd number of not less than nine members. The chairman of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee shall be the principal administrative person in charge of the degree-awarding institution.
Resolutions made by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee shall be made in the form of a meeting. Where the matters listed in items (1) through (4) of the first paragraph of Article 9 of this Law or other major matters are deliberated, the meeting shall be attended by more than two-thirds of all members. Resolutions shall be voted on by a majority of all members.
Article 11 The composition, term of office, division of responsibilities and working procedures of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee and its sub-committees shall be determined and announced by the degree-awarding unit.
Chapter III Qualifications for Conferment of Degrees
Article 12 Institutions of higher learning and scientific research institutions applying for qualifications for the award of degrees shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Adhere to the socialist direction of running schools, and implement the fundamental task of establishing morality and cultivating people;
(2) Conform to the needs of national and local economic and social development and the development plan of higher education;
(3) Have teaching and research resources and school running level such as teaching staff, facilities and equipment that are compatible with the qualifications for awarding the degree applied for;
(4) Other conditions provided for by laws and administrative regulations.
The Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Provincial Academic Degrees Committee may, in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, make specific provisions on the conditions for applying for the corresponding qualifications for the awarding of degrees.
Article 13: Institutions of higher learning that carry out undergraduate education in accordance with law and meet the requirements provided for in Article 12 of this Law may apply for qualifications for conferring bachelor's degrees. Institutions of higher learning and scientific research institutions that carry out undergraduate and graduate education in accordance with law and meet the requirements provided for in Article 12 of this Law may apply for qualifications for conferring master's or doctoral degrees.
Article 14 The qualifications for conferring bachelor's degrees shall be examined and approved by the Provincial Academic Degrees Committee and reported to the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council for the record.
The qualifications for awarding master's degrees shall be reviewed by the provincial degree committee and submitted to the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council for examination and approval.
The qualifications for conferring doctoral degrees shall be reviewed by the education administrative department of the State Council and submitted to the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council for examination and approval.
In reviewing qualifications for degree conferring, an expert review shall be organized.
Article 15 An application for the qualification to confer degrees shall be made within the time limit prescribed by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Provincial Academic Degrees Committee.
The unit responsible for the examination and approval of qualifications for the awarding of degrees shall make a resolution within 90 days from the date of acceptance of the application and make a public announcement. The publicity period shall not be less than 10 working days. Where there are objections during the publicity period, a review shall be organized.
Article 16 Qualified degree-awarding institutions may, with the approval of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, independently carry out the examination and approval of the establishment of additional master's and doctoral degree awarding points. Independently established degree-awarding sites shall be reported to the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council for examination and approval. The specific conditions and measures shall be formulated by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council.
Article 17: Based on the demand for all types of talents for economic and social development, the State optimizes the structure of disciplines and the distribution of degree-awarding points, and strengthens the construction of basic disciplines, emerging disciplines, and interdisciplinary disciplines.
The Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council may, in accordance with the major needs of the country and the needs of economic development, scientific and technological innovation, cultural inheritance, and safeguarding the lives and health of the people, separately stipulate the conditions and procedures for the establishment, layout, and degree awarding of relevant degree awarding points.
Chapter IV Conditions for the Conferment of Academic Degrees
Article 18 Applicants for academic degrees shall support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the socialist system, abide by the Constitution and laws, and abide by academic ethics and academic norms.
Where an applicant for a degree is studying in a school of higher learning, a scientific research institution, or receiving education through other means prescribed by the state, and meets the corresponding academic requirements, academic or professional level, the degree-awarding unit shall award the corresponding degree in accordance with the conditions provided for in Articles 19 to 21 of this Law.
Article 19 A bachelor's degree shall be awarded to the applicant who has received undergraduate education, passed the prescribed course assessment or completed the corresponding credits, passed the graduation thesis or graduation project and other graduation examinations, and has shown that the degree applicant has reached the following levels:
(1) Have a good grasp of basic theories, specialized knowledge and basic skills in the discipline or professional field;
(2) Have the initial ability to engage in academic research or undertake professional practice work.
Article 20 A master's degree shall be awarded to the applicant who has received a master's degree education, passed the prescribed course assessment or completed the corresponding credits, completed academic research training or professional practice training, and passed the dissertation defense or the prescribed practical results defense, indicating that the degree applicant has reached the following levels:
(1) Master solid basic theories and systematic expertise in the discipline or professional field;
(2) Applicants for academic degrees shall have the ability to engage in academic research, and applicants for professional degrees shall have the ability to undertake professional practice work.
Article 21 A doctoral degree shall be awarded to the applicant who has received doctoral education, passed the prescribed course assessment or completed the corresponding credits, completed academic research training or professional practice training, and passed the dissertation defense or the prescribed practical achievement defense, indicating that the degree applicant has reached the following levels:
(1) Master solid and comprehensive basic theories and systematic and in-depth professional knowledge in the discipline or professional field;
(2) Applicants for academic degrees shall have the ability to independently engage in academic research, and applicants for professional degrees shall have the ability to independently undertake professional practice work;
(3) Applicants for academic degrees shall make innovative achievements in the field of academic research, and applicants for professional degrees shall make innovative achievements in the field of professional practice.
Article 22 Degree-awarding institutions shall, in accordance with the conditions specified in Articles 18 to 21 of this Law, combine with the academic evaluation standards of the institution, adhere to the scientific evaluation orientation, and on the basis of fully listening to the opinions of relevant parties, formulate specific standards for the awarding of degrees in each discipline and major and publish them.
Chapter 5 Procedures for Conferment of Degrees
Article 23 Those who meet the requirements of this Law may submit application materials in accordance with the requirements of degree-awarding institutions to apply for the corresponding degree. Fresh graduates from non-degree-awarding institutions may apply for a degree from the relevant degree-awarding institution upon recommendation from the graduating unit.
The degree-awarding institution shall, within 60 days from the date of closing of the application, review and decide whether to accept the application and notify the applicant.
Article 24 The Academic Degree Evaluation Committee shall organize a review of the application for a bachelor's degree and make a decision on whether to confer a bachelor's degree.
Article 25 For those applying for a master's or doctoral degree, the degree-awarding institution shall, before organizing the defense, send the degree applicant's dissertation or practical results to the experts for review.
After expert review, if it meets the requirements of the degree-awarding institution, it will enter the defense procedure.
Article 26 Degree-awarding institutions shall organize master's and doctoral degree defense committees according to disciplines and majors. The composition of the master's degree defense committee shall not be less than three. The doctoral degree defense committee shall be composed of no less than five members, of which no less than two experts outside the degree-awarding institution shall be members.
The dissertation or practical results shall be sent to the members of the defense committee for review before the defense, and the members of the defense committee shall perform their duties independently and responsibly.
The defense committee shall organize the defense in accordance with the prescribed procedures, and make a resolution on whether the degree applicant will pass the defense and announce it on the spot. The reply shall be voted on by ballot and shall be passed by more than two-thirds of all members. Except where the content involves state secrets, the defense shall be held publicly.
Article 27 If the dissertation defense or the practical results defense is not passed, it may be revised and re-applied for the defense within the prescribed time limit with the consent of the defense committee.
If the doctoral degree defense committee finds that the degree applicant has not reached the level of a doctoral degree, but has reached the level of a master's degree, and the degree applicant has not obtained a master's degree in the discipline or specialty of the institution, with the consent of the degree applicant, it may make a resolution recommending the award of a master's degree and submit it to the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee for approval.
Article 28 The Academic Degree Evaluation Committee shall, in accordance with the resolution of the Defense Committee, make a decision on whether to confer a master's degree or a doctoral degree on the basis of examining the degree application.
Article 29 The degree-awarding institution shall, in accordance with the resolution of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee to confer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, publish the list of persons conferring degrees, issue degree certificates, and submit information on degree awarding to the Provincial Academic Degrees Committee. The provincial academic degree committee shall report the degree conferment information of the administrative region to the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council for the record.
Article 30 Degree-awarding institutions shall keep the application materials of degree applicants, dissertations, practical achievements and other archival materials, and doctoral dissertations shall be deposited at the National Library and relevant professional libraries at the same time.
Dissertations involving secrets, practical achievements, and the process of conferring degrees shall be in accordance with confidentiality laws, administrative regulations, and relevant state provisions on confidentiality, and the management of confidentiality shall be strengthened.
Chapter VI Degree Quality Assurance
Article 31 Degree-awarding institutions shall establish a quality assurance system for their own degrees, strengthen quality management in the whole process of enrollment, training, and degree awarding, disclose relevant information in a timely manner, accept social supervision, and ensure the quality of degrees awarded.
Article 32 Degree-awarding institutions shall appoint teachers, scientific researchers or professionals with good moral character, high academic level or strong practical ability to serve as instructors for graduate students, and establish mechanisms for selection, assessment, supervision and dynamic adjustment.
Graduate supervisors shall be role models, perform the duties of cultivating morality, care for students, guide students to carry out relevant academic research and professional practice, abide by academic ethics and academic norms, and improve academic or professional standards.
Article 33 Doctorate-awarding institutions shall, based on the cultivation of high-level innovative talents, strengthen the construction of doctorate-granting sites, increase the training, management and support for doctoral students, and improve the quality of doctoral degrees.
Doctoral supervisors should conscientiously perform their responsibilities for the training of doctoral students, strictly control the key aspects of training, strengthen guidance throughout the process, and improve the quality of training.
Doctoral students should work hard to study and practice, carefully prepare their dissertations or practical results, and ensure that they meet academic norms and innovation requirements.
Article 34 The administrative department for education under the State Council and the provincial degree committees shall, within the scope of their respective duties, periodically organize experts to conduct quality assessments of approved degree-awarding units and degree-awarding sites. If it is confirmed by the quality assessment that the quality of the degree conferred cannot be guaranteed, it shall be ordered to make rectification within a time limit; if the circumstances are serious, the original examination and approval unit shall revoke the qualification for conferring the corresponding degree.
Where the quality of graduate training fails to meet the prescribed standards or there are serious problems in the quality management of the degree, the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council shall revoke its qualification for independent review.
Article 35 Degree-awarding units may, in accordance with the needs of their own disciplines and majors, apply to the original examination and approval unit for the revocation of the corresponding degree-awarding points.
Article 36: The administrative department for education under the State Council shall strengthen the establishment of informatization, improve the academic degree information management system, and provide information services to the public in accordance with law.
Article 37 In the event that an applicant or a degree recipient falls under any of the following circumstances in the course of studying for the degree, the degree-awarding institution shall not grant the degree or revoke the degree upon the resolution of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee:
(1) The dissertation or practical results are found to have academic misconduct such as ghostwriting, plagiarism, or forgery;
(2) Stealing or fraudulently using the identity of others, substituting for the admission qualifications obtained by others, or using other illegal means to obtain enrollment qualifications or graduation certificates;
(3) Other serious violations of the law that should not be awarded a degree during the study period.
Article 38: Where the provisions of this Law are violated by conferring degrees or issuing degree certificates, the administrative departments for education shall declare the certificates invalid and handle them in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Education Law of the People's Republic of China.
Article 39 Where a degree-awarding institution intends to make a decision not to confer a degree or to revoke a degree, it shall inform the degree applicant or degree recipient of the content, facts, reasons and basis of the decision to be made, and hear his or her statement and defense.
Article 40 If the degree applicant has any objection to the academic evaluation conclusions made by relevant academic organizations or personnel in the process of expert evaluation, defense, achievement recognition, etc., he or she may apply to the degree-awarding institution for academic review. The degree-awarding institution shall, within 30 days from the date of accepting the application for academic review, reorganize experts to conduct a review and make a review decision, and the review decision shall be final. The measures for academic review shall be formulated by the degree-awarding institution.
Article 41 Where an applicant for a degree or a degree recipient is dissatisfied with the refusal to accept his or her application for a degree, the refusal to confer a degree, or the revocation of his degree, he or she may apply to the degree-awarding institution for a review, or request the relevant authorities to handle the matter in accordance with the provisions of law.
Where a degree applicant or degree recipient applies for a review, the degree-awarding institution shall conduct a review and make a review decision within 30 days from the date of accepting the application for review.
Chapter VII: Supplementary Provisions
Article 42 The armed forces shall establish a degree committee. In accordance with this Law, the Military Academic Degrees Committee is responsible for administering the degree work of military academies and scientific research institutions.
Article 43 Honorary doctorates may be conferred on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of scientific education and cultural exchanges and cooperation, or to world peace and human development, in academic or specialized fields, or in the promotion of scientific education and cultural exchanges and cooperation.
Degree-awarding units that have obtained the qualifications to confer doctoral degrees may, after deliberation and approval by the Academic Degrees Evaluation Committee and approval by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, confer honorary doctorates on individuals who meet the requirements specified in the preceding paragraph.
Specific measures for the conferment and revocation of honorary doctorates shall be formulated by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council.
Article 44 Degree-awarding institutions shall award degrees to overseas individuals who apply for degrees in accordance with the academic requirements, academic or professional standards, and other conditions and relevant procedures stipulated in this Law.
Where degree-awarding institutions confer degrees abroad, the relevant provisions of this Law shall apply.
Overseas educational institutions that confer degrees within China shall comply with the relevant laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China.
The recognition of degree certificates issued by overseas educational institutions shall be handled in strict accordance with the relevant provisions of the State.
Article 45: This Law takes effect on January 1, 2025. The Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Academic Degrees shall be repealed at the same time.