Higher education
18 Nov 2010
On this page
- Short description of the higher education system
- Types of degrees
- Quality assurance and accreditation
- Recent reforms
Short description of the higher education system
The Chinese education system has a very centralized structure and is supervised by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry sets policy, which is implemented at the provincial level by the provincial education authorities. The official language of education is Mandarin, which is taught to all pupils at school. The content of all textbooks is still only prescribed in general terms by the national government. The academic year runs from September until June, and consists of two twenty-week semesters.
Higher education is provided at institutions that call themselves 'university', 'college' or 'school'. These include degree-awarding institutions, specialized institutions, professional universities, military institutions, medical schools and colleges and executive training schools, which train staff for state-run companies and ministries. Institutions that operate directly under the supervision of the Ministry of Education are the most prestigious (such as Peking University and Tsinghua University).
Types of degrees
A bachelor’s degree is awarded on conclusion of a four-year undergraduate programme, though some subject areas take longer to finish. China also has higher education study programmes that do not culminate in an academic title. Such programmes usually take two to three years and are offered by universities and other higher education institutions.
A master’s degree takes two to three years to complete, half of which is devoted to coursework (on which students are examined) and the other half to writing a final paper.
Doctorate programmes take three to five years to complete, including one year dedicated to coursework, and end with a doctoral thesis. There is an entrance examination for these programmes that covers political theory (Marxism), the relevant subject area and two foreign languages.
Quality assurance and accreditation
All higher education institutions must be accredited by the Ministry of Education. The Academic Degree Committee of the China State Council (the chief administrative authority in China) accredits all higher education programmes and determines whether they are of sufficient quality to be eligible to award a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate, or no degree.
Recent reforms
In 1992, the Chinese government introduced 'Project 211', aimed at improving the quality of education at 100 institutions to the extent that they would satisfy the highest international standards. As national examples, these institutions are to play a key role in China’s social and economic development, and receive financial support from the government for better facilities, equipment and staff. The number of participating institutions fluctuates a great deal, partly due to the many recent mergers in Chinese higher education.
In 1998, the Chinese government introduced Project 985 both as part of and as a follow-up to Project 211. The project awarded a number of prominent institutions participating in Project 211 additional government financial support, with the aim of generating first-class research institutions able to compete worldwide in terms of knowledge and technology.
In 2003, it became possible for foreign institutions to offer programmes in China through joint ventures with Chinese higher education institutions. More information on this is available in the Nuffic China country module.
