• Structure
• Admission Requirements
• Academic Year
• Length
• Degree Requirements
• Programme of  Study
• Grading Scale

Structure:

For most undergraduate programmes, admissibility is determined by the applicant’s score on the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE). The NCEE covers five subjects, depending on the field of study the student wishes to pursue at the tertiary level.  Students must indicate their intended field of study prior to taking the examination. Each institution publishes the NCEE scores required for its particular departments, meaning that students know, once they receive their scores, where they may attend. The required scores may vary greatly from year to year, depending on the difficulty of the test. 

Higher education institutions offer a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional programmes that lead to degrees or diplomas. Only programmes approved by the Academic Degrees Committee can be considered equivalent to bachelor’s degrees.  Non-governmental private “minban” education constitutes the fastest growing sector of education in China. Minban institutions charge fees for tuition and are not authorized to award bachelor’s degrees.

Many institutions offer “zhuanke” (specialized course) diploma programmes. These programmes are usually two to three years in length.  Tertiary institutions also offer “benke” (necessary course) diploma programmes. These programmes are usually four years in length. Some programmes, however, last as long as six years.  The benke programmes differ from bachelor’s degree programmes in that the benke diploma programme has not been approved by the Academic Degrees Committee.

Bachelor’s degree “xueshi” programmes usually involve the exact same coursework as benke programmes, but have the approval of the Academic Degrees Committee. Only students who complete programmes approved by the Academic Degrees Committee are acceptable for transfer or graduate admission to Canadian university programmes.

Admission Requirements:

Admission to all undergraduate programmes requires upper secondary graduation and passing of the annual national college entrance examinations. 

Admission to graduate (known as post-graduate in China) education requires completion of a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and is determined by results on the National Entrance Examination to Graduate School and entrance examinations administered by the admitting institution. 

Admission to doctoral programmes requires completion of a master’s degree of its equivalent and the results of the National Entrance Examination for Graduate School (Doctoral Degree Programme) and additional entrance examinations administered by the admitting institution.

Academic Year:

40 weeks beginning September 1 and ending mid-July.  Students attend classes 5.5 – 6 days per week.

 

Length:

3 - 4 years, depending on grade of entry

 

Degree Requirements

Approved degrees programmes leading to a bachelor’s degree require completion of at least four years of full-time coursework with passing grades and a thesis.  A degree certificate and graduation certificate are awarded by the institution upon graduation.

 

Master’s degree programmes generally require two to three years of study, which consists of coursework and a significant research project or thesis. Upon completion of the programme, those who meet the graduation requirements are awarded a degree certificate and a graduation certificate.

 

Doctoral degree programmes generally require three years of study beyond the master’s degree or five years beyond the bachelor’s degree.  A dissertation is required and must be defended. Upon completion of the doctoral programme, students are awarded a degree certificate and graduation certificate. 

 

Programme of Study:

Approved degree programmes are offered at colleges, universities, institutes, and academies and vary in length depending on the programme undertaken. Medical and medical-related programmes, both traditional and non-traditional, are offered at medical colleges and universities.

 

Grading Scale:

Most schools follow either the A-F scale found in Canada or the 1-100 scale.

Letter Grade	Numerical	WES Grade
A	90 -100	A
B	80 - 89	B
C	70 - 79	C
D	60 - 69	D
F	0 - 59	Fail

Revised: May 06, 2004 .
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