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Is a Chinese degree recognised? What Chinese law settles and what it leaves to other countries

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Is a Chinese master's or doctoral degree "recognised"? The answer splits in two. Inside China, the Degree Law provides that the State runs a degree system of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees (Degree Law, Article 2), and a degree may be awarded only by a degree-awarding institution that has obtained the qualification upon approval and in an approved discipline or professional degree category (Degree Law, Articles 5 and 14); the institution issues the degree certificate and reports the award to the provincial degree committee (Degree Law, Article 29). Outside China, Articles 2, 5, 14, 29 and 44 of the Degree Law give no rule on how the authority of another country treats a degree awarded by a Chinese degree-awarding institution, and Article 21 of Order No. 42 gives no rule on that point; that is a matter for the authority of the country concerned.

The English rendering of the Chinese provisions below is this site's translation of the Chinese text; the official Chinese text prevails.

What Chinese law says the degree system is

The Degree Law provides that the State implements a degree system (Degree Law, Article 2). Degrees are divided into bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, include types such as academic degrees and professional degrees, and are awarded according to discipline categories and professional degree categories (Degree Law, Article 2). For the site's own overview of degrees, see Degrees.

Who may award the degree, and who approves that right

A higher education institution or scientific research institution is a degree-awarding institution only where it has, upon approval, obtained the qualification to award degrees in the corresponding discipline or professional degree; the disciplines or professional degrees for which it awards degrees are its degree-awarding points (Degree Law, Article 5). Such an institution may award the corresponding degree in accordance with the Law (Degree Law, Article 5).

The approval route depends on the level (Degree Law, Article 14):

  • Bachelor's degree awarding qualification: approved by the provincial degree committee and filed for the record with the Degree Committee of the State Council.
  • Master's degree awarding qualification: organised for review by the provincial degree committee and submitted to the Degree Committee of the State Council for approval.
  • Doctoral degree awarding qualification: organised for review by the education administrative department of the State Council and submitted to the Degree Committee of the State Council for approval.

When reviewing degree-awarding qualification, expert evaluation shall be organised (Degree Law, Article 14).

What happens when the degree is awarded

The degree-awarding institution shall, on the basis of the resolution of its degree evaluation committee to award a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, publish the list of persons awarded the degree, issue the degree certificate, and report the degree-awarding information to the provincial degree committee (Degree Law, Article 29). The provincial degree committee files the degree-awarding information of its administrative region with the Degree Committee of the State Council (Degree Law, Article 29).

International students and the degree certificate

Order No. 42, Article 21 provides the following for higher education institutions and international students. Higher education institutions issue academic qualification certificates or other study certificates to international students in accordance with relevant national regulations. For international students receiving higher academic education, higher education institutions shall promptly handle student status and electronic registration of graduation certificates for them. Higher education institutions issue degree certificates to international students who meet the conditions for degree awarding (Order No. 42, Article 21).

The Degree Law provides that degree-awarding institutions award corresponding degrees to overseas individuals who apply for degrees, in accordance with the academic requirements, academic level or professional level and other conditions and related procedures stipulated in the Law (Degree Law, Article 44). Where a degree-awarding institution awards degrees overseas, the relevant provisions of the Law apply (Degree Law, Article 44). Where overseas educational institutions award degrees within China, they shall comply with the provisions of Chinese laws and regulations (Degree Law, Article 44).

What a graduate can carry: verification

The CHSI (China Higher Education Student Information) English pages describe a verification report. The verification report contains anti-counterfeiting features. The pages state that people can verify qualification certificates awarded at any time, including certificates issued before 1991 that may not be in the database. They state that higher education student records, qualification certificates, degree certificates and academic transcripts, high school qualifications, Gaokao scores and Huikao results can all be verified, and that the reports can be issued in both Chinese and English. The pages state that, to date, 34 agencies are using the platform, process and reports.

A graduate can therefore carry a verification report issued in Chinese and English; the CHSI English pages state no more than this about the report's issue, and this page draws no further conclusion from them.

What these texts leave to other countries

Article 44 of the Degree Law provides that the recognition of degree certificates issued by overseas educational institutions shall be handled strictly in accordance with relevant national regulations; it gives no rule on how the authority of another country treats a degree awarded by a Chinese degree-awarding institution. Articles 2, 5, 14 and 29 of the Degree Law give no rule on that point, and Article 21 of Order No. 42 gives no rule on that point. The treatment of the degree by another country is for the authority of the country concerned. This page names no country and no list of recognising bodies.

Questions people ask

Is a Chinese master's or doctoral degree part of the State degree system?

Yes. The Degree Law provides that the State implements a degree system and that degrees are divided into bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees (Degree Law, Article 2).

Who approves the right to award a master's degree?

The qualification to award master's degrees is organised for review by the provincial degree committee and submitted to the Degree Committee of the State Council for approval, and expert evaluation shall be organised (Degree Law, Article 14).

Do international students receive a degree certificate?

Higher education institutions issue degree certificates to international students who meet the conditions for degree awarding (Order No. 42, Article 21). The Degree Law provides that degree-awarding institutions award degrees to overseas individuals who apply, under the academic requirements, academic level or professional level and other conditions and related procedures stipulated in the Law (Degree Law, Article 44).

Can the degree certificate be verified in English?

The CHSI English pages state that degree certificates can be verified and that verification reports can be issued in both Chinese and English.

Does Chinese law make another country recognise the degree?

No. Articles 2, 5, 14, 29 and 44 of the Degree Law give no rule on how the authority of another country treats a degree awarded by a Chinese degree-awarding institution, and Article 21 of Order No. 42 gives no rule on that point. That is for the authority of the country concerned.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary; it is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university, it is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail if they differ.

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