LLM or Juris Master? How law degrees appear in China's graduate catalogue

Sources checked 10 October 2026

The catalogue does not contain "LLM" or "Juris Master". It gives law in category 03 (法学) as Chinese names and codes only, so these English labels cannot be matched to it one-to-one. Under the catalogue, a law degree is either academic, awarded under the first-level discipline 0301 法学 (Law), or professional, awarded under the professional degree category 0351 法律 (Law, professional).

This page explains how the catalogue sorts these degrees, what the Degree Law says about the two types, and why an English-taught programme's title cannot be read from the catalogue. The Chinese texts are quoted here in this site's English translation. The English category names are also this site's own renderings.

What the catalogue lists under category 03

The catalogue's category 03 is 法学 (Law, this site's rendering). It contains eight first-level disciplines and five professional degree categories:

Code	Chinese name	English rendering (this site's translation)	Type
0301	法学	Law	First-level discipline (academic)
0302	政治学	Political Science	First-level discipline (academic)
0303	社会学	Sociology	First-level discipline (academic)
0304	民族学	Ethnology	First-level discipline (academic)
0305	马克思主义理论	Marxist Theory	First-level discipline (academic)
0306	公安学	Public Security Studies	First-level discipline (academic)
0307	中共党史党建学	CPC History and Party Building	First-level discipline (academic)
0308	纪检监察学	Discipline Inspection and Supervision	First-level discipline (academic)
0351	法律	Law (Professional)	Professional degree category
0352	社会工作	Social Work	Professional degree category
0353	警务*	Police Affairs	Professional degree category (master's only)
0354	知识产权*	Intellectual Property	Professional degree category (master's only)
0355	国际事务*	International Affairs	Professional degree category (master's only)

The "" marks come from the catalogue. Explanatory notes, item 5, says that a professional degree category name followed by "" can be awarded only as a professional master's degree. The others can be awarded as a professional master's or a doctoral degree.

Academic and professional degrees in the catalogue

Explanatory notes, item 4, says that apart from the interdisciplinary category, each first-level discipline is awarded under its discipline category. For law, the academic route is therefore a degree awarded in the category 法学 under 0301 法学.

Explanatory notes, item 3, says that a four-digit code whose third digit is 5 or higher marks a professional degree category. Code 0351 法律 has the third digit 5, so it is a professional category. Explanatory notes, item 5, says that a professional category name is used for the award. Since 0351 has no "*", it can be awarded as a professional master's or a doctoral degree.

Explanatory notes, item 6, adds that some first-level disciplines are listed under more than one discipline category. The degree-awarding institution's degree evaluation committee decides which category applies. The catalogue does not list such a case for 0301, so this page does not describe one.

What the Degree Law says about the two types

Article 2 of the Degree Law states that degrees are divided into academic and professional types. They are awarded by discipline category and by professional degree category.

Article 20 sets the master's standard. Its second item says that an academic master's applicant must be able to do academic research. A professional master's applicant must be able to take on professional practice.

Article 21 sets the doctoral standard. Its second item says that an academic doctoral applicant must be able to research independently. A professional doctoral applicant must be able to carry out professional practice independently. Its third item says that an academic applicant must produce innovative results in academic research. A professional applicant must produce innovative results in professional practice.

The Degree Law sets the general frame. Article 22 says that each degree-awarding institution publishes its own detailed standards, so the exact requirements for a given law degree are in that institution's own published rules.

Why LLM and Juris Master cannot be mapped

The catalogue gives Chinese names and codes only. It does not use the English labels LLM, Juris Master or any JD-style name. This page therefore does not match them to 0301 or 0351.

Which English title a university prints on an English-taught law master's is set in that university's own brochure. The catalogue does not say which universities offer any law degree, and it says nothing about international students. Whether a particular programme is open to international students, and under what conditions, is for each university's own admissions brochure to state.

Questions people ask

Does China's catalogue use the term LLM?

No. The 2022 catalogue gives Chinese names and four-digit codes. It does not use the English label LLM. The English renderings on this page are this site's translation.

Does the catalogue use the term Juris Master?

No. The catalogue does not contain the term Juris Master. Which English title a university uses for a given programme is set out in that university's brochure.

Is 0351 法律 an academic or a professional degree?

It is a professional degree category. Its code's third digit is 5, which marks a professional category under explanatory notes, item 3. Because the name has no "*", it can be awarded as a professional master's or a doctoral degree, under explanatory notes, item 5.

Planning suggestion, not a rule: before comparing programmes, it may help to list whether you are looking for an academic or a professional route and then read each university's own published standard.

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, and it is not legal advice. If the official text differs from this page, or if a university or authority handling your case has a current notice that differs, the official text and that notice prevail.