Master's degree in China: what the Degree Law requires before it is awarded

A master's degree is awarded when the candidate has completed master's-level education, passed the prescribed course assessment or earned the corresponding credits, completed academic or professional practice training, and passed the thesis defence or the prescribed practical-results defence. The candidate must also show two levels of ability, set out in Article 20. The degree-awarding institution then applies its own published standards.

This article uses the English translation of the Degree Law made by this site. The Chinese text is the authority, and the English here is this site's own translation of it.

What Article 20 requires

Article 20 lists four elements. Each is a condition in its own right, and the article joins them in one sentence.

Element	What Article 20 says
Education	Receiving master's-level education
Coursework	Passing the prescribed course assessment, or earning the corresponding credits
Training	Completing academic research training, or professional practice training
Defence	Passing the thesis defence, or the prescribed practical-results defence

Article 20 uses "or" between the coursework options and between the training options. It also uses "or" between the two defence options. The article does not name a number of credits. It also does not describe the format of the prescribed practical-results defence.

The two levels Article 20 requires

Article 20 says the four elements must show that the candidate has reached two levels:

1. Solid basic theory and systematic specialised knowledge in the discipline or professional field.
2. The ability to match the degree type. An academic-degree applicant shall have the ability to do academic research work. A professional-degree applicant shall have the ability to undertake professional practice work.

The article uses "shall" for both points. This article does not compare the two degree types in detail. The site has a separate page on that comparison.

General conditions under Article 18

Article 18 sets general conditions that apply to every degree applicant. The applicant shall support the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system. The applicant shall also abide by the Constitution and laws, and by academic ethics and academic norms.

Article 18 also says that degree applicants who study at higher education institutions or scientific research institutions, or who receive education by other means prescribed by the state, are awarded a degree when they reach the required academic or professional level. The degree-awarding unit then applies the conditions in Articles 19 to 21. This article does not reproduce Articles 19 to 21.

Each institution publishes its own standards

Article 22 requires a degree-awarding unit to set specific degree standards for each discipline and profession. The unit must base those standards on the conditions in Articles 18 to 21 and on its own academic evaluation standards. It must also seek adequate views from relevant parties and publish the final standards.

Article 22 does not set those standards itself. For a specific programme, the standards are the ones the institution has published.

Planning suggestion, not a rule: keep the institution's published standards next to the Degree Law text when you plan your coursework and defence timeline.

The path from application to degree

The steps below follow the order set out in Articles 23, 25 and 28.

1. Submit the application materials that the degree-awarding unit requires. Article 23 allows an eligible person to apply in this way.
2. If you are a final-year student at a unit that does not award degrees, have your graduating unit recommend you. Article 23 allows that recommendation.
3. Wait for the unit's decision on whether to accept the application. Article 23 requires the unit to decide within 60 days from the application deadline and to notify the applicant.
4. Wait for expert review of your thesis or practical results. Article 25 requires the unit to send them to experts before the defence is organised.
5. Enter the defence procedure if the expert review meets the unit's requirements. Article 25 sets this condition.
6. Wait for the degree evaluation committee to decide whether to award the degree. Article 28 requires that decision to rest on the defence committee's resolution and on a review of the application.

Article 25 does not state how long the expert review may take. It also does not state how many experts review each thesis. Article 28 does not describe how the degree evaluation committee votes, or who sits on the defence committee.

Questions people ask

Does the Degree Law set a minimum number of credits for a master's degree?

No. Article 20 does not state a number of credits. It refers to the prescribed course assessment or to the corresponding credits. The number is set by the degree-awarding unit under Article 22.

Who sets the standards for each discipline?

The degree-awarding unit sets them under Article 22. The unit must publish them. Article 22 requires the unit to base them on the conditions in Articles 18 to 21.

Sources

• Degree Law of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国学位法), published by the Ministry of Education of the PRC

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 or the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differs from this page, the official text and that notice prevail.