MS in China: teaching language, thesis language and the Chinese you still need

Sources checked 11 October 2026

Chinese is the basic teaching language for a master's in mainland China (Order No. 42, Article 18). A university that has the conditions may open professional courses taught in a foreign language, and a student taught that way may write the degree thesis in that foreign language with a Chinese abstract (Article 19). Chinese and "China overview" remain compulsory courses in degree education, so you still need a defined level of Chinese even in a foreign-language programme (Article 16; Quality Standards, Part One).

All English wording of the Chinese provisions in this article is this site's own translation of the published Chinese text.

What language is a master's taught in

The common language of the People's Republic of China is the basic teaching language used by higher education institutions to educate international students (Order No. 42, Article 18). A higher education institution that has the conditions may open professional courses taught in a foreign language for international students (Article 19).

Whether a given master's is offered in Chinese or in a foreign language, and which programmes exist, is the university's decision published in its own admissions brochure (Articles 10, 11). For students whose Chinese level does not meet the study requirement, the university may provide necessary remedial conditions (Article 18).

Compulsory courses regardless of teaching language

Chinese and "China overview" shall be compulsory courses in higher-degree education (Order No. 42, Article 16). Political theory shall be a compulsory course for international students majoring in philosophy or political science (Article 16).

Thesis and defence language

An international student receiving higher-degree education in a foreign language may write the degree thesis in the corresponding foreign language, with the thesis abstract in Chinese (Order No. 42, Article 19). Whether the thesis defence uses a foreign language is decided by the university (Article 19).

The Quality Standards encourage and support international students to write the degree thesis in Chinese, and the university's degree committee shall set the specific language requirements for the thesis-writing and defence stages under the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (section 6.4).

The Chinese you still need

The level names below come from the International Chinese Proficiency Standards, as cited by the Quality Standards. They are not converted to HSK levels.

At entry:

Programme teaching language	Chinese ability required at admission
Chinese	At least level four of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards (section 1.2)
Foreign language	The university shall state the required foreign language ability in its admission standards; no Chinese level is set here (section 1.2)

At graduation:

Programme teaching language	Required Chinese ability at graduation
Chinese	Level five of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards (Part One)
Foreign language (master's or doctoral)	At least level three of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards (Part One)

For foreign-language-taught programmes, the student must still be able to complete study and research in the corresponding foreign language and work in that language (Part One).

What the university sets and publishes

The university determines its international-student enrolment plan and programmes by its own conditions and capacity, and publishes its admissions brochure with the conditions and procedures (Order No. 42, Articles 10, 11). Admission is decided by the university after it reviews entry qualifications and financial guarantee and conducts an examination or assessment (Article 12). Fee items and standards follow state regulations; the university shall publish its fee items, standards, and refund rules for withdrawal or transfer, with charges and refunds priced in RMB (Article 14). None of these points appears as a fixed national number in the provisions quoted here, so check the specific brochure of the university handling your case.

Questions people ask

Can I do my whole master's in English in China?

A university with the conditions may offer professional courses in a foreign language (Order No. 42, Article 19), but whether a particular programme is offered that way is the university's decision published in its admissions brochure (Articles 10, 11). Chinese and "China overview" stay compulsory (Article 16), and a Chinese ability target still applies at graduation even for foreign-language-taught master's students (Quality Standards, Part One).

Does the defence have to be in Chinese?

No single national rule fixes the defence language. For foreign-language-taught students, whether the defence uses a foreign language is decided by the university (Order No. 42, Article 19), and the university's degree committee sets the specific thesis and defence language requirements (Quality Standards, section 6.4).

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university, is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail if they differ.