StudyChina GraduateMSc in China: where science and engineering master's degrees sit in the national catalogue
Sources checked
China's national law does not use the label "MSc". Under the Degree Law, degrees are awarded by discipline category or professional-degree category, not by a title such as "Master of Science" (Degree Law, Article 2). For master's study in the natural sciences and engineering, the relevant entries sit under discipline categories 07 (理学, science) and 08 (工学, engineering) in the 2022 Graduate Education Discipline and Programme Catalogue.
How the catalogue is organised
The 2022 catalogue divides graduate study into discipline categories (two-digit codes), first-level disciplines, and professional-degree categories (both four-digit codes). A four-digit code whose third digit is 5 or higher marks a professional-degree category (Catalogue, note 3). English names in this article are this site's own translation of the Chinese text.
Categories 07 and 08
07 理学 (science) and 08 工学 (engineering) are two discipline categories. Under them sit first-level disciplines with four-digit codes such as 0701 数学 (mathematics) and 0802 机械工程 (mechanical engineering). A first-level discipline is awarded a degree under its discipline category, except where the catalogue marks it otherwise (Catalogue, note 4).
First-level disciplines that can award more than one category
Several first-level disciplines in 07 and 08 are marked as able to award degrees in more than one category. Which category a given degree falls under is decided by the degree-awarding institution's degree evaluation committee (Catalogue, note 6). Examples:
| Code | Chinese name | This site's English rendering | May award degree in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0712 | 科学技术史 | history of science and technology | science, engineering, agriculture, medicine |
| 0714 | 统计学 | statistics | science, economics |
| 0801 | 力学 | mechanics | engineering, science |
| 0805 | 材料科学与工程 | materials science and engineering | engineering, science |
| 0812 | 计算机科学与技术 | computer science and technology | engineering, science |
| 0830 | 环境科学与工程 | environmental science and engineering | engineering, science, agriculture |
| 0831 | 生物医学工程 | biomedical engineering | engineering, science, medicine |
| 0837 | 安全科学与工程 | safety science and engineering | engineering, management |
The Degree Law adds that a master's degree shows the holder has firm basic theory and systematic specialised knowledge in the discipline or field, and that an academic-degree candidate has the ability to do research while a professional-degree candidate has the ability to do professional practice (Degree Law, Article 20).
Professional-degree categories 0751 and 0851–0862
Within 07 and 08 there are also professional-degree categories. Code 0751 is 气象 (meteorology). Under 08 the professional-degree categories run 0851 through 0862. A name followed by "" can be awarded only as a professional master's degree; the others can be awarded as professional master's or doctoral degrees (Catalogue, note 5). In this group, 0851 建筑 (architecture) and 0853 城乡规划 (urban and rural planning) carry "".
| Code | Chinese name | This site's English rendering | Award level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0751 | 气象 | meteorology | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0851 | 建筑* | architecture | professional master's only |
| 0853 | 城乡规划* | urban and rural planning | professional master's only |
| 0854 | 电子信息 | electronic information | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0855 | 机械 | mechanical | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0856 | 材料与化工 | materials and chemical engineering | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0857 | 资源与环境 | resources and environment | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0858 | 能源动力 | energy and power | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0859 | 土木水利 | civil and hydraulic engineering | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0860 | 生物与医药 | biology and medicine | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0861 | 交通运输 | transportation | professional master's or doctoral |
| 0862 | 风景园林 | landscape architecture | professional master's or doctoral |
What a university decides
The catalogue is the national frame. It does not say which universities offer any of these programmes, nor does it say anything about international students (Catalogue, note in _meta). Which programmes a university runs, for whom, and on what terms is set out in that university's own admissions brochure. The Degree Law likewise leaves detailed standards to each degree-awarding institution (Degree Law, Article 22).
Questions people ask
Does China award an "MSc" degree?
No. The Degree Law awards degrees by discipline category or professional-degree category, such as science (07) or engineering (08), not by the label "MSc" (Degree Law, Article 2).
Can a first-level discipline lead to either a science or an engineering degree?
Some can. Where the catalogue marks a first-level discipline as able to award more than one category, the degree-awarding institution's degree evaluation committee decides which category applies (Catalogue, note 6).
Is a professional-degree category only a master's?
Not always. A professional-degree name followed by "*" can be awarded only as a professional master's degree; the others can be awarded as professional master's or doctoral degrees (Catalogue, note 5).
Sources
- Graduate Education Discipline and Programme Catalogue (2022) (研究生教育学科专业目录（2022年）) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Graduate Education Discipline and Programme Catalogue (2022), attachment PDF — Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Degree Law of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国学位法) — Ministry of Education of the PRC, text sourced from the National People's Congress website
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.