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Thesis misconduct in China: ghostwriting, plagiarism, fabrication and the loss of a degree

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Thesis misconduct in China can lead to a degree being refused or revoked. Article 37 of the Degree Law lists ghostwriting, plagiarism and fabrication among the grounds, and the decision is made by a resolution of the degree evaluation committee of the awarding institution. Ministry of Education Order No. 34 sets out what counts as thesis fraud, what follows from it, and how the case is investigated.

This page is an unofficial summary. The Chinese texts are quoted in this site's own English translation, and the translation is not an official version.

What counts as thesis misconduct

Order No. 34, Article 3, lists five kinds of conduct. It treats as thesis fraud:

  1. buying or selling a degree thesis, or organising the buying or selling of theses;
  2. having another person write a thesis, writing a thesis for another person, or organising thesis ghostwriting;
  3. plagiarising other people's works and academic results;
  4. fabricating data;
  5. other serious acts of thesis fraud.

Item 5 does not define "serious". Article 3 of Order No. 34 gives no list of the acts that fall under it.

Order No. 34, Article 4, sets the duty the other way round. A degree candidate shall observe academic ethics and academic norms, and shall complete the thesis independently under the guidance of the supervisor.

Order No. 34 was issued before the Degree Law. The Degree Law now has its own Article 37 on the same subject.

What happens to a degree application or an awarded degree

The Degree Law, Article 37, provides that a degree is refused or revoked by resolution of the degree evaluation committee in three situations:

  • the thesis or practical results are found to involve ghostwriting, plagiarism, fabrication or other academic misconduct;
  • the candidate impersonated or substituted another person to obtain admission or a diploma, or obtained admission or a diploma by other unlawful means;
  • during study, the candidate committed other serious unlawful acts for which the law says a degree shall not be granted.

Order No. 34, Article 7, adds the following for thesis fraud (buying, ghostwriting, plagiarism or fabricated data):

Stage Consequence under Order No. 34, Article 7
Application still pending The institution may cancel the candidate's application qualification.
Degree already awarded The institution may revoke the degree under law and cancel the degree certificate.
Any decision of this kind The decision shall be announced publicly.
After the decision No degree-awarding institution may accept a new degree application from the person for at least three years from the date of the decision.

Consequences for enrolled students and employed candidates

Order No. 34, Article 7, second paragraph, covers two other groups.

  • For students who are enrolled, the school or the degree-awarding institution may expel them.
  • For people who are employed, the institution shall, besides imposing discipline, notify their employer.

Order No. 41 (Provisions on the Administration of Students in Regular Higher Education Institutions), Article 52(5), states that a school may expel a student where the student has committed academic misconduct in a thesis or published research, such as plagiarism, alteration or fabrication, and the conduct is serious. It also covers a student who ghostwrites or trades in theses, without the seriousness condition. Article 52 does not mention international students. How this article applies to an international student is for the university to decide under its own published rules, and the university's rules are not part of the texts cited here.

How a case is investigated and decided

Order No. 34, Article 12, says that when a thesis is suspected of fraud, the degree-awarding institution shall designate its academic committee or another body with the relevant responsibility to investigate. Where necessary, it may entrust the case to a specialist body made up of experts.

Before a decision is made against a candidate, supervisor or other person involved, Order No. 34, Article 13, requires the institution to inform the person and hear their statement and defence. The Degree Law, Article 39, requires the degree-awarding institution, before it decides to refuse or revoke a degree, to tell the applicant or holder the content of the planned decision and the facts, reasons and basis for it, and to hear their statement and defence.

If a person disagrees with the decision, Order No. 34, Article 13, second paragraph, says the person may apply for a review, apply for administrative reconsideration, or bring administrative litigation under law. The Article 13 text cited here gives no time limit for these steps.

Article 39 of the Degree Law does not set a length for the notice period before the hearing.

Suggestion for planning

The following is a planning suggestion, not a rule in any of the texts above. Keep dated drafts, notes and records of supervisor guidance while you write. Records of this kind can help you show how the thesis was written if a question is raised later.

Questions people ask

Can a degree be taken back after it has been awarded?

Yes, according to the texts cited here. Article 37 of the Degree Law covers degrees that are refused or revoked by resolution of the degree evaluation committee. Order No. 34, Article 7, says that for a degree already awarded, the institution may revoke the degree under law and cancel the certificate.

Does using a writing service count as ghostwriting?

Order No. 34, Article 3, item 2, covers having another person write a thesis, writing a thesis for another person, and organising thesis ghostwriting. The article does not explain where ordinary help ends and ghostwriting begins. The degree-awarding institution decides that question in each case, under Order No. 34, Article 12.

Will I be told before a decision is made?

Order No. 34, Article 13, and Article 39 of the Degree Law both require the institution to tell the person about the planned decision and the facts and reasons for it, and to hear their statement and defence, before the decision is made.

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 summary, the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail.

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