Chapter 4

Currently, master's education in China can be divided into two major categories: full-time master's education and part-time master's education. The first category is the full-time master's education organized by the Ministry of Education, which confers both a master's degree and a master's diploma. The second category is the part-time master's education organized by the State Council's Degree Committee, which confers only a master's degree.

### 1. Types of Full-Time Master's Education

Within the first category of full-time master's education organized by the Ministry of Education, there are several types based on the entry methods:

1. **National Unified Entrance Examination for Master's Programs**: After passing the initial exam, candidates are re-evaluated by the admitting institution. Upon successful admission, they enter the educational institution, complete the required courses and thesis, and receive both a master's degree and a master's diploma. This is the most common method, often referred to as "graduate entrance examination."

2. **Direct Admission without National Unified Entrance Examination**: Candidates are directly admitted to the re-evaluation stage by the admitting institution. Upon successful admission, they enter the educational institution, complete the required courses and thesis, and receive both a master's degree and a master's diploma. Those who are directly admitted are usually outstanding graduates from their own or other universities.

3. **Separate Examination**: Candidates do not participate in the national unified entrance examination but are instead evaluated separately by the admitting institution. After passing the evaluation, they enter the educational institution, complete the required courses and thesis, and receive both a master's degree and a master's diploma. These candidates are typically bachelor's graduates with at least four years of work experience and a certain level of academic achievement in their field. They can only be admitted as students sponsored by their original units, meaning they must return to their original units after graduation.

The initial exam times for the above methods 1 and 3 are the same, usually around mid-January each year, about half a month before the Spring Festival.

### 2. Part-Time Master's Education

The non-degree master's education for part-time workers organized by the State Council's Degree Committee can be divided into two types:

1. **Master's Degree Application for Those with Equivalent Academic Qualifications**:

This refers to part-time workers who, after passing the national unified examination for foreign languages and comprehensive subject knowledge for those with equivalent academic qualifications, obtain the qualification to submit a master's thesis. After being reviewed and approved by the degree-granting institution, they can receive a master's degree.

Since 1998, the state has stipulated that those applying for a master's degree with equivalent academic qualifications must be bachelor's graduates, and a national unified examination has been established to test whether the applicants have the basic theoretical knowledge and professional knowledge required for a master's degree. This unified examination is the final gatekeeping exam for those with equivalent academic qualifications, and currently, it includes only two subjects: foreign languages and comprehensive subject knowledge.

The main foreign language options are: English, Russian, German, French, and Japanese. The comprehensive subject examination is conducted at the first-level discipline level, and there are 27 subjects: Philosophy, Economics (including Theoretical Economics and Applied Economics), Law, Political Science, Sociology, Education, Psychology, Chinese Language and Literature, Journalism and Communication, Biology, History, Geography, Mechanical Engineering, Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Science and Technology, Information and Communication Engineering, Control Science and Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, Architecture, Biology, Clinical Medicine, Management Science and Engineering, Business Administration, Agricultural and Forestry Economics and Management, Public Administration, and Library, Information, and Archival Management.

Candidates can choose one subject from the above list based on their foreign language and professional background. The examination is held in May each year.

More and more people are now attending postgraduate training programs and then applying for a master's degree with equivalent academic qualifications. Although the state stipulates that one must have at least three years of work experience to apply for a master's degree, one can start learning and even begin working immediately after graduation. After three years, they can obtain a master's degree, which is the same time frame as those who take the graduate entrance examination in their senior year.

2. **National Joint Examination for Part-Time Workers Pursuing a Master's Degree (Professional Degree)**:

This is another way for part-time workers to obtain a master's degree, and it differs from the method of applying for a master's degree with equivalent academic qualifications. The most obvious external difference is the examination time, which is usually held in October each year. Additionally, this examination is an entrance gatekeeping exam, meaning that passing it grants the qualification to pursue a master's degree. In contrast, the national unified examination for those with equivalent academic qualifications is an exit gatekeeping exam, where passing it allows one to submit a thesis and obtain a degree. Therefore, the time required to obtain a master's degree after graduation is longer, as the state stipulates that one must have at least three years of work experience to apply, and it takes 3 to 5 years of study to obtain a master's degree.

The most significant difference between the two is the type of degree. The degree obtained through this method is called a professional degree (known as a vocational degree abroad), while the degree obtained through the method of applying for a master's degree with equivalent academic qualifications and the full-time master's education organized by the Ministry of Education are generally academic degrees.

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