Chapter 3 Academic Requirements on Different Academic Degrees and Course Examination
Article 9 Any applicant who pass the course examinations and dissertation defense and has attained the following academic standards may be conferred the corresponding academic degree.
1) Academic requirements on the master’s degree conferring
1. having a firm grasp of basic theories and systematic, specialized knowledge in the discipline concerned; and
2. having the ability to undertake scientific research or independently to engage in a special technical work.
2) Academic requirements on the doctoral degree conferring
1. having a firm grasp of basic theories and systematic, specialized knowledge in the discipline concerned;
2. having the ability to independently undertake scientific research;
3.having made creative achievements in science or in a special technology;
4. Having the ability to undertake the research or to take the academic communication of the specialty concerned with the fluent first foreign language; and
5. Having published academic papers reflecting the main content of the dissertation in the core journals of the discipline filed concerned.
Article 10 Applicants for academic degrees shall obtain the total credits and credits of degree courses in the discipline and specialty concerned with accordance with the related regulations in the Training Program before the academic dissertation defense. Only under the condition of a passing grade in all courses and a weighted GPA of at least 2.5 may the applicant be considered qualified for academic dissertation defense. Those who fail in one degree course may apply for restudy in the next school year. Those who fail the retaken course or haven’t met the requirements on the average grades shall not be allowed to attend the academic dissertation defense.
The applicants for doctoral degree who have published some significant works or have made inventions and innovations in science or a special technology shall offer such materials as published works, authentication of inventions and identifying papers. Only with the recommendation of two professors or experts with equivalent professional title, and the approval of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee after review may they be exempted from some courses.
Chapter 4 Basic Requirements on Academic Dissertation and Rules for Dissertation Scoring and Defense
Article 11 The basic requirements for master’s degree are as follows: the basic scientific arguments, conclusion and suggestions of the dissertation shall be of academic value or of help with the national economy construction both theoretically and practically; a firm grasp of basic theories and systematic, specialized knowledge of the author are to be reflected in the dissertation; scientific research approach and relatively proficient skill are to be reflected as well; the author shall have new perception of the issue involved and certain achievements in scientific research or a special technology.
The basic requirements for doctoral degree are as follows: the basic scientific arguments, conclusion and suggestions of the dissertation shall be of significant academic value or of great help with the national economy construction both theoretically and practically; a firm grasp of basic theories and systematic, specialized knowledge of the author are to be reflected in the dissertation; advanced scientific research approach and relatively proficient skill are to be reflected as well; the student shall have creative perception of the issue involved and some great achievements in scientific research or a special technology.
The academic dissertation shall be one systematic and complete academic paper or a series of such papers that are concise, fluent, logical, precisely reasoned with a clear and neat presentation of charts and words. The original works is required to be cited when others’ materials are mentioned in the dissertation, and the annotation is necessary when the thoughts and research achievements of the coauthor are quoted in the dissertation.
Article 12 The master degree candidates shall submit the dissertation with detailed academic criticism and commendation by the faculty adviser to the school (research institution and department included) and the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee concerned for review two months before the dissertation defense.
The doctoral degree candidates shall submit the dissertation reviewed and approved by the faculty adviser along with detailed academic criticism and commendation by the faculty adviser to the school (research institution and department included) and the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee concerned for review three months before the dissertation defense.
Article 13 Experts in disciplines involved in the dissertation shall be engaged to read and appraise the thesis before the dissertation defense. In respect of master’s dissertation, at least two experts with advanced professional and technical posts are to be engaged, which is recommended by the faculty adviser and the school (department, post), and authorized by the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee. In respect of doctoral dissertation, at least three experts with posts of professor or other equivalent professional and technical level are to be engaged, which is recommended by the faculty adviser and the school(department, post), and authorized by the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee. The review of the doctoral degree dissertation shall be implemented in accordance with the related regulations.
The reviewers shall give their opinions on whether the dissertation concerned has attained the academic standards for the academic degree applied for and are qualified for defense. The dissertation may only be organized when all of the reviews believe that the academic requirements have been met. The academic degree candidate shall revise the thesis in accordance with opinions of the reviewers and ask for a second thesis review at least half a year later (two years later at most). The application shall be regarded invalid in case of a second failure in thesis review.
Article 14 Members of the Dissertation Defense Committee are to be recommended by the faculty adviser and the school (department, post), and authorized by the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee, to whom the invitation shall be sent.
Article 15 The Master’s Dissertation Defense Committee are usually made up of 3 or 5 experts with advanced professional and technical posts, including one chairman the post of which is held by our expert(except the faculty adviser of the applicant) and one secretary.
The Doctoral Dissertation Defense Committee is usually made up of 5 or 7 professors or experts with equivalent professional and technical posts, including one chairman the post of which is held by doctoral adviser(except the adviser of the applicant) and one secretary. In principle, the number of doctoral advisers shall be more than half of the total committee members, and there should be at least two experts from outside (one doctoral adviser included) in the committee.
Article 16 The dissertation defense shall be completed within half a year from the day the thesis is submitted. The secretary of the Dissertation Defense Committee is responsible for the organization. And the applicant concerned is not allowed to take part in the reception.
The Dissertation Defense Committee is responsible for review of the doctoral or master’s thesis and shall make decision of whether the applicant may be conferred the doctoral or master’s degree based on the defense. The decision shall be made by means of secret ballot and to be considered valid with approval of at least two thirds of all the committee members.
The dissertation defense shall be implemented in public for a full development of academic democracy, which should be recorded in detail.
Those who have a bad performance in the dissertation defense may apply for a second defense with approval of the committee concerned after revising the thesis within one year(for master’s degree candidates) or two years(for doctoral degree candidates).
In case that most members of the Master’s Dissertation Defense Committee agree that the academic level of the thesis of the applicant is equivalent to that of a doctor, the committee may submit a recommendation of doctoral degree application to the unit concerned, in addition to the decision of master’s degree conferring.
For those doctoral degree applicants the academic level of whose thesis is above that of a master yet below that of a doctor, the Dissertation Defense Committee may make a decision of master’s degree conferring in case the applicants haven’t attained a master’s degree in the discipline concerned. Under this circumstance, the decision of a second defense after thesis revision cannot be made any longer.
The Academic Dissertation Defense Committee shall submit the voting result and the decision with a signature of the chairman to the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee.
Article 17 The master’s degree conferring shall be submitted to the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee for approval after review and approval of the sub-committee. And the doctoral degree conferring shall be reviewed and decided by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee.
The Academic Degree Evaluation Committee and Sub-committees shall make an overall evaluation of political performance, course examination and the dissertation defense performance of the students to be conferred an appropriate academic degree by decision of the Dissertation Defense Committee in accordance with provisions of this Regulation. And there shall be no review of those not to be conferred an appropriate academic degree by decision of the Dissertation Defense Committee.
In respect of the decision of academic degree conferring or a second chance for dissertation defense after revision by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee and Sub-committees, a meeting shall be held by means of secret ballot instead of postal voting.
The postgraduate roll to be conferred an academic degree shall be released by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee. The date of academic degree conferring is subject to the decision by Academic Degree Evaluation Committee.
Certificate of Master’s Degree shall be issued by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee since the publication of the roll.; and Certificate of Doctoral Degree shall be issued by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee under the condition of no disagreement within three months since the publication of the roll. The issued certificate with content of decision of academic degree conferring shall be sent to the work unit concerned for filing.
Chapter 5 Degree Material Declaration and Filing
Article 18 After reviewing the roll of postgraduates to be conferred a Master's Degree, the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee shall submit the following documents to the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee Office: Resolution on the List of Holders of the Master's Degree Examined and Approved by Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee, the List of Students to be Conferred a Master's Degree Summary Sheet and Electronic Document, and Academic Dissertation (2 copies).
After the doctoral dissertation defense, the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee shall submit the following documents of the candidates' to the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee Office: a Summary Sheet of Students Recommended to Be Conferred the Doctor's Degree and Electronic Documents, Approval Material on the Doctor's Degree, and Academic Dissertation(4 copies).
All materials of the candidates who are reviewed and approved to take a second chance of dissertation defense after thesis revision, shall be preserved by the Academic Degree Evaluation Sub-committee for reference in the future reply.
Article 19 All degree materials of postgraduates shall be submitted by the secondary training unit concerned to the school archives for filing.
