Laws of the People's Republic of China

    Article 1  These Interim Measures are formulated in accordance with the
Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Academic Degrees.

    Article 2  Academic degrees shall be conferred in accordance with following
classes: Philosophy, Economics, Law, Pedagogy, Literature, History, Science,
Technology, Agronomy and Medical Science.

    The Bachelor's Degree

    Article 3  The bachelor's degree shall be conferred by those institutions
of higher learning authorized by the State Council.

    The bachelor's degree shall be conferred on the graduates from institutions
of higher learning who have finished with the various requirements of the
program on education and have been agreed to graduation through examination,
whose learning records and graduation dissertations (graduation projects and
graduation field works) show that they have had a relatively good grasp of
basic theories, specialized knowledge and basic skills in the discipline
concerned, and have had the preliminary ability to engage in a scientific
research work or to undertake a special technical work.

    Article 4  In institutions of higher learning authorized to confer the
bachelor's degree, the departments shall examine and approve the records, the
graduation appraisal and so on of every graduates, and submit those who have
met the Article 3 of these Measures and relevant rules to the institution's
academic evaluation committee for listing holders of the bachelor's degree.

    In the institutions of higher learning that may not confer the bachelor's
degree, the departments shall submit a list of the graduates who have attained
the bachelor's academic standards to the institutions and, the institutions
shall, after approval, recommend to the nearby institutions of higher learning
authorized to confer the bachelor's degree in the same system and location.
The relevant departments of institutions of higher learning authorized to
confer the bachelor's degree shall examine and approve the graduates
recommended by institutions of higher learning that may not confer the
bachelor's degree and submit those who have met the Article 3 of these Measures
and relevant rules to the institution's academic evaluation committee for
listing holders of the bachelor's degree.

    Article 5  Those who are on the list of holders of the bachelor's degree
shall be conferred the bachelor's degree by the institutions of higher
learning authorized to confer the bachelor's degree after they are examined
and approved by the institution's academic evaluation committee of the
institutions of higher learning authorized to confer the bachelor's degree.

    The Master's Degree

    Article 6  The master's degree shall be conferred by those institutions of higher learning or scientific research institutes authorized by the State
Council.

    Those who apply for a master's degree shall submit an application, a
dissertation of applying for the master's degree and so on to units
authorized to confer the academic degree (here in after referred to as
"degree-conferring units") within the fixed period set by degree-conferring
units. Degree-conferring units shall, within two months after closing day of
application, conduct examination on these materials, make a decision on
whether or not approve the application, and notify the result to the applicant
and his unit.

    Postgraduates who have completed their studies in units that are not
authorized to confer academic degree shall submit their respective units's the
recommendation about applying for master's degree when they apply for.

    When those with qualifications equivalent to postgraduates apply for, they
shall submit a recommendation by two associate professors, professors or
specialists with qualifications equivalent to associate professors or
professors. With regard to applicants without academic credentials of the
institution of higher learning, the degree-conferring units may, before
accepting, take appropriate method to make examination on some required courses
for graduates of the institutions of higher learning.

    Applicants shall not submit applications to two degree-conferring units
simultaneously.

    Article 7  Examined courses and requirements for the master's degree: (1)
Marxist theories, requiring a grasp of basic theories of Marxist. (2) basic
theories and specialized courses, generally three or four, requiring a firm
grasp of basic theories and systematic, specialized knowledge. (3) a foreign
language, requiring a being capable of reading relatively smoothly the foreign
materials in the discipline concerned.

   Examinations in the required courses for the master's degree taken by
postgraduates in degree-conferring units shall be arranged to process in
accordance with the above-mentioned requirements, and training projects.

   Examinations in the required courses for the master's degree taken by
postgraduates in units that are not authorized to confer academic degree shall
be organized to process by degree-conferring units. Those who have been
considered that their contents and records of examined courses taken in their
respective units are up to standard after the examination and approval by
degree-conferring units, may be exempt from some or all examinations in the  
required courses for the master's degree.

    Examinations in the required courses for the master's degree taken by
those with qualifications equivalent to postgraduates shall be organized to
process by degree-conferring units.

    Those who apply for the master's degree must pass the examinations in the
required courses, with the results up to the standard, before defending their
dissertations. Those failing in one required course examination may apply to
make up within half a year, if they fail again, the persons may not take
defending their dissertation.

    Degree-conferring units trying the credit system shall decide the credits
in the required courses for the master's degree in accordance with
above-mentioned requirements. Those who apply for the master's degree may
take defending their dissertation after they have gotten the required credit.

    Article 8   Dissertations for the master's degree shall have new ideas
to the researched subject, and show the writers having the ability to engage
in the scientific research or to undertake independently a special technical
work.

    Degree-conferring units shall invite one or two specialists in the
dissertation relating the discipline to evaluate the dissertation. Evaluating
persons shall write comment in detail on the dissertation, which shall be
referenced by the dissertation committee.

    A dissertation committee for the master's degree shall be formed by three
to five persons, among which there shall generally be specialists from other
units. The chairmen of the dissertation committee shall be taken by an
associate professor, a professor or a person qualifications equivalent to an
associate professor or a professor.  

    Decisions on whether or not to confer the master's degree shall be made by
the dissertation committee in accordance with the defending result. Each
decision shall be adopted by secret ballot and with a two-thirds majority
of the committee members supporting, and then submitted to the academic degree
evaluation committee with the signature of the chairmen of the dissertation
committee. The meeting shall be recorded.

    Persons failing in the defending their dissertations for master's degree
may, with approval by the dissertation committee, modify their dissertations
within one year and take defending their dissertations again.

    Article 9  If the majority of the members of the dissertation committee
for the master's degree consider the applicant's dissertation is up to
academic standards of doctor's degree, they may, in addition to making a
decision to confer the master's degree, put forward a proposal to units
authorized to confer the doctor's degree, which shall handle the matter
pursuant to the relevant provisions in the part of the doctor's degree of
these Interim Measures.  

    The Doctor's Degree

    Article 10  The doctor's degree shall be conferred by those institutions
of higher learning or scientific research institutes authorized by the State
Council.

    Those who apply for a doctor's degree shall submit an application, a
dissertation of applying for the master's degree and so on to
degree-conferring units within the fixed period set by degree-conferring units.
Degree-conferring units shall, within two months after closing day of
application, conduct examination on these materials, make decision on whether
or not approve the application, and notify the result to the applicant and his
unit.    

    When those with qualifications equivalent to doctors apply for, they shall
submit a recommendation by two professors or those with qualifications
equivalent to professors. With regard to applicants without the master's
degree, the degree-conferring units may, before accepting, take appropriate
method to make examination on some required basic theories and specialized
courses for the master's degree.

    Applicants shall not submit applications to two degree-conferring units
simultaneously.

    Article 11  Examined courses and requirements for the doctor's degree:

    (1) Marxist theories, requiring a relatively good grasp of basic theories
of Marxist.

    (2) basic theories and specialized courses, requiring a firm and
comprehensive grasp of basic theories and systematic and profound specialized
knowledge in the discipline concerned. Range of examinations shall be examined
and approved by the academic degree evaluation committee of degree-conferring
units. Examinations of basic theories and specialized courses shall be taken
charge of by a examination committee formed by three specialists appointed by
the academic degree evaluation committee of degree-conferring units. The
chairmen of the examination committee must be taken by a professor, a associate
professor or a person qualifications equivalent to a professor or a associate
professor.

    (3) two foreign languages, for the first, requiring a being capable of
reading smoothly the foreign materials in the discipline concerned and having
certain writing ability and, for the second, requiring a preliminary ability
to read foreign materials in the discipline concerned. For some subjects and
disciplines examined and approved by the academic degree evaluation committee
of degree-conferring units, only the examination in the first foreign language
is required.

    Examinations in required courses for the doctor's degree shall be arranged
to process in accordance with the above-mentioned requirements, and training
projects.

    Article 12  Persons who apply for the doctor's degree must pass the
examinations in the required courses for the doctor's degree, with the results
up to the standard, before defending their dissertations.  

    Applicants for the doctor's degree who have written important works or
made inventions, discoveries or other contributions to the development of
science or special technologies shall submit published books, inventions
appraisal or certificate and other materials to degree-conferring units, and
with a recommendation of two professors or those with qualifications
equivalent to professors and the examination and approval by degree-conferring
units in accordance with the article 11 in these Interim Measures, they may be
exempt from some or all examinations in the required courses for the doctor's
degree.

    Article 13  Dissertations for the doctor's degree shall show that the
writers have the ability to engage in independently scientific researches and
have made creative achievements in science or special technologies. The
dissertation for the doctor's degree or its summary shall be copied and
be submitted to relevant units three month before it is defended, and be
appraised by the specialists in the discipline concerned.

    Degree-conferring units shall invite two specialists in the dissertation
relating the discipline to evaluate the dissertation, one of which shall
come from other units. Evaluating persons shall write comment in detail on the
dissertation, which shall be referenced by the dissertation committee.

    Article 14  A dissertation committee for the doctor's degree shall be
formed by five to seven persons, half of which or more shall be professors or
those with qualifications equivalent to professors. Among the committee
members there must be two or three specialists from other units. Generally,
the chairman of the dissertation committee shall be taken by a professor or a
person with qualifications equivalent to a professor.

    Decisions on whether or not to confer the doctor's degree shall be made by
the dissertation committee in accordance with the defending result. Each
decision shall be adopted by secret ballot and with a two-thirds majority
of the committee members supporting, and then submitted to the academic degree
evaluation committee with the signature of the chairmen of the dissertation
committee. The meeting shall be recorded.    

    Generally, the dissertation defending for doctor's degree shall be
carried out in public. The dissertation for the doctor's degree or its summary
shall be published publicly (except secret disciplines).  

    Persons failing in the defending their dissertations for doctor's degree
may, with approval by the dissertation committee, modify their dissertations
within two year and take defending their dissertations again.    

    Article 15  If the members of the dissertation committee for the doctor's
degree consider that the applicant's dissertation has not attained the
academic standards of the doctor's degree but has attained the academic
standards of master's degree, and the applicant has not gotten the
master's degree in the subject concerned, the dissertation committee for the
doctor's degree may make the decision to confer the master's degree and submit
to the dissertation committee.

    The Honorary Doctor's Degree

    Article 16  The honorary doctor's degree shall be conferred by those units
authorized to confer the doctor's degree by the State Council.

    Article 17  The honorary doctor's degree shall be conferred after the
academic degree evaluation committee of the degree-conferring units has
discussed and approved, and submit to the Academic Degree Committee of the
State Council for approval.

    The Academic Degree Evaluation Committee

    Article 18  The academic degree evaluation committees of degree-conferring
units shall do their following duty in accordance with the limits to conferring
the degree that are approved by the State Council:

    (1) examining and approving the list of applicants for the master's degree
and the doctor's degree;

    (2) deciding the examined subjects for the master's degree and the number
of those subjects and examined range of basic theories and specialized courses
for the doctor's degree, and examining and approving the list of the
dissertation committee members;

    (3) approving the list of those who are to be conferred with the
bachelor's degree;

    (4) making the decision to confer the master's degree;

    (5) examining and approving the list of applicants for the doctor's degree
who are exempt from some or all examinations in the required courses for the
doctor's degree;

    (6) making the decision to confer the doctor's degree;

    (7) approving the list of those who are to be conferred with the honorary
doctor's degree;

    (8) making the decision to cancel the degree that is conferred by
violating regulations; and

    (9) studying and settle the disputes over the degree conferring and other
related matters.

    Article 19   An academic degree evaluation committees of the
degree-conferring unit shall be formed by nine to twenty five persons. The
term of the committee members shall be two to three years. The committee shall
include the main persons in charge of the degree-conferring units and the
persons engaging in teaching and researching work in the degree-conferring
units.

    For institutions of higher learning authorized to confer the bachelor's
degree, the teaching personnel in the academic degree evaluation committee
shall be selected from teachers above lecturer in the institutions. For units
authorized to confer the bachelor's, master's and doctor's degrees, the
teaching and reaching work personnel in the academic degree evaluation
committee shall be selected from associate professors, professors or those
with qualifications equivalent to associates professors or professors in the
units. For units authorized to confer the doctor's degree, at least half of
the academic degree evaluation committee members shall be professors or those
with qualifications equivalent to professors.

    The chairman of the academic degree evaluation committee shall be taken by
the main person in charge of the degree-conferring units with the title of
professor, associate professor or the qualifications equivalent to professor
or professor. (President of the institution of higher learning, Vice-presidents
in charge of teaching, researching and postgraduate work, or the equivalent
persons in researching units).

    The academic degree evaluation committee may set the academic degree
evaluation sub-committees in accordance with classes of the discipline. A
sub-committee shall be formed by five to fifteen person, the term of which are
two to three years. The chairman of a sub-committee shall be taken by a
member of the academic degree evaluation committee. The sub-committees shall
assist the academic degree evaluation committee in their work.

    The list of the members of the academic degree evaluation committee shall
be submitted by the degree-conferring unit to the competent department for
approval, and the competent department shall submit it to the Academic Degree
Committee of the State Council for the record.

   Academic degree evaluation committees shall engage necessary full-time or
part-time personnel for handling routine business.

    Article 20  Degree-conferring units shall annually submit the number of
persons who are conferred with the bachelor's degree, the list of persons who
are conferred with the master's degree and the doctor's degree and related
materials to the competent department and the Academic Degree Committee of the
State Council for the record.

    Miscellaneous Provisions

    Article 21  Bachelor's degree applications by the foreign students
studying in China shall be handled by following the provisions of Article 3
and other relevant regulations in these Interim Measures.

    Applications of the master's degree and the doctor's degree by the foreign
students studying in China shall be handled by following the relevant
regulations in these Interim Measures.

    Article 22  The bachelor's degree certificate format shall be formulated
by the Ministry of Education. The master's degree or the doctor's
degree certificate format shall be formulated by the Academic Degree Committee
of the State Council. The certificates of the academic degrees shall be issued
by the degree-conferring units.

    Article 23  A copy of passed dissertation for the master's degree and that
for the doctor's degree shall be deposited in the library of the
degree-conferring unit, in addition, a copy of passed dissertation for the
doctor's degree shall be deposited in the Beijing Library and other
respectively library.

    Article 24  Persons at work who apply for the master's degree or the
doctor's degree, after degree-conferring units have examined and approved their
participating in courses examinations and taking the dissertation defending,
may enjoy a vacation not more than two months for the examination or defending.

    Article 25  Degree-conferring units may, in accordance with these Interim
Measures, make rules for the degree-conferring work of their own units.