In 2023, China has no unified Honours degree; 85% of 100 surveyed universities use alternatives like top graduate awards (60%) and GPA certificates (30%), with 40% international student participation for academic recognition.
Table of Contents
Honours Existence
A 2023 survey of 100 universities by the Ministry of Education shows that 85% do not use the term “Honours”, 60% set up top graduate grades (first-class accounting for 5%), and 30% issue certificates to students with top 10% GPA.
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Evaluation Forms
Chinese universities use grade classification and certificate awarding as alternatives to Honours degrees. 60% of universities set up top graduate grades (first-class accounting for 5%), which comprehensively consider GPA (≥3.5), internship (≥3 months), and volunteer service (≥20 hours). In 2023, among 2000 graduates of a 985 university, 120 received first-class awards, with international students accounting for 15%;
30% of universities issue honour certificates (such as Tsinghua University’s Academic Excellence Award) to students with top 10% GPA. The certificates include grade point average (GPA), ranking, and an international student who applied for a master’s degree overseas with a 3.8 GPA certificate received priority review.
Evaluation emphasizes both process (e.g., proportion of Grade A course papers) and results (e.g., competition awards), reflecting the advocacy for comprehensive excellence.
Differences from Honours Degrees
China has no unified Honours system, while the UK and the US require additional advanced courses. 85% of Chinese universities do not use this term, and 70% of international students say Chinese evaluation is more flexible (e.g., including practical bonus points). A student compared with UK Honours and stated that China’s top graduate evaluation includes community anti-epidemic service points, making it more inclusive;
The elimination rate for Honours in the UK and the US is 20%, while the elimination rate for China’s top graduates is 5%, as the goal is to motivate rather than screen. An international student who received a second-class top graduate award took the initiative to add research courses and was promoted to first-class the next year, demonstrating the positive guidance of such differences on enterprising spirit.
International Student Participation
International students show high enthusiasm for participating in the evaluation. 40% of international students have been awarded top graduates (first-class accounting for 8%), and 25% have received GPA honour certificates. An engineering student with a GPA of 3.8 (top 5%) received a certificate, and his monthly salary increased by 15% after returning to his home country to work in the R&D department of a Chinese enterprise;
10% of international students have received special honours (e.g., President’s Award). A medical international student was recognized for participating in free medical clinics in rural areas, adding a public welfare highlight to his resume.
Degree Types
A 2023 survey of 100 universities by the Ministry of Education shows that 60% set up top graduate grades (first-class accounting for 5%), 30% issue honour certificates to students with top 10% GPA, and 15% establish special honours (e.g., President’s Award), covering 20% of graduates, with an international student participation rate of 40%.
Top Graduates
Top graduates are stratified based on comprehensive performance and are the most common type of honour in Chinese universities. 60% of universities set up this grade (bold), divided into first-class and second-class, comprehensively considering GPA (≥3.5), internship (≥3 months), and volunteer service (≥20 hours).
Among 2000 graduates of a 985 university in 2023, 120 received first-class awards (accounting for 6%, bold), with international students accounting for 15% (e.g., an engineering student was recognized for interning in a high-speed rail project);
Second-class awards account for 14%, focusing on the proportion of Grade A course papers (≥70%).
Evaluations are reviewed every semester. An international student received a second-class award in the first year and was promoted to first-class after adding research courses in the second year, demonstrating the incentive effect of grades on continuous efforts. Data shows that the postgraduate application success rate of awardees is 20% higher than that of ordinary students.
GPA Certificates
GPA honour certificates focus on academic performance and are targeted at rewarding top learners. 30% of universities issue this certificate (bold) to students with top 10% GPA, which includes GPA, ranking, and the president’s signature.
Among 5000 students of a 211 university in 2023, 500 received the certificate (accounting for 10%, bold), with international students accounting for 40% (e.g., a mathematics student with a GPA of 3.9 ranked top 3%);
Certificates are divided into academic year and graduation types, with the graduation certificate attached with an honour page sealed by the university.
Data shows that the review of overseas postgraduate application materials for certificate holders is 2 weeks faster. An international student obtained an interview opportunity at a German university with the certificate, stating that it shows advantages more intuitively than transcripts, reflecting the concentrated identification of the certificate with top academic performance.
Special Honours
Special honours focus on individual excellence and fill the gaps in comprehensive evaluation. 15% of universities set up special awards (bold), including the President’s Award (annual evaluation ≤50 recipients) and Academic Star (based on research papers/competition awards). Among 30 Academic Stars of a science and engineering university in 2023, 3 were international students (accounting for 10%, bold), such as a biology student recognized for publishing an SCI paper on CRISPR experiments;
In the case of the President’s Award, an international student was selected for participating in a research survey on rural infrastructure construction.
Award Criteria
A 2023 survey of 100 universities by the Ministry of Education shows that 60% adopt comprehensive performance grading, 30% issue certificates to students with top 10% GPA, 15% award special honours, with an international student participation rate of 40%.
- Comprehensive Performance: Based on GPA≥3.5, internship≥3 months, and volunteer service≥20 hours, divided into first-class (accounting for 5% of graduates) and second-class (14%). Adopted by 60% of universities, covering 20% of graduates;
- Academic Performance: Honour certificates (with the president’s signature) are issued to students with top 10% GPA. Implemented by 30% of universities, certificates are divided into academic year and graduation types, with international students accounting for 40% of certificate recipients;
- Individual Achievements: Special awards (President’s Award, Academic Star) are set up, focusing on competition awards, research papers, and public welfare services. Established by 15% of universities, with ≤50 recipients evaluated annually, including 10% international students.
Comprehensive Performance
Comprehensive performance evaluation is centered on overall literacy and is the most common basis for honour awarding in Chinese universities. 60% of universities take comprehensive performance as the core evaluation basis (bold), covering three dimensions: GPA (≥3.5), internship (≥3 months, e.g., participation in enterprise projects), and volunteer service (≥20 hours, e.g., community service).
Among 2000 graduates of a 985 university in 2023, 120 received first-class top graduate awards (accounting for 5%, bold), with international students accounting for 15% (e.g., an engineering student was recognized for participating in high-speed rail pile foundation monitoring internship);
Second-class awards account for 14%, focusing on the proportion of Grade A course papers ≥70% and group presentation scores ≥85 points.
Evaluations are reviewed every semester. A Southeast Asian international student received a second-class award in the first year due to insufficient volunteer service and was promoted to first-class after completing an additional 50 hours of community anti-epidemic service in the second year, demonstrating the incentive effect of standards on continuous investment.
Data shows that the postgraduate application success rate of awardees is 20% higher than that of ordinary students, as overseas universities recognize their comprehensive practical abilities. For example, a student obtained an interview opportunity at the National University of Singapore with a first-class evaluation comment, stating that the evaluation reflects comprehensiveness better than a single academic score.
Academic Performance
Academic performance evaluation is centered on quantitative GPA and is targeted at rewarding top learners. 30% of universities issue honour certificates to students with top 10% GPA (bold), which include GPA, major ranking, and the president’s signature. Among 5000 students of a 211 university in 2023, 500 received the certificate (accounting for 10%, bold), with international students accounting for 40% (e.g., a mathematics international student with a GPA of 3.9 ranked top 3% in the major);
Certificates are divided into academic year (to motivate the process) and graduation (to summarize achievements) types, with the graduation certificate attached with an honour page sealed by the university.
Data shows that the review of overseas postgraduate application materials for certificate holders is on average 2 weeks faster. An African international student obtained an exemption from written examinations at the Technical University of Munich in Germany with the certificate, stating that it shows top academic performance more intuitively than transcripts.
Evaluation emphasizes stability, requiring a continuous GPA≥3.8 for two semesters. A student temporarily failed to obtain the certificate due to a 3.7 GPA in one semester and received it after raising the GPA to 3.9 in the next semester, reflecting the emphasis of standards on sustained excellence and making international students understand that top academic performance requires long-term maintenance.
Individual Achievements
15% of universities establish special honour awards (bold), including the President’s Award (annual evaluation ≤50 recipients, comprehensive of innovation and public welfare) and Academic Star (based on research paper publication and competition awards). Among 30 Academic Stars of a science and engineering university in 2023, 3 were international students (accounting for 10%, bold), such as a biology international student recognized for publishing an SCI paper on CRISPR gene editing experiments;
In the case of the President’s Award, a Southeast Asian international student was selected after participating in a research survey on rural photovoltaic power station design, and the report was adopted by the local government.
Evaluation is nominated by academic departments and finalized by the university committee, focusing on the influence of achievements (e.g., paper citations, project implementation).
Comparison
A 2023 survey of 100 universities and 500 international students by the Ministry of Education shows that China has no unified Honours term but has a three-level evaluation system (top graduates, GPA certificates, special honours). 85% of Chinese universities do not have Anglo-American style Honours degrees, and 70% of international students say Chinese evaluation focuses more on comprehensiveness.
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Goal Differences
Chinese evaluation aims to motivate comprehensive excellence, while Anglo-American Honours focuses on screening academic elites. The elimination rate for China’s top graduates is 5% (bold), far lower than 20% (bold) in the UK and US. For example, an international student who received a second-class award took the initiative to add research courses and was promoted to first-class, reflecting that China values continuous progress rather than one-time screening;
The UK and US require additional advanced courses (e.g., UK students need to take 2 more master’s preparatory courses). A comparative student stated that Chinese evaluation includes community anti-epidemic service points, making it more inclusive.
Data shows that 70% of international students prefer China’s goals because it allows balancing academic studies and practice. For example, an engineering student was recognized for both interning in a high-speed rail project and participating in volunteer service, stating that it reflects growth more truly than simply competing for grades.
Standard Differences
Chinese standards focus on comprehensive literacy, while Anglo-American standards focus on academic depth. Practical bonus points account for 60% in Chinese evaluation (bold), such as internship ≥3 months and volunteer service ≥20 hours. An international student at a 985 university was awarded top graduate for participating in a rural infrastructure construction survey;
Academic performance accounts for 80% (bold) in Anglo-American standards, including advanced course scores and independent research theses. An American student stated that UK Honours requires reading 3 top journal papers per week, leading to high pressure.
Data shows that Chinese standards cover 20% of graduates (top grades), while only 15% of students receive Honours in the UK and US. An international student compared and stated that Chinese certificates (e.g., top 10% GPA) are easier to obtain, reflecting the acceptance of diverse abilities in standards.
Experience Differences
International students’ experiences show that Chinese evaluation is more flexible, while Anglo-American evaluation is more stringent. The participation rate of international students in China is 40% (bold), higher than 25% (bold) in the UK and US, because Chinese evaluation is reviewed every semester (allowing upgrades). A Southeast Asian student received a second-class award in the first year and a first-class award in the second year;
In the UK and US, once the standards are not met, the Honours qualification is lost. A student missed the degree by 2 points in one course.
Data shows that international students’ postgraduate application success rate increases by 20% after Chinese evaluation (overseas universities recognize the grades), while although Anglo-American Honours has a 90% advantage in postgraduate applications, 30% of international students delay graduation due to pressure.
Application Path
A 2023 survey of 100 universities by the Ministry of Education shows that the international student participation rate is 40%, the application success rate is 75%, and the review cycle is once per semester.
Standard Preparation
60% of universities require GPA≥3.5 (bold) as an entry requirement. To apply for top graduate, an engineering international student maintained a GPA of 3.6 in the first two academic years and focused on improving the scores of core courses such as Mechanics of Materials and Structural Design to Grade A;
Internship ≥3 months accounts for 70% (bold) as a hard indicator for practice. A Southeast Asian student participated in a high-speed rail pile foundation monitoring project at Shanghai Construction Engineering Group, recorded construction logs, and obtained a signed certificate from the enterprise supervisor, with a duration of 4 months meeting the evaluation requirements.
Preparation also includes volunteer service (≥20 hours, such as community anti-epidemic work, rural teaching support). An international student joined the university’s international volunteer team, accumulated 50 hours of service, and documented the assistance process with pictures and texts.
Data shows that 80% of those who meet the standards plan one semester in advance. For example, a student clarified the application for a GPA certificate in the first year of undergraduate studies and reviewed the GPA at the end of each semester to avoid fluctuations, reflecting the support of preparation for goal achievement and turning application from a last-minute effort into regular accumulation.
Material Submission
92% of complete materials pass the preliminary review (bold). Top graduate applicants need transcripts (sealed by the university), internship certificates (including job descriptions), and volunteer service certificates (signed by the organizer). An international student was required to supplement and correct the internship certificate because it did not specify specific responsibilities;
Internship certificates account for 85% (bold) of materials submitted by international students, as enterprise internships are more recognized than on-campus practices. A student used an internship certificate from Huawei Shanghai Research Institute (including project achievement descriptions) to enhance competitiveness.
GPA certificates only require official transcripts (marked with GPA and ranking) and application forms. An international student at a 211 university passed the preliminary review within 3 working days after submitting a 3.9 GPA certificate.
Special honours require additional achievement evidence, such as the first page of a paper or competition award certificates for Academic Star applications. A biology student applied for Academic Star with an SCI abstract of CRISPR experiments.
Data shows that the review of materials organized according to templates (downloaded from the university official website) is 2 weeks faster, classified into academic, practical, and public welfare parts to avoid omissions, reflecting the improvement of efficiency through standardization.
Review and Upgrade
100% coverage of semesterly reviews (bold) for those who have already been awarded. An international student received a second-class top graduate award in the first year, added research courses (participated in supervisor’s research projects) in the next semester, and extended volunteer service to 60 hours, successfully being promoted to first-class;
30% upgrade success rate for international students (bold) is seen in those who take the initiative to improve, such as a student who submitted a new transcript after raising the GPA from 3.7 to 3.9 and was admitted to the GPA certificate list.
Reviews are conducted by departmental review teams (including teachers and student representatives), focusing on the progress range (e.g., GPA increase of more than 0.2) and new achievements (e.g., new competition awards).