Professional master’s degree programmes, such as MBA and MPA degrees, are becoming increasingly popular in China. According to the 2015 National Graduate Student Enrolment Plan, the number of new students on these professional master’s degree programmes will reach a new high of over 252,000, making up a record 44 per cent of all newly enrolled master’s students compared to just 23 per cent in 2010. The Ministry of Education has shifted its orientation of professional degree programmes from academic studies to applied technologies since 2013.

The first professional master’s degree introduced in China was the MBA in 1990, and the country now has 39 types of these courses. A full list is given in the table below. In comparison to academic master’s degrees, students on professional degree courses are more likely to have jobs and be studying on a part-time basis.

In comparison, there is no trend towards professional programmes at the doctorate level. In fact the proportion of PhD students studying professional programmes such as DBA degrees has decreased from 2.6 per cent in 2012 to 2.0 per cent in 2015.

Table: 39 Professional Master’s Degrees in China (as of 2015)

Analysis by Liu Xiaoxiao, Education Services Manager and Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst:

Due to the rapid development of China’s economy and society, the economic and industrial structure is also in transition with a higher demand for senior professionals in a number of sectors, including management as well as other areas such as engineering, construction, law or finance. Increased recruitment of students on professional master’s courses is intended to gradually adjust graduate education to meet the needs of the Chinese economy. 

At the same time, the increased enrolment of professional master’s degree courses masks a slight fall in the number of students entering traditional MA and MS courses. Enrolment of new academic master’s students has fallen by 1.5 per cent over the last three years, compared to an 11 per cent increase in all students at this level.

Sources:

http://edu.people.com.cn/kaoyan/n/2015/0818/c345880-27478236.html