Guidelines issued for engineering doctorate

China has released its first set of guidelines outlining criteria and requirements for those applying for doctorates in engineering, according to the Ministry of Education.

The pilot document containing the guidelines encompasses provisions on the scope and quality of dissertations for candidates pursuing a professional engineering doctorate in order to enhance talent cultivation. It also introduces criteria and protocols for awarding the degree based on practical achievements.

The guidelines follow the passage of a law on academic degrees by China's national legislature in April. The law, set to take effect next year, allows graduate students to earn their degrees either through a thesis or by submitting required practice-oriented outputs.