Universities across China have announced plans to extend the duration of their postgraduate degree programs, as schools take advantage of students’ growing willingness to delay entering the job market.

China’s higher education regulations mandate that a master’s degree program should last two to three years, and a doctoral degree program three to four years.

Until recently, most universities adopted the minimum required duration for their programs. But that is now starting to change amid a record surge in applications for postgraduate programs.

Guangxi Normal University in the southern city of Guilin announced on July 16 that a number of its postgraduate programs would be extended starting from 2025.

Its chemistry doctoral program will run for four rather than three years, while 17 master’s degree programs across 14 departments will be lengthened from two to three years, the university said.

A few days earlier, Shenyang Ligong University in the northeastern city of Shenyang also said that it planned to extend 25 master’s degree programs across 10 departments from two and a half to three years. This includes programs in mechanical engineering, information and communications technology, and environmental and chemical engineering.

Several other universities, including Xi’an International Studies University and Inner Mongolia Normal University, have made similar changes over the past few months.

The universities have justified their moves on academic grounds, and educational experts agree that longer programs will allow students to gain greater expertise in their chosen fields.

Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told Sixth Tone that extending postgraduate programs is part of a government-led push to reduce the stigma attached to professional degrees as opposed to purely academic programs.

In China, most postgraduates are enrolled in professional master’s degree programs, which in the past generally took two years to complete. But employers often favored graduates of academic programs, which tended to require three years of study.

China’s Ministry of Education, however, is keen to end this discrimination. In late 2023, it released a guideline stipulating that the two types of master’s degrees are equally important and that China will increase the proportion of postgraduates completing professional degrees.

Public reactions to the idea of longer degree programs have been mixed. Some students have embraced the opportunity to stay in school longer, arguing that an extra year gives them more time to master their subject area and complete internships that will boost their job prospects.

Many students aren’t in a rush to leave school because of a lack of attractive job prospects for new graduates. Grad school applications have hit record highs in recent years, with many students hoping to stay in school until the job market improves.

Li Zihan, who is about to begin a master’s in journalism and communication at Dalian University of Technology in Northeast China, told Sixth Tone that more and more postgraduates are choosing longer programs these days.

“Some want to finish school quickly and start working, while others prefer more time in school,” she said.

At Dalian University of Technology, all the master’s programs are now three years long, Li said. She chose a longer program because she felt the slower pace would be helpful.

“For me, three years is better because two years is too rushed, especially when you need to balance courses with internships and writing your thesis,” she said.

However, Li acknowledged that pursuing a longer degree program would increase the financial burden on her family. She also has a younger brother currently in school.

“The tuition fees for postgraduates are much higher than for undergraduates. Not every family can afford to support someone at this stage. Some of my classmates face even higher costs, especially those studying in Beijing and Shanghai, where schools no longer provide accommodation,” Li said.

While the longer programs may be well intentioned, some worry that in reality an extra year of study may actually harm graduates’ job prospects.

“One more year of study won’t make it easier to get a job. On the contrary, being a year older will make the job hunt even harder,” read one highly upvoted comment on microblogging platform Weibo.

Chang Xinyao, a law student in Beijing, told Sixth Tone that she agreed with this view. Though longer programs allow students to gain more work experience while studying, she is concerned that employers will discriminate against those who delay entering the job market.

“It may lead to age discrimination against students, especially women,” the 24-year-old said.

(Header image: VCG)