Can I write my thesis in English in China?

Yes, if you are taking a degree taught in a foreign language, your thesis may be written in that language. The abstract must still be in Chinese. Whether the defence may be held in the foreign language is decided by the university.

What the rules say

Article 19 of Order No. 42 covers this point. The English below is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

• A student in higher education who takes a degree in a foreign language may write the thesis in the corresponding foreign language.
• The thesis abstract must be in Chinese.
• The university decides whether the thesis defence uses the foreign language.

Article 19 does not say which foreign languages are allowed.

Section 6.4 of the 2018 quality standards adds two points. Universities should encourage and support students in writing theses in Chinese. The degree committee sets the language rules for writing and defending the thesis, following Order No. 42.

Who decides

The university decides on the defence language under Article 19 of Order No. 42. The degree committee sets the detailed language rules for the thesis and the defence under section 6.4 of the quality standards.

For your own case, ask the university's international student office or your degree committee which language rules apply to your programme.

Chinese language requirements

Article 18 of Order No. 42 makes Chinese the basic teaching language for international students in higher education. It also says a school may provide remedial Chinese to a student whose Chinese is below the level needed for study.

The 2018 quality standards go further for foreign-language programmes. They state that a master's or doctoral student's Chinese should reach at least level 3 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards by graduation. These are the standard's own levels, not HSK test levels.

Related questions

Does my thesis abstract have to be in Chinese?

Yes. Article 19 of Order No. 42 says the abstract must be in Chinese, even when the thesis itself is written in a foreign language.

Do I need Chinese to finish a master's taught in English?

The 2018 quality standards expect master's students to reach at least level 3 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards by graduation. Article 18 of Order No. 42 allows schools to offer remedial Chinese to students who need it. The standards do not convert this level into an HSK score.

Sources

• Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools (Order No. 42), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China
• Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, it is not published by or affiliated with the bodies named, and if the official text differs from this page, the official text and the instructions of the university, embassy or exit-entry office handling your case prevail.