A Study Of In The Twentieth Century

In the 20^th century, Chinese academic degree system has experienced a circuitous development course which is from zero to beginning and from using to the west as reference to realizing "the Chinese pattern". As early as the end of the 19^th century, higher education has already begun to develop, but the academic degree system, one of the indispensable factors in higher education, was not entirely constructed and put into effect until the beginning of 1980's when the "Regulations Concerning Academic Degrees of the People's Republic of China " was promulgated. Why do the construction and perfection of the academic degree system in our country experience such a long time? What are the origin and the development sequence of the academic degree system? What are the concrete contents of the academic degree system? How should we construct structure the academic degree system in our country under the current national conditions? And what environments does the system need for its operation? All of them are the problems this thesis is going to study and explore.Placing the Chinese academic degree system in the macro-background of Chinese higher education history, this thesis synthesizes history, pedagogy and culturology to illustrate and analyze it systematically.In introduction part, first, the significance of the study is presented; second, the previous studies of the academic degree system, their research characteristics and the limitations are all stated here; third, the research methods of the thesis and its innovation as well as limitations are illustrated in this part.Chapter One illustrates the basic problems of academic degree system, namely the definitions of academic degree and academic degree system, the origin of the titles of academic degrees as well as the way in which they appeared in China. Academic degrees refer to the titles awarded by colleges, universities and scientific research institutions with intent to show the academic level of those specialized people. Academic degree system, which refers to the system regulations concerning the academic degrees' grading, academic standard, examination principle of authorization and the awarding methods, etc., is a training system for high-level talents. At present, when it comes to the origin of Chinese academic degree system, most of the studies put forward that modem academic degree system was derived from western academic degree system; however, its basis and prerequisite are the reformation and inheritance of the traditional education, meanwhile, it is gradually developed and formed combing with the specific educational environment and status in China, but not completely transplanted from the west.Chapter Two and Chapter Three investigate the establishment and the development sequence of the academic degree system in "Public of China". Chapter Two objectively discusses and analyzes the establishment of the Chinese academic degree system during the period of Northern Warlords Government of China in such aspects as the social background, system construction, its characteristics, influences and so on. When constructing the academic degree system during this period, the academic degree system at the first level, namely the bachelor's degree system, was designed comparatively entire; the educational institution of postgraduates—graduate school was also stipulated. However, Master degree system and doctor degree system do not have detailed rules and regulations, and their degree regulations were only mentioned without being set up.Chapter Three discusses the further development of the academic degree system in "Republic of China". Influenced by the political factors at that time, the construction conditions of the academic degree system were different at different periods which are respectively the earlier stage of Nationalist Party's governing, the period of the war of Resistance against Japan and the period of liberation. However, on the whole, the construction of academic degree system had a further development than that during the period of Northern Warlords Government of China. Especially, in 1935, the ministry of education of the National Government promulgated "degree awards law" and "degree hierarchic detailed rules and regulations" and established three-level system of academic degrees including bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctor's degree. Meanwhile, it also set up the concrete norms of the entrance examination, the length of schooling, examination of the graduation thesis and the degree award, which finished the basic construction of the academic degree system of China in modern time.Chapter Four and Chapter Five focus on the development of the academic degree system after foundation of new China. Taking the period of reform and opening up to the outside as the dividing point, the thesis discusses the construction of academic degree system in new China. During the 27 years, from the foundation of new China to the reform and opening up, the government had tried to establish the academic degree system corresponding to Chinese higher education reality for two times, but ended without any gain. During the period of Cultural Revolution, the whole society was in chaos, so the higher education was only an empty title, let alone to say the construction of academic degree system.After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC, under the guidance of "emancipating the mind" and " reforming and opening to the outside world ", the construction of academic degree system in our country entered a new development period. In 1980, our country promulgated "Regulations Concerning Academic Degrees of the People's Republic of China ", in which three-level system of academic degrees including bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctor's degree were stipulated. Later, a series of laws and regulations were also promulgated, which provided legalization guarantee and operable means. By twenty years' efforts, our work on academic degree system has got notable achievement.The conclusion briefly summarizes the main contents of the thesis, discusses the characteristics of the construction of China's academic degree system at different historical periods, and points out some limitations in the process of the implementation of the existing academic degree system, especially the problem that higher vocational colleges lack academic degree system, with intent to give some enlightenment on the reform of the academic degree system.