Note: These Regulations are written in both Chinese and English. The Chinese translation will take precedence if there is any discrepancy or disagreement. The English version is for reference only.
(Approved at the 19th meeting of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of Harbin Institute of Technology)
No. 76 [2024], HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 To standardize the degree conferral process, protect the rights and interests of degree candidates, and ensure the quality of degrees, these Rules have been formulated in accordance with the “Academic Degree Law of the People’s Republic of China” (《中华人民共和国学位法》), the “Measures for Degree Conferral of Harbin Institute of Technology” (《哈尔滨工业大学学位授予办法》), and relevant directives from the State Council Academic Degrees Committee, while taking into account the HIT's specific circumstances.
Article 2 These Rules apply to all master’s and doctoral degree candidates enrolled at our university.
Chapter II Master’s Degree Conferral Process
Article 3 To apply for a master’s degree, the candidate's thesis or practical work must undergo the following steps: preliminary review, expert evaluation, defense, review by the degree evaluation subcommittee, and final approval by the HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee.
Article 4 Before applying for a master’s degree, the candidate must fulfill the following requirements:
(I) Complete all courses outlined in the training plan, pass the course assessments, and earn the required credits. Complete all training components and successfully pass the corresponding assessments.
(II) Engage in academic research or professional practice relevant to the master’s thesis or practical work.
(III) Academic degree candidates must complete a thesis, while professional degree candidates may submit either a thesis or practical work. Practical work may include specialized research papers, survey reports, case analysis reports, product designs/creative works, or solution designs.
(IV) Meet the achievement requirements for their discipline or major during the degree program.
Article 5 Preliminary Review of Master’s Thesis or Practical Work
(I) Upon completion of the master’s thesis or practical work and approval by the supervisor, the subcommittee will organize a preliminary review with a panel of three to five experts. Academic and professional degree candidates will undergo separate review processes. For professional degree candidates, the review panel must include at least one industry expert.
(II) The preliminary review will evaluate whether the thesis or practical work meets the standards of the relevant discipline or major.
(III) Based on the feedback provided during the preliminary review, the degree candidate must revise the thesis or practical work. After the supervisor approves the revisions, the work may proceed to expert evaluation.
Article 6 Expert Evaluation of Master's Thesis or Practical Work
After successfully passing the preliminary review, degree candidates must submit their application to the subcommittee no later than 15 days before the scheduled formal defense. If the subcommittee determines that the application meets the requirements for expert evaluation, the thesis or practical work will advance to the expert evaluation stage. The evaluation process will be conducted in accordance with the “Rules for Expert Evaluation of Master's Theses or Practical Works of Harbin Institute of Technology” (《哈尔滨工业大学硕士学位论文或者实践成果专家评阅实施细则》).
Article 7 Defense of Master’s Thesis or Practical Work
(I) Application for Early Defense
Master’s degree candidates are generally not permitted to apply for early defense. However, candidates with exceptional academic performance and strong research abilities, who meet the criteria outlined in the “Regulations on Achievements Required During the Pursuit of a Master's Degree at Harbin Institute of Technology” (《哈尔滨工业大学硕士研究生在攻读学位期间取得成果要求规定》), may apply for early defense with the approval of their supervisor and the subcommittee.
Procedure for Early Defense: The candidate must submit an application for early defense. Once the application is approved by the supervisor, the subcommittee will designate two experts to evaluate the thesis. Based on their evaluation result, a decision will be made on whether to grant early defense permission, which must also be reported to the Office of Academic Degrees for record-keeping.
(II) Review of Defense Application
The defense committee secretary must submit all required materials for the defense application to the subcommittee for approval one week before the scheduled defense. The materials include:
1. Preliminary Review Report (《预审情况表》), Defense Application Form (《答辩申请书》), Defense Eligibility Review Form (《答辩资格审查表》), Defense Committee Member Approval Form (《答辩成员审批表》), Expert Feedback Form (《评阅意见表》), and Revision Report Based on Expert Feedback (《评阅意见修改报告》);
2. Master's thesis or practical work having passed the expert evaluation;
3. Academic transcript;
4. Supporting documentation for any achievements during the degree program.
The subcommittee should thoroughly review the candidate’s thesis or practical work, focusing on the workload, the validity of conclusions, the quality of results, and adherence to academic writing standards.
(III) Defense Committee Members
The defense committee will be established by the candidate’s academic discipline or major and must receive approval from the subcommittee. Any replacement of committee members must be reported to the subcommittee for approval. The defense committee members should meet the following requirements:
1. The committee must consist of five members, all of whom are master’s supervisors or experts with senior professional titles (or equivalent qualifications). Members must be experts in the relevant academic discipline or profession. For professional degrees, the committee must include at least one industry expert. For an interdisciplinary thesis or work, the committee must include experts from all related disciplines or professions.
2. The subcommittee should appoint a chairperson for the defense committee who possesses strong academic or professional expertise, a sense of responsibility, and a commitment to ethical principles.
3. Only one member of the candidate’s supervisory team—whether the supervisor, co-supervisor, or another team member—may serve on the committee, and they cannot hold the positions of chairperson or secretary.
4. For candidates with equivalent academic qualifications applying for a master’s degree, the supervisor, co-supervisor, members of the supervisory team, or referees are not allowed to be members of the defense committee.
5. A secretary, who must be a faculty member at HIT, should be appointed for the defense, but they cannot be a member of the defense committee.
(IV) Defense Procedure
The defense secretary should distribute the thesis or practical work to the defense committee members for review one week before the defense and make relevant information on the defense public. Defense committee members must carry out their duties independently and responsibly.
The defense for academic and professional degrees should be held separately and publicly. Candidates must attend the defense in formal attire. The defense session typically lasts 30–40 minutes, and detailed records should be kept. The procedure is as follows:
1. Introduction by the Defense Secretary: The secretary introduces the candidate’s name, discipline/major, title of thesis or practical work, academic performance, as well as the candidate's resume and the members of the defense committee.
2. Defense Presentation:
(1) The candidate presents the main content of their thesis or practical work (20–30 minutes).
(2) The candidate explains the revisions made in response to the expert feedback.
(3) Defense committee members review the candidate’s responses to the expert feedback and corresponding revisions.
(4) Defense committee members ask questions, and the candidate responds (at least 10 minutes).
(5) The committee evaluates the candidate's performance during the defense, checks if there are issues in the research topic, research process, or practical work, and reviews the content, structure, and adherence to academic writing standards of the thesis or practical work.
3. Closed Session for Committee Deliberation:
(1) The committee evaluates whether the thesis or practical work meets academic or professional standards, whether the conclusions and results are valid, whether the structure is appropriate, and points out any major issues.
(2) The committee votes by secret ballot to decide if the defense is passed and whether to recommend awarding the master’s degree. The final resolution requires approval from at least two-thirds of the committee members.
(3) The committee's resolution must objectively summarize the innovative contributions of the thesis or practical work and provide a fair evaluation.
(4) If the defense is unsuccessful, the candidate may revise the thesis or practical work and apply for a second defense within one year, subject to approval from the committee members, as long as they have not exceeded the maximum time limit for degree completion.
(5) The committee discusses and finalizes the defense resolution.
4. Reopen the Session: The chairperson announces the defense resolution.
5. Candidate’s Statement: The candidate responds to the committee's resolution.
6. Signatures: The chairperson signs the defense resolution and the original defense records.
7. Conclusion: The chairperson announces the conclusion of the defense.
Article 8 Review by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee
As a rule, candidates must submit their degree application materials to the subcommittee within one year of passing the defense. Late submissions will not be accepted. The review processes for academic and professional degrees should be conducted separately.
Resolutions by the degree evaluation committees at all levels must be made during formal meetings. To be valid, a meeting requires the presence of at least two-thirds of the committee members. A resolution is passed if more than half of the members vote in favor.
(I) Subcommittee Review
The subcommittee reviews the candidate's thesis or practical work and related materials to ensure that all required revisions from the defense committee have been addressed. It also verifies that the candidate's achievements during the master's program meet the standards of their discipline or major. Based on the defense committee’s resolution, the subcommittee will vote on whether to recommend awarding the degree, make a resolution, and submit it to the university degree evaluation committee for further review. If the thesis or practical work has not yet been voted on by the subcommittee, the candidate may revise it and submit it for review at the next meeting, provided it has been approved for revision by the subcommittee.
Candidates who pass the subcommittee review must make the required revisions based on the feedback provided and submit a revision report detailing the changes made. The revised thesis or practical work must be reviewed and signed by the experts designated by the subcommittee.
(III) Review by HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee
The thesis or practical work must be submitted to the HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee within one year after the defense. The committee will determine whether to award the master’s degree based on the subcommittee’s resolution and a review of the degree application materials.
If the thesis or practical work is not voted on after the committee’s review, the candidate must make the necessary revisions and resubmit it for further review. If the work is not voted on after two rounds, the degree application of the candidate will no longer be accepted.
If the committee requires revisions, the updated work must be reviewed and approved by the candidate’s supervisor and the subcommittee before the degree can be awarded.
Chapter III Doctoral Degree Conferral Process
Article 9 To apply for a doctoral degree, the candidate's dissertation or practical work must undergo the following steps: pre-defense, expert evaluation, defense, review by the degree evaluation subcommittee, and final approval by the HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee.
Article 10 Before applying for a doctoral degree, the candidate must fulfill the following requirements:
(I) Complete all courses outlined in the training plan, pass the course assessments, and earn the required credits. Complete all training components and successfully pass the corresponding assessments.
(II) Engage in academic research or professional practice relevant to the dissertation or practical work.
(III) Academic degree candidates must write a doctoral dissertation. Professional degree candidates may choose to write a dissertation or complete practical work, depending on their research focus and professional experience. The practical work can include items such as major equipment, instruments, other hardware products, software products, design solutions, technical standards, or other related outputs.
(IV) Meet the subcommittee’s requirements for innovative achievements or the originality requirements for the dissertation or practical work.
Article 11 Pre-Defense of Doctoral Dissertation or Practical Work
(I) When the doctoral dissertation or practical work is completed and approved by the supervisor, the subcommittee will arrange a preliminary review with at least two experts. For professional degree candidates, the review must include at least one industry expert. The pre-defense will proceed once the dissertation or practical work is confirmed to meet the requirements of the relevant discipline or major.
(II) The pre-defense will be managed by the head of the candidate’s discipline or major, based on the candidate’s research focus and the content of their work. The process of the pre-defense will be the same as the formal defense.
(III) The pre-defense committee will consist of five to seven members, including doctoral supervisors, professors, and/or senior industry experts from the candidate’s discipline/major or relevant fields. One member will be designated as the chair of the committee. For professional degree candidates, at least one member must be an industry expert. A pre-defense secretary will also be appointed. The composition of the committee must be approved by the degree evaluation subcommittee.
(IV) During the pre-defense, the pre-defense committee will evaluate the workload, originality, and academic rigor of the dissertation or practical work, and point out any areas that need improvement and provide recommendations for revision.
(V) The pre-defense committee will determine one of the following outcomes: 1. Passed, 2. Passed with Revisions, 3. Not Passed. In case of disagreement among committee members, a secret ballot may be used to finalize the decision. The outcome of the pre-defense should be recorded in the “Pre-Defense Report”.
(VI) Based on the feedback provided by the pre-defense committee, the degree candidate should revise the dissertation or practical work. If the pre-defense is passed and the revisions are approved by the supervisor, the work may proceed to the expert evaluation stage. If the pre-defense is not passed, the candidate must address the feedback, make the necessary revisions, and submit the work for a second pre-defense after review and approval by their supervisor and discipline.
Article 12 Expert Evaluation of Doctoral Dissertation or Practical Work
(I) Once the pre-defense of the doctoral dissertation or practical work is passed, it will proceed to expert evaluation. For professional degree dissertations or practical works, industry experts must be included in the evaluation process. The subcommittee will decide and organize the evaluation process.
(II) For classified dissertations or practical works, hard copies must be submitted for the evaluation. Subcommittees should choose the universities, research institutes, or companies with the necessary security clearance, as determined by the HIT Confidentiality Committee, to conduct the evaluation.
(III) Doctoral degree candidates must submit their application for the expert evaluation at least 45 days before the defense date to the respective subcommittee. The subcommittee will then review the application and organize the evaluation.
(IV) The evaluation process and handling of the expert feedback will follow the “Rules for Expert Evaluation of Doctoral Dissertations or Practical Works” (《博士学位论文或者实践成果专家评阅实施办法》).
(V) The defense committee secretary will prepare a document with the feedback from the experts, which should include:
1. Comments on the dissertation or practical work's topic.
2. Comments on the originality in the dissertation or practical work.
3. Overall evaluation of the dissertation or practical work.
4. Problems, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement.
5. If there are additional experts in the evaluation, their feedback should be included.
The degree candidate must respond clearly to each point raised by the experts. If the feedback is accepted, the dissertation or practical work should be revised accordingly. The response must specify the changes made and their page numbers. If the feedback is not accepted, the candidate must state the reasons, using data or references to support their reasoning.
This document should also include the review comments from the candidate’s supervisor, and must be reviewed and signed by the chair of the subcommittee.
Article 13 Defense of Doctoral Dissertation or Practical Work
Doctoral students must apply for defense of their doctoral dissertation or practice work within one year of passing the pre-defense. Applications submitted after this period will require a new pre-defense. The defense of the doctoral dissertation or practical work must be conducted in person and be open to the public. Classified dissertations also require in-person defense, with adherence to confidentiality protocols.
(I) Review of Defense Application
The defense committee secretary must submit all required materials for the defense application to the subcommittee for approval one week before the scheduled defense. Required materials include:
1. Pre-Defense Report (《预答辩情况表》), Defense Application Form (《答辩申请书》), Defense Eligibility Review Form (《答辩资格审查表》), Defense Committee Member Approval Form (《答辩成员审批表》), Expert Feedback Form (《评阅意见表》), and Consolidated Expert Feedback (《评阅意见修改报告》);
2. Dissertation or practical work having passed both the pre-defense and the expert evaluation;
3. Academic transcript;
4. Supporting documentation demonstrating significant innovative achievements during the doctoral program.
The subcommittee’s review of the dissertation or practical should be focused on its originality, quality, conclusions, adherence to academic writing standards, and any significant achievements the candidate attained during the doctoral program.
(II) Defense Committee Members
The defense committee will be established by the candidate’s academic discipline or major and must receive approval from the subcommittee. Any replacement of committee members must be reported to the subcommittee for approval. The defense committee members should meet the following requirements:
1. The committee must consist of seven members, all of whom should be doctoral supervisors or experts with senior professional titles (or equivalent qualifications). Members must be experts in the relevant academic discipline or profession. At least five members should be doctoral supervisors, and two members must be external experts. For professional degree dissertations or practical works, at least one industry expert must be included. For interdisciplinary dissertations or works, the committee must include experts from all related disciplines or professions.
2. The subcommittee should appoint a chairperson from among the doctoral supervisors in the defense committee with deep expertise in the dissertation or practical work's field, a strong sense of responsibility, and a commitment to ethical principles.
3. As a rule, the defense committee should include members from the degree evaluation subcommittee who have authority over the candidate.
4. At least two members of the pre-defense committee should also be part of the defense committee.
5. Only one member of the candidate’s supervisory team—whether the supervisor, co-supervisor, or another team member—may serve on the committee, and they cannot hold the positions of chairperson or secretary.
6. For candidates with equivalent academic qualifications applying for a doctoral degree, the supervisor, co-supervisor, members of the supervisory team, or referees are not allowed to be members of the defense committee.
7. A secretary should be appointed for the defense, but they cannot be a member of the defense committee.
(III) Defense Procedure
The defense secretary must send the dissertation or practical work to the defense committee members one week before the defense and make relevant defense information publicly available for at least three working days.
The defense should be open to the public, and candidates are required to attend in formal attire. Each defense session will typically last for two to three hours. The defense must be thoroughly documented and conducted according to the following procedure.
1. Introduction by the Defense Secretary: The secretary introduces the candidate’s name, discipline/major, title of dissertation or practical work, academic performance, candidate's resume, report on the dissertation or practical work and corresponding innovative achievements; reads out the list of defense committee members and introduces each one.
2. Defense Presentation:
(1) The candidate presents the main content of their dissertation or practical work (40–50 minutes).
(2) The secretary reads out the expert feedback and the candidate’s responses.
(3) Defense committee members review the candidate’s responses to the feedback and corresponding revisions.
(4) Defense committee members ask questions, and the candidate responds.
(5) The committee evaluates the candidate's performance during the defense, checks if there are issues in the research process, and assesses the originality, content, structure, and adherence to academic writing standards of the dissertation or practical work.
3. Closed Session for Committee Deliberation:
(1) The committee evaluates whether the dissertation or practical work meets academic or professional standards, whether the innovative achievements are valid, whether the structure is appropriate, and points out any major issues.
(2) The committee votes by secret ballot to decide if the defense is passed and whether to recommend awarding the doctoral degree. The final resolution requires approval from at least two-thirds of the committee members.
(3) The committee's resolution must objectively summarize the innovative contributions of the dissertation or practical work and provide a fair evaluation.
(4) If the defense is unsuccessful, the candidate may revise the thesis or practical work and apply for a second defense within two years, subject to approval from the committee members, as long as they have not exceeded the maximum time limit for degree completion.
(5) If the defense committee determines that the candidate's dissertation or practical work does not fulfill the requirements for a doctoral degree but meets the standard of a master's degree, and the candidate has not yet earned a master's degree in the relevant discipline or major from our university, they may, with the candidate's consent, recommend awarding a master's degree. This recommendation will then be submitted to the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee for approval.
(6) The committee discusses and finalizes the defense resolution.
4. Reopen the Session: The chairperson announces the defense resolution.
5. Candidate’s Statement: The candidate responds to the committee's resolution.
6. Signatures: The chairperson signs the defense resolution and the original defense records.
7. Conclusion: The chairperson announces the conclusion of the defense.
Article 14 Public Disclosure of Doctoral Dissertation or Practical Work
(I) Generally, the public disclosure period for the doctoral dissertation or practical work begins upon the successful completion of the pre-defense and continues until the HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee has approved conferral of the degree. This period should be no shorter than one month.
(II) During this time, the degree candidate is required to make relevant information of their dissertation or practical work publicly available and respond to any questions raised by the public.
(III) The Office of Academic Degrees is responsible for receiving and handling the questions raised by the public during the period.
Article 15 Review by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee
As a rule, candidates must submit their degree application materials to the subcommittee within one year of passing the defense. Late submissions will not be accepted. The review processes for academic and professional degrees should be conducted separately.
Resolutions by the degree evaluation committees at all levels must be made during formal meetings. To be valid, a meeting requires the presence of at least two-thirds of the committee members. A resolution is passed if more than half of the members vote in favor.
(I) Subcommittee Review
The subcommittee reviews the candidate's dissertation or practical work and related materials to ensure that all required revisions from the defense committee have been addressed. It also verifies that the candidate's innovative achievements during the doctoral program meet the standards of their discipline or major. Based on the defense committee’s resolution, the subcommittee will vote on whether to recommend awarding the degree, make a resolution, and submit it to the university degree evaluation committee for further review. If the dissertation or practical work has not yet been voted on by the subcommittee, the candidate may revise it and submit it for review at the next meeting, provided it has been approved for revision by the subcommittee.
Candidates who pass the subcommittee review must make the required revisions based on the feedback provided and submit a revision report detailing the changes made. The revised dissertation or practical work must be reviewed and signed by the experts designated by the subcommittee.
(III) Review by HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee
The thesis or practical work must be submitted to the HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee within one year after the defense. The committee will review doctoral degree applications based on the resolutions of its subcommittees, with particular focus on cases where a subcommittee recommends denying the degree, the university's expert panel advises postponing a vote, or other exceptional circumstances are flagged by the subcommittee. After the review, the committee will make the final resolution on whether to confer the doctoral degree.
If the dissertation or practical work is not voted on after the committee’s review, the candidate must make the necessary revisions and resubmit it for further review. If the work is not voted on after two rounds, the degree application of the candidate will no longer be accepted.
Chapter IV Academic and Degree Reassessment
Article 16 If a degree candidate disagrees with the results of the expert evaluation, defense, or achievement recognition processes, they must submit a written request for academic reassessment to the subcommittee within 30 days of receiving the results. Upon receiving the request, the subcommittee should convene a panel of experts to conduct the reassessment within 30 days. During this process, the candidate will have the opportunity to present their statements and defenses. A final decision will then be made and formally communicated to the candidate.
Article 17 If a degree candidate or recipient disagrees with decisions made by any levels of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee—such as the rejection of a degree application, denial of a degree conferral, or revocation of a conferred degree—they may submit a written request for reassessment to the university within 30 days. The university should complete the reassessment within 30 days of receiving the request. During the process, the degree candidate or recipient will have the opportunity to present statements and defenses. A final decision will then be made and formally communicated to the candidate or recipient.
Chapter V Supplementary Provisions
Article 18 Doctoral dissertations or practical work must include information about the reviewers, members of the defense committee, and the resolutions passed during the defense. Practical work must also include evaluations from industry experts regarding its originality and practical application.
Article 19 Once the HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee approves the conferral of master’s and doctoral degrees, the list of recipients will be published on the website of the Graduate School of Harbin Institute of Technology, and degree certificates will be issued. To raise objections, one must submit a written statement to the subcommittee under their real name. The subcommittee will then investigate the matter and present its findings and recommendations to the HIT Academic Degree Evaluation Committee, which will resolve the issue based on verified facts.
Article 20 The subcommittee is responsible for transferring the candidate’s application materials, including dissertations or practical work and other relevant archival documents, to the university archives and library. Doctoral dissertations or practical work must also be submitted to the National Library of China and relevant professional libraries.
For classified doctoral dissertations or practical work, archiving must comply with secret laws, administrative regulations, and national confidentiality guidelines.
Article 21 International degree candidates at HIT will be awarded degrees in accordance with the academic, scholarly, or professional requirements and procedures outlined in this document.
Article 22 Candidates under university-enterprise joint training programs should follow the corresponding degree application procedures established by those programs.
Article 23 The Office of Academic Degree Evaluation Committee reserves the right to interpret the Rules.
Article 24 These Rules shall be effective as of January 1, 2025. If there is any discrepancy between other rules and this document, the latter shall prevail.
Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of Harbin Institute of Technology
December 25, 2024
