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English-taught and Chinese-taught medicine for international students: the two routes in the Ministry's notices

Sources checked · Unofficial summary

Under the Chinese Ministry of Education's 2023–2024 list notice, only universities on the Ministry's list may enrol international students in English-taught undergraduate clinical medicine. A university that is not on the list may enrol international students only in a Chinese-taught version of the programme, to a standard not lower than the one for Chinese clinical medicine students. These are Chinese Ministry rules, and this page does not describe the rules of any home-country regulator. The list this page uses is for the 2023–2024 academic year, and it is set out on this register's section page.

The English-taught route

This section relies on paragraphs 1 to 3 of the Ministry General Office notice 教外厅函〔2023〕10号, which is dated 15 May 2023 and was published on the Ministry's site on 30 May 2023. Below, the English is this site's translation of the Chinese text. Hereafter the notice is called the 2023–2024 notice.

  • Paragraph 2 says that universities on the list shall continue to enrol students strictly in line with the spirit of the 2007 notice, 教外来〔2007〕39号, which the preamble of the 2023–2024 notice calls 《通知》.
  • Paragraph 2 says that a university not on the list may not enrol international students in English-taught undergraduate clinical medicine.
  • Paragraph 2 says that such a university may not award an English-version degree certificate for that programme (MBBS), or any English-version degree certificate containing the word "MBBS".
  • Paragraph 2 says that enrolling international students in disguise through a "bilingual teaching" model is strictly prohibited.
  • Paragraph 1 says that the Ministry entrusted 44 universities with enrolling students in this programme for 2023–2024, with 3,048 places in total.
  • Paragraph 1 says that the places were set on the basis of past enrolment and of each university's day-to-day management of medical education for international students.
  • The annex lists the universities by their Chinese names. The English names used on this register are the register's own.
  • The order of the annex and the size of any enrolment plan are not a ranking, and this page does not read them as one.
  • Paragraph 3 says that a university that seriously violates the spirit of the notice shall be dealt with by restricting or stopping its enrolment, in accordance with law and regulations.

The Chinese-taught route

Two Ministry documents set out the Chinese-taught route. They are given separately below because their wording on the standard differs.

  • Paragraph 2 of the 2023–2024 notice says that a university not on the list may enrol international students only in Chinese-taught undergraduate clinical medicine, and that the training standard may not be lower than the standard for Chinese clinical medicine students.
  • Paragraph 4 of the 2007 notice, 教外来〔2007〕39号, says that a school not on the list may enrol international students in medical programmes taught in Chinese, and that the training standard must be the same as the standard for Chinese students.
  • Paragraph 4 of the 2007 notice also says that the list is a dynamic list, and that an expert group assesses whether a school meets the Interim Provisions, with the result published when the annual enrolment plan is issued.

This section uses paragraph 4 of the 2007 notice only, and nothing else from that notice.

What the 2018 standards expect in Chinese

The Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), issued by Ministry of Education notice 教外〔2018〕50号 dated 3 September 2018, are addressed to universities. The standards name levels of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards (《国际汉语能力标准》). They name no test and give no score, and this page does not convert these levels into any test or score.

Programme type Ability at entry Ability at graduation
Discipline taught in Chinese Chinese at least level 4 (section 1.2) Chinese at level 5 (language-ability section)
Discipline taught in a foreign language, undergraduate Foreign-language ability set out by the university in its entry standards (section 1.2) Chinese at least level 4 (language-ability section)
  • Section 1.2 says that the university shall set out in its entry standards the foreign-language ability required for a discipline taught in a foreign language.
  • The language-ability section says that, for master's and doctoral students in a foreign-language discipline, Chinese at graduation shall be at least level 3.
  • Section 1.2 names no level for foreign-language ability.

Articles 18 and 19 of Order No. 42

The Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法) are Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. Their promulgation text says they take effect from 1 July 2017.

  • Article 18 says that the common language and script of the People's Republic of China is the basic teaching language for universities training international students.
  • Article 18 says that a school may provide necessary remedial conditions for international students whose command of that language falls short of study requirements.
  • Article 19 says that a qualified university may offer professional courses taught in a foreign language to international students.
  • Article 19 says that, for international students in degree education taught in a foreign language, the thesis may be written in the corresponding foreign language, and the thesis abstract shall be in Chinese.
  • Article 19 says that the university decides whether the thesis defence uses a foreign language.

Which list to check

The 2023–2024 notice is the list this page uses. The Ministry's policy index (出国、来华留学政策文件) shows the annual list notices, and the date beside each title is the date the notice was put on the site. The 2023–2024 notice is listed under 2023-05-30. When this site read the index on 11 October 2026, the index listed no later edition. The reader should confirm the current year's status with the university and with the Ministry.

Questions people ask

Can a university that is not on the list enrol international students in English-taught MBBS?

Paragraph 2 of the 2023–2024 notice says that a university not on the list may not enrol international students in English-taught undergraduate clinical medicine. It also says that such a university may not award an English-version degree certificate for that programme (MBBS), or any English-version degree certificate containing the word "MBBS".

May a university that is not on the list enrol international students in a Chinese-taught medical programme?

Paragraph 2 of the 2023–2024 notice says that such a university may enrol students in Chinese-taught undergraduate clinical medicine, to a standard not lower than the standard for Chinese clinical medicine students. Paragraph 4 of the 2007 notice says that a school not on the list may enrol students in medical programmes taught in Chinese, and that the standard must be the same as for Chinese students.

What Chinese level do the 2018 standards expect at entry to a Chinese-taught programme?

Section 1.2 of the standards says that, for a discipline taught in Chinese, the Chinese ability at entry shall be at least level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards.

Is the 2023–2024 list still the current list?

The 2023–2024 notice is titled for the 2023–2024 academic year. The Ministry's policy index listed no later edition when this site read it on 11 October 2026, so the reader should confirm the current year's status with the university and the Ministry.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal, medical or professional-licensing advice, it is not published by the Ministry of Education or any other body named here, and it promises no admission, examination or registration outcome. The official text and the regulator's own instructions prevail if they differ.

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