Chinese universities add 29 new undergraduate majors

China has added 29 new undergraduate majors in its latest university discipline reshuffle, aiming to respond rapidly to the national strategic needs and high-quality development, according to the Ministry of Education.

In the 2024 undergraduate major approval and adjustment results released on Tuesday, universities nationwide added 1,839 new undergraduate programs while suspending enrollment in 2,220 programs and phasing out 1,428 others. Additionally, 157 existing programs have undergone modifications in degree categories or study durations.

The ministry releases the reshuffle every year and the latest one marks a more drastic change in undergraduate majors, it said.

Among the 29 newly added majors, it added the ones that serve national strategy, such as regional and country studies, carbon neutrality science and engineering, marine science and technology, and health and medical security.

It has also included the ones focusing on technological frontiers, such as intelligent molecular engineering, medical device and equipment engineering, and spatiotemporal information engineering.

Majors meeting market demand, such as international cruise management and aeronautical sports, as well as AI-integrated disciplines such as AI education, smart audiovisual engineering, and digital theater have been introduced.

For the first time, the ministry has implemented an "emergency mechanism" for strategically critical disciplines, creating a "green channel" for rapid approval of programs tied to urgent national priorities. For example, six universities, including Beihang University in Beijing, have added low-altitude technology and engineering programs to support China's burgeoning low-altitude economy.

With China's higher education system now offering 62,800 undergraduate programs, the ministry has emphasized strengthening alignment between academic planning and employment trends.