Discipline categories and first-level disciplines: how China classifies university subjects
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
Discipline categories (学科门类) are the top level of the graduate discipline catalogue, and first-level disciplines (一级学科) are the more detailed level beneath them. Paragraph 1 of the catalogue's explanatory notes says the catalogue is the basic basis for degree authorisation review, discipline management, degree awarding and training, discipline construction, education statistics and employment guidance. This page explains the levels, their codes and how the Double First-Class annex relates to them; for the institutions themselves, see this directory's section page.
What the 2022 catalogue is
The catalogue is the Graduate Education Discipline and Programme Catalogue (2022) (研究生教育学科专业目录（2022年）), issued by notice 学位〔2022〕15号 of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee and the Ministry of Education. Paragraph 2 of the explanatory notes says it was compiled on the basis of the earlier Degree Awarding and Talent Training Discipline Catalogue, issued in 2011 and revised in 2018.
The implementation section of the notice says:
- Item 1 (一): the new catalogue applies from 2023.
- Item 2 (二): existing doctoral and master's degree-granting points that need to adjust under the new catalogue will follow a separate notice on the adjustment method.
- Item 3 (三): the new round of graduate admission and training that starts in the second half of 2023 follows the new catalogue, according to the adjustment results. Training for students already enrolled, and for students whose recruitment started in 2022 and who enter in September 2023, still follows the original disciplines.
Discipline categories and their codes
The catalogue lists 14 discipline categories. The table gives the Chinese name as printed in the catalogue and an English rendering by this directory.
| Code | Discipline category (Chinese) | English (this directory's rendering) |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 哲学 | Philosophy |
| 02 | 经济学 | Economics |
| 03 | 法学 | Law |
| 04 | 教育学 | Education |
| 05 | 文学 | Literature |
| 06 | 历史学 | History |
| 07 | 理学 | Natural sciences |
| 08 | 工学 | Engineering |
| 09 | 农学 | Agriculture |
| 10 | 医学 | Medicine |
| 11 | 军事学 | Military science |
| 12 | 管理学 | Management |
| 13 | 艺术学 | Arts |
| 14 | 交叉学科 | Interdisciplinary |
Paragraph 3 of the explanatory notes sets the code lengths. Discipline categories have two-digit codes. First-level disciplines and professional degree categories have four-digit codes, and a four-digit code whose third digit is 5 or higher marks a professional degree category.
Paragraph 4 says that, except for the interdisciplinary category, each first-level discipline is awarded under the discipline category it belongs to.
Paragraph 6 says that some first-level disciplines are marked as able to award degrees in more than one category. For these, the degree committee of the awarding institution decides which category applies. The catalogue marks 0712 History of Science and Technology (科学技术史) as able to award degrees in science, engineering, agriculture or medicine (理学、工学、农学、医学).
Professional degree categories
Paragraph 5 of the explanatory notes says a professional degree category is awarded by its name. A name followed by an asterisk (*) may be awarded only as a professional master's degree. Names without an asterisk may be awarded as professional master's or professional doctoral degrees.
For example, 0351 法律 (law) carries no asterisk, while 0353 警务* (police affairs) does. The English names here are this directory's renderings.
The Double First-Class annex and discipline categories
The annex is titled 第二轮“双一流”建设高校及建设学科名单（按学校代码排序）. It is annex 1 to 教研函〔2022〕1号, dated 9 February 2022, and its title says it is ordered by school code. The annex is in Chinese and prints no English names.
Counting the entries of the annex, this site found:
- 147 institutions named in the annex.
- Two institutions with no disciplines printed.
- 433 discipline entries across the other 145 institutions.
- 97 different discipline names.
The annex itself prints no categories. The table groups the annex's discipline entries under the categories of the 2022 catalogue, counting the entries of the annex. These are this site's counts.
| Discipline category (counted by this site) | Discipline names (counted) | Discipline entries (counted) |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | 1 | 6 |
| Economics | 2 | 11 |
| Law and social sciences | 6 | 17 |
| Education | 3 | 9 |
| Literature and languages | 3 | 15 |
| History | 3 | 7 |
| Natural sciences | 14 | 93 |
| Engineering | 36 | 179 |
| Agriculture | 9 | 25 |
| Medicine | 9 | 43 |
| Management | 5 | 16 |
| Arts | 5 | 11 |
| Interdisciplinary | 1 | 1 |
These counts describe how many discipline names and entries fall under each category. They are not a quality score, and they do not rank institutions or categories.
The annex is a list of institutions and their construction disciplines. Being on the annex does not show that an institution enrols international students in any programme. For an institution's own programmes and entry requirements, read its own admission prospectus.
About names and translations
The English names of disciplines and categories on this page are this directory's renderings. The official lists are in Chinese. The English is this site's translation of the Chinese text. Confirm any institution or discipline against the current official list before you rely on it.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a discipline category and a first-level discipline?
Paragraph 3 of the explanatory notes gives two-digit codes for discipline categories and four-digit codes for first-level disciplines and professional degree categories. Paragraph 4 says each first-level discipline, except the interdisciplinary category, is awarded under the discipline category it belongs to.
Why does the catalogue use these levels?
Paragraph 1 of the explanatory notes says the catalogue is the basic basis for degree authorisation review, discipline management, degree awarding and training, discipline construction, education statistics and employment guidance. The text gives these uses and does not give further reasons.
What does an asterisk after a professional degree category name mean?
Paragraph 5 of the explanatory notes says a name followed by an asterisk may be awarded only as a professional master's degree. Other professional degree category names may be awarded as professional master's or professional doctoral degrees.
Sources
- Graduate Education Discipline and Programme Catalogue (2022) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
- List of second-round 'Double First-Class' construction universities and disciplines — Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and National Development and Reform Commission
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by the Ministry of Education or any university, and it promises no admission outcome. The official Chinese text and the current official list prevail if they differ.