Study @RUC

Degree-Seeking Students

1. Academic Schedule

There are three academic semesters. They are fall semester, spring semester, and summer term. Usually there are 19 weeks in one semester, and the last two weeks are the finals week. The fall semester starts usually starts from September 10th, and the spring semester usually starts in the mid-February. The summer term lasts from the beginning of July to the end of July.

The summer holiday starts from the late July, and it’s usually four weeks. The winter break takes place varies yearly as this school break is determined by the date of the Chinese New Year, which is regulated by the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. The winter break usually lasts for four weeks; it extends from ten days before the actual day of the Chinese New Year to ten days after it.

For more details regarding the academic schedule, please refer to the university’s academic calendar at: http://jiaowu.ruc.edu.cn/more.php?cid=236

2. Designated Duration of Study

The Undergraduate Students are given a time limit of 4 years to complete their studies; 2-3 years for Graduate Students (depending on the student’s field of specialization/major); 4 years for Doctorate/Post Graduate Students.

Students can extend their designated duration of study. Undergraduate Students may extend the duration of their studies for up to a maximum of 6 years; 4 years for Graduate Students and 6 years for Post Graduate Students. For more details please visit Office of Academic Affairs and Graduate School websites.

3. Classes, Credits and Graduation Requirements

After registering, international students are advised to find out about their programs’ required courses and the total number of units that they must complete in order to graduate. All international students share the same classes and graduation requirements as the native Chinese students.

Generally, there are two types of courses, compulsory courses and elective courses.

Compulsory Courses are the courses that have been determined by the students’ program, which students must complete in order to fulfill their programs’ graduation requirement. The Compulsory Courses includes major courses, general education courses and the core courses of the students’ respective major.

Elective Courses are the courses which students are free to choose and enroll according to their personal interests. Every school has different requirement. Keep in mind that you must choose enough units of elective courses during each academic semester. Students are advised to arrange appointments with a course administrator from their program who can help them with their course selection. A course administrator or education secretary from your school will have the information you need to draft an effective plan for studying your courses and also for fulfilling you degree/graduation requirements.

Graduation Requirements for Undergraduate Students: students must complete the required credits of your major and the thesis/graduation project. The number of units required for most undergraduate programs is 140 credits. Students can check with the courses administrator or education secretary in related schools.

Graduation Requirements for graduate Students: students must complete the required credits of your major and the thesis/graduation project. Students must finish the thesis under the supervision of their academic advisors. For course selection, please check with education secretary in related schools.

4. Registration and Course Enrollment

All students have to register on their designated day of registration. Continuing Undergraduate, Graduate and Post-Graduate Students are to register through VRUC.

Students must register on their own. Students must have already paid their tuition fees prior to their registration. Students are not eligible to register if the records show that their tuition fees have not been paid in full.

If a student cannot register on his/her designated time of registration, he/she is required to apply for a leave of absence in advance. For those who failed to register on time and did not apply for a leave of absence, their absence will be recorded as an act of truancy or an unexcused absence in their attendance record. Students who have not register two weeks after their designated day of registration will be dismissed from the university.

Students can visit the flowing website for more information on course enrollment

Office of academic affairs: http://jiaowu.ruc.edu.cn

VRUC：http://portal.ruc.edu.cn

Usually, the 16th and 17th week of each semester are the course enrollment period. Students can log on to their portal to enroll courses. The 1st and 2nd week of each new semester is the try-our period, students can go listen to different courses, add/drop courses.

For detailed information, please check the information of Office of Academic Affairs.

Students can add/drop courses through their portal. Students must confirm their courses enrollment, otherwise, they might not be able to earn the credits.

5. Attendance and Excused Absence

(1) Attendance

Students’ attendance is taken and recorded for all lectures, tests, examinations and other forms of academic activities that take place. If a student should miss any of the above academic activities, he or she must apply for an approval for excused absences in advance. Unexcused absences are considered as acts of truancy.

Students will take holidays off in summer break, winter break and other Chinese holidays. Students will not take days off in their own national holidays. If students must take those days off, the prior permission must be obtained. The maximum three days will be given, and no more than twice per year.

Students who have been absent for a third (or more) of the total number of a course’s classes are not eligible to sit for the final exam for that particular course. Furthermore, these students will receive a zero grade for that particular course.

(2) Excused Absences

All International Students must seek approval from the Division for International Students Office in order to obtain an excused absence. Students must have eligible reasons for missing classes and the activities that they will be involved in during their absence.

a. Obtain the “Excused Absence Form” from International Students Office first, get the approval from related department/school. (the Excused Absence Form can be download from the iso.ruc.edu.cn)

b. The Excused Absence Form must be signed and stamped at related department/school.

c. Students must then presented the copy of the Excused Absence Form to International Students Office, the Form will be recorded as unexcused absences in their attendance record.

(3) Excused Absences due to Illness: if students cannot attend the class due to their sickness, they must obtain a doctor’s note to justify that illness was the cause of their absence. The sick leave (excused absences due to illness) will only be considered as valid after the leave have been approved by their course administrator and the Division of International Students Office.

(4) Excused Absences due to personal reasons: if students cannot attend class due to their personal reasons, must obtain the approval from their department/school. The graduate students, senior visiting students must also get the approval from their academic advisors. If the prior approval cannot be obtained due to the emergency, the late approval must be given.

(5) Degree students who are applying for sick leaves that exceed two months are recommended to return to their home country to receive medical treatment. Students may resume their studies after they have recovered their health. When they return to school after they have recovered, they will need to provide the university with a doctor’s note to clarify the conditions of their illness. Students who continue to remain ill after their break are recommended to withdraw from the university.

(6) Graduate and Undergraduate Students who have accumulated a number of excused absences that exceeds a third of the academic semester (and who did not apply to take time off their studies) will be asked to withdraw from the university. Students should make up their courses on their own.

6. Examination and Grades

International students must sit for all the quizzes and exams of their courses. If they should miss an exam/quiz, they must get the approval from their department/school in advance. The department/school will arrange a replacement test/make-up quiz. Students who are not given prior permission to miss an exam/quiz will receive a zero grade for that particular exam/quiz which they have missed.

If students want to apply for exempt courses, they must file the application one semester ahead of time to the department/school and get the approval accordingly.

Grades: All the examination grades are given in the form of percentages. The passing grade is 60%. The non-compulsory examination grades are given as pass or not pass. All grades will be accounted for the students’ academic units. Grades allocated for classroom participation and performance, homework, quizzes and midterm exams are counted towards the students’ cumulative final grade. Please keep in mind that the grade you receive for your final exam only makes up a part of your final grade.

The calculation of the percentage and grades is listed below

The second year students who have failed more than 60% units of all courses will be advised to dismiss from the university.

Undergraduate students who have more than 20 credits of failed courses in compulsory major courses and minor courses are not eligible to receive a Bachelor’s Degree from the university.

Undergraduate students who have failed 8 or more than 8 courses in compulsory major course, or

minor courses will not be granted the bachelor’s degree.

7. Changes in programs and duration of study

All the international students can file the application to change their study programs and/or duration of their study. The application must be approved by their related department/school, the office of Student Affairs, etc. The application time are May 15 to June 15, or November 15 to December 15

8. Graduation, Completion of Program & Degree

The undergraduate students will be given the Certificate of Graduation as well as the Bachelor’s, Degree after they have successfully completed their program and have fulfilled their graduation requirements.

The graduate students will be given the Certificate of Graduation as well as the Master’s or Doctoral degree after they have successfully completed their program and have fulfilled their graduation requirements.

Undergraduate Students who have not fulfilled their programs’ academic requirements by the end of their study period will only receive a Certificate of Completion of Studies (毕业证书). The same applies to Graduate Students who failed to defend their thesis.

9. Awards and Penalties

(1) Students who have been abiding by the university’s Academic Code of Honor and have displayed academic excellence will be presented with commendations and awards from the university.

(2) Students who have disobeyed the university’s Academic Code of Honor, committed truancy, vandalism, got involved in physical fights and have conducted other forms of unfavorable acts will be given a warning, reprimanded, blacklisted, put under close observation, suspended or expelled, depending on the severity of their offenses. For the students who have been put under the university’s close observation, their punishment will be lifted if they show signs of improvements within a year. Students who do not display any sign of improvement within the given time limit will be dismissed from the university. Students ‘parents, together with their country’s embassy or its representative organizations (in China) will be informed about the charges and the punishments that have been placed on the students if the severity of their offences require so.

(3) If an international student has committed a crime/an illegal act, the Chinese Public Security Administration will take charge in handling his/her offense and he/she will be perpetrated according to the Chinese Law. In addition, the university will charge the student with the appropriate punishments.

(4) According to the regulations and laws in public places, smoking is forbidden in dorms, canteens, classrooms (including the corridors and hallways).

10. Documents and Certificates

All the pertinent documents are given to students by related university units. Those documents justify your status as a student at Renmin University of China. To apply for the pertinent documents, you must follow the appropriate procedures and provide the university with the required documents. Students must provide the university with the original copy of the required documents. These documents must not be forged or damaged. Students with damaged or forged documents will face persecution by the Chinese Law and university regulations.

(1) Student card

International students will get the student card in one to two weeks after officially registered with university.

Undergraduate and graduate students’ student cards will be given by the Office of Student Affairs. Students should register with the university in their related department/school at the beginning of each semester. In case the card was lost, students can go to the Office of Student Affairs to get a new one. The Office is located in room 609, North Canteen.

The student card is the important identification of the students. The card cannot be forged or damaged or borrowed to others. If you have misplaced your student ID, please get a new one as soon as possible.

(2) ONEcard

ONEcard is one of the important identification. You can use your ONEcard to eat in canteens, use library, registration, pay for the internet, etc. Please keep the card safely. If you have lost your ONEcard, please get a new one at IT Service center.

(3) Certificate of Study

Degree students may apply for a Certificate of Study 在学证明 at the Office of Student Affairs. Students may request for their Certificate of Study in Chinese or English. Student can go to room 609, North Canteen, to get the certificate.

(4) Transcript

All students will be issued with a transcript upon their graduation/completion of their study.

If you need more copies of your transcript, please follow the instructions in related department/schools.

11.Leaving the University

Graduating International Students are required to finish all the following procedures before leaving the university.

(1) Pay all the fees and due fines, settle all financial affairs with the university’s registrar (if applicable).

(2) Return the borrowed books to the Library.

(3) If you live on campus, check out from your student residence.

(4) Undergraduate and graduate students may obtain their certificate and degree from your own department/schools.

(5) All international students must leave the university within 10 days after their graduation or the completion of their program.