Many double-first-class colleges and universities have stopped recruiting master's students, and netizens said that it will be more difficult to find employment
In 2024, the national graduate enrollment will be greatly changed: academic master's degree will be cut, and professional master's degree will become the mainstream".
Educational thinking. Recently, a blockbuster news shook the entire education sector and the majority of candidates - according to the "2024 National Graduate Enrollment Survey Report", many "double first-class" universities in China announced that they would cancel some academic master's (master's) enrollment plans and increase the enrollment of professional master's (master's) in turn. This policy adjustment has not only aroused widespread attention and discussion among the education circles and candidates, but also triggered profound thinking about the development direction of China's higher education.
First of all, this policy adjustment reflects the importance that the education sector attaches to market demand and practical application. In today's society, with the continuous progress of science and technology and the rapid development of the economy, there is an increasing demand for professional talents in all walks of life. The professional master's degree is application-oriented, focusing on cultivating students' professional skills and practical ability, which can better meet the market demand. Therefore, the cancellation of some academic master's enrollment plans and the increase of professional master's enrollment are undoubtedly a positive response to market demand.
Second, this policy adjustment is conducive to optimizing the structure of graduate education and improving the quality of talent training. Academic master's degrees focus more on academic research and theory**, while professional master's degrees focus more on practical application and vocational skills development. By adjusting the enrollment plan, colleges and universities can better balance the relationship between academic research and practical application, make graduate education closer to the needs of society, and improve the pertinence and effectiveness of talent training. At the same time, it will also help to solve the current problems of difficulty in the employment of academic masters, and the disconnection between what they have learned and what they use.
However, this policy adjustment also faces some challenges and doubts. On the one hand, some students and parents may be concerned that the academic level and teaching quality of professional masters are not as good as those of academic masters. In fact, whether it is an academic master's degree or a professional master's degree, the quality of teaching and academic level depend on the actual situation of each university and teacher. Therefore, colleges and universities need to strengthen the quality supervision and evaluation of professional master's education to ensure that its teaching quality and academic standards meet the due standards.
On the other hand, the increase in the enrollment plan for professional master's programs also means that the competition will be more intense. At present, the postgraduate entrance examination has been quite intense, and after the cancellation of the academic master's admission plan, candidates will face more severe competitive pressure. For candidates, in addition to preparing solid professional knowledge, they also need to pay attention to improving their comprehensive quality and practical ability. At the same time, universities also need to continuously improve the graduate student enrollment system to ensure fairness and justice, and avoid unfair competition and corruption.
In addition, universities need to think carefully about how to balance academic research and practical application. While the academic master's degree focuses on academic research and theory**, practical application and vocational skills development are equally important. Colleges and universities should encourage students to pay attention to practical application issues in academic research, closely integrate theoretical research with practical needs, and improve the conversion rate and practical application value of research results. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to cultivating students' innovative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit, and encourage them to actively participate in the practice of innovation and entrepreneurship.
To sum up, the policy adjustment of colleges and universities to cancel some academic master's enrollment plans and increase professional master's enrollment revealed in the 2024 National Graduate Enrollment Survey Report is an inevitable trend in the development of higher education in China. This adjustment will help optimize the structure of graduate education, improve the quality of personnel training, and meet market demand. Of course, there are also many challenges and doubts in this process, which requires the joint efforts of universities, students, parents and all parties in society to promote the healthy and sustainable development of China's higher education.