Article 1

Degrees shall be conferred pursuant to the provisions of this Law.

Article 2

Degrees shall be divided into four different levels (associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctor’s degree). Associate degree shall be conferred by junior colleges and may be conferred by universities. Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctor’s degree shall be conferred by universities. Each junior college or university shall determine the names and levels of degrees it confers, and shall report these names to the Ministry of Education for review and recordation.

Article 2-1

An associate degree shall be awarded to any student in junior college or university division of junior college who completes with passing grades the required credits and the term of study as set forth in the law, including any required internship period.

Article 3

A bachelor’s degree shall be awarded to any student in university bachelor’s degree programs who completes with passing grades the required credits and the term of study as set forth in the law, including any required internship period.

Article 4

Separate bachelor's degrees may be awarded to university students with double majors who have completed the required credits in their first major department and their second major department.

Students shall not receive a separate degree for a minor.

Article 5

A bachelor's degree shall be awarded to any full-time student of the National Open University who completes with passing grades the term of study and the number of credits set forth in the National Open University Establishment Statute.

The requirement of the preceding paragraph concerning the conferral of bachelor's degrees shall apply retroactively to graduates who completed the number of credits required before the amendment to this Law was passed.

Article 5-1

An associate degree and a bachelor’s degree shall be awarded to any student in junior college or university division of supplementary education who completes with passing grades the required credits and the term of study as set forth in the law, including any required internship period.

Article 6

A master's degree shall be awarded to students in university graduate school master's degree programs who complete the required master's degree curriculum, submit a thesis, and pass review by a master's examination committee.

Graduate students enrolled in a master's degree program in fine arts or an applied science or technology may, in lieu of a master's thesis, submit a creative work or performance accompanied by a written report, or a technical report.

A master's examination committee shall be composed of three to five members screened and appointed by the university president.

Article 7

A graduate student enrolled in a doctoral program may be recognized as a doctoral candidate if he/she meets the following conditions:

1. has completed the required doctoral coursework; and

2. has passed the doctoral candidacy examination.

A doctoral candidate who submits a dissertation and passes a review by a doctoral examination committee shall be awarded a doctoral degree.

The doctoral examination committee referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be composed of five to nine members screened and appointed by the university president.

Article 7-1

Each university shall adopt its own rules setting forth what examinations students must pass in order to obtain a master's or doctoral degree. These rules shall be reported to the Ministry of Education for recordation.

Article 7-2

In the event that a university confers a degree to a student who is found upon investigation to have committed plagiary or used fraudulent means in preparing a thesis, dissertation, work of art, performance, written report, or technical report, the university shall revoke the degree and issue a public notice to announce the invalidation of the previously issued diploma. Other legal infractions shall be dealt with in

accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Article 7-3

Under any of the following circumstances, a fine between NT$ 200,000 and NT$ 1,000,000 shall be imposed upon the offender. Whereas, the offense is repetitious, the punishment may be consecutively imposed for each violation:

1.      soliciting through advertisement, oral request, broadcasts or other measures to hire a ghost writer for a dissertation/thesis, paper, technical report, or work of art or performance.

2.      ghostwriting or providing materials for plagiarizing the dissertation/thesis, paper, technical report or work of art or performance through oral, photocopying or other deceptive measures.

The preceding punishment specified in the first item shall be executed by the Ministry of Education; the second item by the respective school competent authority.

Article 8

Doctoral dissertations and master's theses shall be prepared in any of various formats (including printed documents, videotapes, audio tapes, and compact discs) and entered into the collection of the National Central Library.

Article 9

A graduate student enrolled in a master's program who has studied in the program for one year or longer, achieved superior performance, and obtained the recommendation of a graduate school professor, may advance directly to a doctoral degree program, provided that such advancement is approved by the graduate school council, endorsed by the university president, and reported to the Ministry of Education for recordation.

In the event a graduate student undergoes the process described in the preceding paragraph but fails to pass the doctoral candidacy examination, he or she may return to the master's program, provided that the return is approved by the graduate school council and endorsed by the university president.

In the event a graduate student undergoes the process described in the first paragraph and succeeds in passing the doctoral candidacy examination but not the doctoral examination, he or she may be awarded a master's degree if the doctoral examination committee determines that his/her work meets the standards for a master's degree.

Article 10

Any person who has obtained a bachelor's degree after graduating from a department with a term of study of six years or longer and undergone two or more years of professional training may (after submitting a professional research paper equivalent to a master's thesis, passing a doctoral program entrance examination, and studying for the doctoral degree) be awarded a doctoral degree in accordance with the provisions of Article 7.

Article 11

In addition to having performed research specifically related to the subject matter of the thesis, work of art, performance, or technical report submitted by the master's degree candidate, each member of a master's examination committee shall possess one of the following qualifications:

1. have served as a professor or associate professor;

2. be a member of Academia Sinica, or have served as a research fellow or associate research fellow at Academia Sinica;

3. hold a doctoral degree and have achieved significant academic accomplishments; or

4. have expertise in an unusual or special academic subject and have achieved significant academic or professional accomplishments.

Criteria for recognition of the qualifications listed in subparagraphs 3 and 4 of the preceding paragraph shall be determined separately by each department (graduate school) council.

Article 12

In addition to having performed research specifically related to the subject matter of the dissertation, work of art, performance, or technical report submitted by a doctoral degree candidate, each member of a doctoral examination committee shall possess one of the following qualifications:

1. have served as a professor;

2. be a member of Academia Sinica, or have served as a research fellow at Academia Sinica;

3. have served as an associate professor or be an associate research fellow at Academia Sinica, and have achieved significant academic accomplishments;

4. hold a doctoral degree and have achieved significant academic accomplishments; or

5. have expertise in an unusual or special academic subject and have achieved significant academic or professional accomplishments.

Criteria for recognition of the qualifications listed in subparagraphs 3 to 5 of the preceding paragraph shall be determined separately by each department (or graduate school) council.

Article 13

A military or police academy shall award degrees to students who meet the degree conferral standards set forth in this Law and related education regulations.

Article 14

An ROC citizen or foreign national meeting any one of the following conditions may be a candidate for an honorary doctoral degree:

1. has achieved outstanding academic or professional accomplishments or contributions that benefit mankind; or

2. has made an important contribution to culture, academic exchange, or world peace.

Article 15

Universities may confer honorary doctoral degrees in subject areas where they have a doctoral program. An honorary doctoral degree review committee established by the university must approve such a degree, which upon conferral shall be reported to the Ministry of Education for recordation.

The review committee referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be chaired by the university president, and its membership shall be composed of five to seven members, including: the dean of academic affairs; the dean of the relevant college, graduate school, and department; and faculty representatives.

Article 16

The enforcement rules for this Law shall be prescribed by the Ministry of Education.

Article 17

This Law shall enter into effect from the date of promulgation. Articles related to associate degree conferral amended on June 4, 2004 should enter into effect on January 16, 2004.