First, the "bigger and stronger" major needs to optimize the training system.
In addition to extending the training time, it is also necessary to optimize the teaching staff, training mode, process management and process evaluation of master's degree, so that master's degree training can truly connect with the industry and cultivate high-quality talents needed by society.
Recently, the news that many schools have stopped enrolling academic masters has sparked heated discussions. A few days ago, Southwest University School of Economics and Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Northeast Forestry University and many other universities announced that they would no longer recruit some professional degree graduates. These majors cover engineering, management, agriculture and other disciplines.
In recent years, it is very common for academic masters to shrink or stop recruiting. Many majors have reduced the number of students enrolled by unified recruitment, and even only accept the way of exemption from examination or direct enrollment. At the same time, the enrollment ratio of professional masters, that is, specialized masters, has been expanding, and it has gradually become the main force of postgraduate enrollment.
Second, the enrollment scale continues to expand.
The Development Plan for Professional Degree Postgraduate Education (2020-2025) issued by the State Council Academic Degrees Committee and the Ministry of Education proposes that by 2025, a number of master's and doctor's degree categories will be added, focusing on major national strategies, key areas and major social needs, and the enrollment scale of master's degree graduates will be expanded to about two-thirds of the total enrollment scale, and the enrollment scale of doctor's degree graduates will be greatly increased.
"A considerable proportion of candidates want to study for a master's degree, and their motivation is employment-oriented, that is, to improve their competitiveness in the job market by obtaining a master's degree, rather than engaging in academic research. For them, a master's degree with shorter academic system, more practical teaching content and less difficult examination is a more ideal choice than a master's degree. " Dong Chang said.
Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, believes that the expansion of the enrollment scale of special students reflects social needs. There is an urgent need for senior talents in various professional fields, and there is no need to use "crowd tactics" to pile up theoretical research. In the process of graduate enrollment expansion, this demand is reflected in learning to master and narrow down, specializing in "expanding".
Third, improve the quality of training in many ways.
Although the enrollment scale of professional masters is expanding, there are still many problems in the cultivation of professional masters. "Some students want to study PhD and engage in academic research, but they are worried that they can't get a master's degree, so they ask me if I can get a master's degree without affecting my PhD. The more general question is whether the master's competitiveness in the job market will be worse than that of the master's. " Dong Chang said that these questions are asked many times every year, but there are no clear answers.
Chu Zhaohui pointed out that the change of teacher allocation or teaching mode in some universities may not keep up with the expansion of graduate enrollment, which is one of the practical problems to be solved urgently.