The directly affiliated unit of a university is a college or department, that is, a university consists of a college and some directly affiliated departments, and a department is a subordinate unit of a college. A department generally has to run one or more majors. Some universities also have branch schools.

Universities are generally deputy ministerial or bureau-level, and departments are department-level, but there is no level (department-level) below colleges.

For example, Shandong University has Weihai Branch and Qingdao Branch. Shandong University itself has schools such as School of Philosophy and Social Development, School of Economics, School of Literature and Journalism, and School of History and Culture. The College of History and Culture includes the Department of Secretary Archives, the Department of Cultural Industry Management and the Department of History. The history department has majors such as history, world history and archaeology.

At the same time, Weihai Branch has Korean College, Business School, Law School, School of Cultural Communication, School of Translation and so on.