The diploma of Shanghai Open University can be used to find a job, take an examination of civil servants, take an examination of graduate students and so on. Diploma countries recognize that it can be found on China Higher Education Student Information Network (Xuexin.com), and it enjoys the same use effect as the degree of unified enrollment.

When looking for a job, the degree of Shanghai Open University is recognized by most enterprises, especially some foreign companies that pay more attention to self-study ability. However, there are also some enterprises with low recognition, such as state-owned enterprises or institutions, which generally require higher academic qualifications and require full-time academic qualifications.