Regulations on administration of undergraduate international student status at Beijing Normal University
Time :2016-05-11

I.   ENROLLMENT AND REGISTRATION

1.   According to the regulations of the international undergraduate students’ enrollment of Beijing Normal University (hereinafter referred as BNU), students who are admitted by BNU shall register and pay the tuition at the stipulated time with their passport and admission notice. Those who can not register on time shall ask for a leave to International Students Office. Those who register two weeks after the due date (including two weeks), except due to force majeure or any incidents which BNU approves, will be considered as automatically canceling the qualification of enrollment.

2.   If a student obtains admission status by practicing fraud, once being checked and verified, the qualification of his enrolment will be canceled.

3.   Students shall refer "Foreigner's Physical Examination Record" from the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau or shall take the physical examination in China arranged by the Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. Those who have the diseases that are not accepted by relevant rules shall leave China immediately and their admission qualification can be reserved for one year.

  •    Students who apply to maintain admission qualification shall fill in "Application Form of Admission Qualification Maintenance for International Students at BNU". This form shall be verified and approved by the departments (institutes and schools), Teaching Affairs Office, International Students Office.
  •    Students who reserve their admission qualification maintenance, shall go through formalities of school departure and leave school within the stipulated date (generally two weeks) after receiving the school notice. Those who do not leave school on schedule are not allowed to reserve the admission qualification.
  •    Students who reserve admission qualification do not have student status. If they want to register again, they shall refer "Application Form of Registration of International Student at BNU" and hospital recovery diagnosis to the International Students Office the first three months before new semester starts. Students can return to China again after being verified by the departments (institutes and schools), the Teaching Affairs Office, and the International Students Office. Students can register again after taking the physical examination by the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.
  •    Students who are re-admitted by BNU shall go through formalities of registration at the same time as the new students do. The admission qualification of the students will be canceled if they don’t accord with BNU’s enrollment requirement or they register beyond the stipulated time..


4.   International students shall go through formalities of registering with a general passport and student visa. Their admission qualification can be canceled if they hold other kinds of passport or visa and do not change it within two weeks after registration,

5.   Students who have already obtained the student status shall go to BNU to register with their passport and student identity card, and then pay the tuition at the beginning of each term. Those who are not qualified to register or do not pay the tuition will not be allowed to register.

  •    Students who can not register on schedule shall notify the International Students Office and suspend the registration formalities. The admission qualification can be canceled if students do not register within two weeks and have no reasonable excuse.
  •    The requirement for registration of students at school: Finish courses in the teaching plan, go through all of the registration formalities and pay tuition on schedule.


6.   Students who do not register can not enjoy the treatment of students at BNU.

II.   DURATION

1.   The study duration for undergraduate students is 4 years. The duration of suspension shall not be counted within the schooling time.

2.   Students may break-up their studies however students are not normally allowed to take more than the maximum period of time, that is to say six years. Time is counted from the first day of enrollment in the first year. Exceptions may be given for this rule.

3.   About the transfer undergraduate: The study duration for those students is 3 years, and they will study at BNU for at least two and a half years

4.   Those accepted as undergraduate probation students are on probation for the first term and should study according to the undergraduate training regime, including paying the standard undergraduate fees nevertheless during that time the student does not have undergraduate status. Probation students must then enter the undergraduate enrollment exam the following year, with those who pass being admitted. Credit taken during probation is recognized. If a probation student is not admitted as an undergraduate they are given the title of preparatory student and no fee shall be returned.  

5.   Students who finish all the courses according to the "BNU Teaching Plans for Undergraduate Programs" and other academic activities (hereinafter referred to as “course”) ahead of time can apply for an earlier graduation; besides, they shall pay 4 years' tuition.

6.   Students who apply to graduate early shall apply at the end of the fifth semester. Transfer undergraduates shall apply at the end of the fourth term. The applicants who are approved to graduate ahead of time are listed in the graduating grade. Those not meeting graduation requirements in time shall have their studies terminated and shall leave.

7.   In case a student cannot graduate in time, the duration can be prolonged, but no more than 2 years. During the prolonged academic year(s), students pay the tuition according to the tuition standard for prolonged duration for international students.

III.   CURRICULUM

1.   Students shall take courses according to the requests of the "BNU Teaching Plans for Undergraduate Programs". According to the characteristic of international students, the plans are adjusted as follows:

(1)   International students are exempted from the following courses: Marxist Philosophical Theory, Marxist Theory of Political Economics, Mao Moral Education, Deng Xiaoping Theory and "The Three Represents", Moral Education, Basic Law, Military Training and Theory, Physical Education, College Foreign Language and some comprehensive courses.  

(2)   "A Survey of China" is a compulsory course.

(3)   Students whose major are Chinese in the College of Chinese Language and Culture are required to take courses in their second foreign languages. Those students who show potential can consult with their department, the Education Department or the International Student Office in order to skip a year. Decisions on skipping a year will be taken on consideration of class scores.

2.   The departments (institutes and schools) can adjust the compositions of the compulsory course and elective course credits according to the general situation of the international students, but the total credits shall not be changed. The adjusted credits cannot exceed 10% of the credits which is required by graduation; besides, the departments (institutes and schools) shall refer the scheme to the Teaching Affairs Office for approval.

Double-BA-Degree courses in different departments and schools are available to international students. Students can choose relevant courses according to the “BNU Regulations of minor course and Double-BA-Degree courses”, and shall pay the tuition according to the tuition standard for international students. The study period cannot exceed the duration of the normal schooling.

3.   Students shall go through formalities of courses registration within the stipulated date. Those who do not register for courses cannot participate in classes or examinations and their grades will not count.

Once a class has been selected it must be taken and students may only quit a class under special circumstances and after going through the relevant procedures. Should the procedures not be followed and the student does not attend then the case shall be treated as one of unauthorized absence from class.

If students have missed more than 1/3 hours' classes (included) in one semester, their qualification to take the exam will be canceled, and the score of the examination will be "0" (fail). Those who do not take the examination or do not hand in papers without any reasonable excuse will be considered as automatically quitting the examination and the score of the examination will be "0" (fail).

4.   Students shall obey the discipline of studying. Students are not allowed to arrive late, or leave classes early. Those who cannot take the courses and academic activities because of illness or other reasons shall go through formalities of asking for leave in advance. Otherwise they will receive punishments according to the Student Disciplinary Regulations of Beijing Normal University.

   Students who ask for leave within three days shall approved by their homeroom teacher; students who ask for leave within one week shall approved by the supervisor of their school/college; students who ask for a leave more than one week (included) shall fill in the form of “Asking for Leave of the International Students of BNU" and approved by ISP; students who ask for a leave more than two weeks shall fill in the form of “Asking for Leave of the International Students of BNU" and approved by ISO, besides, they shall get approved by the Head leader’s Office of BNU.  

   Those who ask for leave because of illness shall offer the diagnosis by a hospital designated by the university. Students shall report on time when the leave date expires.

   Those who have already finished their absence need to report the resumption from their leave. Those who cannot return to school on schedule shall hand in the application again. When they return to school they need to report the resumption of their leave to ISO, homeroom teacher or the supervisor of their school/college.

IV.   EVALUATIONS AND RECORD OF EVALUATIONS

1.   Students shall attend the examinations according to the required curriculum of the teaching plan. Evaluation results shall be recorded in transcripts and shall be filed.

2.   Evaluations can be categorized into score-evaluation and grade-evaluation.

The result of score-evaluation courses is the overall evaluation of in-term assignments and final examinations, which is marked in percentage points (100 points). Students shall get the credits for the courses with a result of 60 points and above.

The result of grade-evaluation courses is either the overall evaluation of in-term assignments, or the result of final examinations, or the overall evaluation of in-term assignments and final examinations. The result is marked by grades. Students shall get the credits of the courses with the result of Qualified or Pass or above.

3.   The students’ academic results are marked by GPA.

GP = credits × marks

GPA = Σ (credits × marks) / Σ credits

4.   If they have failed any compulsory courses, students shall re-take the courses. If they have failed any elective courses, students shall either re-take the courses or choose another elective course rather than the failed one. Courses that have been passed cannot apply for this “re-take” policy. The result of the re-take courses shall be marked with “re-take”.

5.   Students shall submit an application in advance to their schools if they are not able to attend the examinations of a course due to sickness or other special reasons. The deferment of the examinations shall be approved by their schools. Application for deferment due to sickness shall be attached with the diagnosis by a hospital designated by the university. The course shall be marked with “deferred”. Students approved for deferment in examination shall re-enroll in the course and take the examination at the end of the next semester. Incompletion in the examination before graduation will have the course marked as “0” or “Fail”. Being absent from an examination without approval will have the course marked as “0” or “Fail”.

6.   Violation of regulations in the examination or cheating in the examination will have the course marked as “0” or “Fail”. Cheating in the examination will furthermore have the course marked with “cheating”. Punishment will apply as the case may be.

V.   EXEMPTION

1.   Students who have a strong capacity of learning by themselves, who achieve excellence in assignments, or who have studied relevant courses may be eligible to apply for exemption from a particular course. The application for exemption will be approved on the basis of distinction in the examination. The result of the examination will be recorded as the result of the course.

The dissertation will not be subject to exemption.

2.   Re-taking one course may result in class-clash with other courses. Students shall apply for exemption of on-site study of the clashed class if the clashed hours are less than half of the total credit hours. Students shall submit the application to the Service Center for Teaching after the approval of the lecturer, the school and the Teaching Affairs Office respectively. Students approved for exemption will get the credits for the course on the basis of the completion of the assignments and examinations.

VI.   PROGRAM SWITCH

1.   International students are supposed to finish their program of enrolment. A program switch may be applied to the following:

(1)   Students are unable to finish the original program due to certain diseases diagnosed by hospital after enrolment but are eligible to study another program.

(2)   Students are unable to finish the original program due to uncontrollable difficulties but are eligible to study another program.

2.   First semester international students for undergraduate programs may apply to switch programs by filling in the “Application Form for Status Transferring” within the first two weeks of the semester. Application fees shall be re-paid. Applications shall be submitted to the school, the Teaching Affairs Office and the International Students Office respectively for approval.

3.   International students, who have finished at least one semester of study and have passed all the required course evaluations and have met the entry requirements of the target school, may apply for a program switch in the second semester of the academic year. Application fees shall be re-paid. Applications shall be submitted to the target school, the Teaching Affairs Office and the International Students Office respectively for approval. Students approved for a program switch will be transferred into the target school in the next semester. The academic results of courses in the original program will be recorded in the transcript. The credits of courses in the original program will be transferred based on the teaching plan of the target school and relevant regulations of the university.

4.   Students are not eligible to apply for program switch due to any of the following:

(1)   Have already switched program.

(2)   Have suspended their schooling

(3)   Have been expellable

(4)   Have been studying under international exchange programs at national level or university level.

(5)   Have any other clear reason at the time of enrollment why program switch would not be possible.

5.   The school shall take into account societal needs and upon the student’s agreement shall make course adjustments.

6.   All program changes must be made in accordance with MOE of the PRC regulations.

VII.   SUSPENSION AND RESUMING OF STUDY

1.   Normally students shall pursue and finish their studies continuously. Students who cannot continue their studies due to special reasons may apply for suspension of study.

2.   Students planning to suspend their study must meet at least one of the following criteria:

A)   Illness that has been classified serious enough to warrant hospitalization for more than two months.

B)   Accumulation of more than one month’s absence from school.

C)   Any other reason given by the school for suspension of studies.

3.   Students who plan to suspend their studies must submit the “Application Form for Status Transferring” to their respective schools or departments. Fee-paying students shall apply to their schools or departments, the Office of Teaching Affairs and the International Students Office. The students sponsored by the Chinese government scholarship shall also apply to their home countries’ embassies in China as well as the China Scholarship Council.

4.   The unit of suspension period is set as one semester. The accumulated suspension time shall not exceed three years. The suspension time is not counted as part of the study period, and the student’s status is maintained during the suspension.

(1) After the suspension application being approved, the applicants shall get the “Certificate for Suspension” and “Application for Resuming Study” at the International Students Office, and they shall go through the procedures concerning related campus credentials and visa procedure.

(2) During the suspension, BNU will retain the student’s status and the gained credits. The tuition that has been paid but unused due to the suspension will be kept and used after study is resumed.

(3) Students who violate Chinese laws or school rules and regulations during suspension will be punished according to the Student Disciplinary Regulations of Beijing Normal University.

(4) Students who suspend study without going through the necessary procedures for suspension and who fail to resume study when the suspension period is over are assumed to have quitted their studies voluntarily and the students’ status will be cancelled.

(5) Fee-paying students shall apply for resumption three months prior to the end of the suspension period, and the resumption will be valid with the approval from their respective schools or departments, the Teaching Affairs Office as well as the International Students Office. Students sponsored by the Chinese government scholarship shall apply for resumption six months prior to the end of the suspension period, and the resumption will be valid with the approval from their respective schools or departments, the Teaching Affairs Office as well as the International Students Office. They shall also get the approval from their home countries’ embassies in China and the China Scholarship Council. Students who suspend their studies due to illness shall submit the proof of recovery from the doctor when applying for resumption.

(6) After suspension, students resume their originally chosen majors and their grades are determined according to the courses they’ve taken.

5.   Supplementary regulations on Suspension due to Military Service:

(1) Undergraduate international students who are required to take military service due to the law of their home countries can apply for suspension.

(2) Students who apply for suspension due to military service shall have finished courses and gained credits required for the first academic year, and passed exams for all the courses;

(3) Students who intend to suspend their studies shall submit written application with attached military service notification or proof issued by home country’s government.  

(4) Students who intend to resume their studies after military service shall submit certificate for having fulfilled military service issued by home country’s government. 

VIII.   REMAINING AT THE SAME GRADE, STUDYING AT A LOWER GRADE AND QUITTING

1.   Students who have poor academic performance and have got an average of less than 11 credits per semester with the courses of their majors will be given academic warning starting from the third semester; and these students can apply to remain at the same grade for another academic year or to study at a lower grade.

Students who plan to remain at the same grade for another academic year or to study at a lower grade must submit the “Application Form for Status Transferring” to their respective schools or departments, and get the approval from their respective schools or departments, the Teaching Affairs Office and the International Students Office.

During the study duration, students can remain at the same grade for another academic year or study at a lower grade only once. Students cannot apply to remain at the same grade for another academic year or study at a lower grade during the last year of the study duration.

2.   Students are required to quit in any one of the following situations:

(1) Students who have got an average of less than 9 credits per semester with the courses of their majors starting from the fifth semester;

(2) Students who fail to go through the procedures to resume study beyond two weeks (included) after the suspension period is over;

(3) Students who are considered not qualified to resume study, or who are diagnosed by a hospital designated by the university to be physically ill or disabled, or who suffer from epidemic diseases so as to be unsuitable to stay in China.

(4) Students whose words or actions are anti-China and cause serious consequences;

(5) Students who have violated Chinese laws and have been held in detention or received more severe punishments by Chinese legal institutions.

(6) Students who are away from the university and absent from the required school activities for two weeks or more without asking for leave or without getting approval to take leave.

(7) Students who fail to register within two weeks after school starts without reasonable justifications.

(8) Students who don’t hold a student visa and fail to modify the type within two weeks after school starts; or who have got punishment for more than two times(included) from Security Bureau on visa issue.

(9) Students who fail to meet the requirements for changing the status into undergraduate by the end of the academic probation period;

(10) Students who have been absent from courses for more than 50 class hours.

(11)Students who apply to quit.

3.   Students who intend to quit must submit the “Application Form for Status Transferring”, and get the approval from their respective schools or departments, the Teaching Affairs Office and the International Students Office.

For students who are going to quit, the university shall provide the official notice to the students in person, or post the written notice to the students. If it is difficult to reach the students, the university can also make it public using the school bulletin system.  

4.   Regulations related to students who quit:

(1) Students who quit shall go through the necessary procedures concerning related campus credentials and visa application, and leave the university within the stipulated time (normally two weeks after the notification).

(2) Students who suffer from mental illness, physical disability or other serious diseases and thus could not take care of themselves shall be brought back by the students’ parents or guardians.

(3) For students who are required to quit because of violation of Chinese laws or university rules and regulations, the tuition fee is non-refundable. For students who quit for other reasons, the tuition fee can be refunded according to Regulations on Tuition Reimbursement.

IX.   GRADUATION AND COURSE COMPLETION

1.   Students who have completed the required courses in the teaching plan within the required period can graduate and be conferred the appropriate diploma by the university. Students who meet the requirements set by “The Detailed Guidelines in Conferring Bachelor’s Degrees to General Higher Education Graduates by Beijing Normal University” will be given the diploma and degree certificate.

2.   Students who have failed to meet the requirements for graduation, but who have gained 90% or more of the credits required in teaching plan within the stipulated time will be given a course completion certificate.

3.   Students who plan to take courses other than their chosen majors during the planned study duration shall pay fees for these courses according to the tuition standard for international students. Students who meet the requirements of these courses as a minor as well as the graduation requirements for their major will be given a certificate of completion of a minor. For students who have taken double-degree courses across different disciplines and subjects and have met the requirements of the double-degree teaching plan as well as the requirements of the degree of the major, the double-degree diploma and degree certificate will be conferred.   

4.   Each year the information of all graduating (terminating) students will be reported to the Beijing City government education committee for inspection.

5.   Those students who enrolled without meeting enrollment regulations shall have their certificates revoked. Should the student not hand back the certificate the school will announce that it is invalid and submit the information to the Beijing government for their records.

6.   Upon graduating or terminating studies should a certificate become lost or damaged an application should be made to the school’s archive office from whence a new copy shall be issued. All subsequent copies are of equal value to the original.

X.   SUPPLEMENT

1.   These regulations apply to full-time undergraduate international students and were put into effect in September 1st , 2012. If any previous regulations are inconsistent with the present regulations, the present regulations are to be implemented. If the present regulations are inconsistent with regulations established by higher authorities, the latter ones are to be implemented.

2.   For issues not mentioned in these regulations, the principles set by “BNU Regulations on Undergraduate Students’ Status Management” shall be applied.

3.   The Teaching Affair Office and Office of International Exchange and Cooperation of Beijing Normal University take responsibility for the explanation of the regulations.