To foster the all-round moral, intellectual, and physical development of graduate students, recognize those who excel, motivate those who fall behind, and ensure the quality of graduate training, we formulated theMeasures in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Education regarding the establishment of a necessary selection mechanism for graduate students and the actual conditions of Southeast University.
Ⅰ. Subject of Assessment
Schools/Colleges (Departments, Institutes) are required to carry out a thorough assessment of its full-time master’s students in the aspects of their ideological and moral qualities, academic performance and professional skills prior to their entry into the thesis stage.
Ⅱ. Assessment Schedule
The mid-term assessment and selection process for master's students shall be completed before the end of the third semester from the date of their enrolment. Master's students missing the scheduled mid-term assessment due to objective reasons shall apply for a deferral in advance. Upon approval by their supervisors, units, and the Graduate School, the mid-term assessment can be deferred once for one semester.
Ⅲ. Assessment Scope
The assessment consists of two parts: quality assessment and performance assessment.
1. Content of Quality Assessment
(1) Students' ideological orientation and behavioral conduct in the following areas: acquisition of the Fundamental Principles of Marxism, adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles, and complying with all rules and regulations of China and Southeast University.
(2) Their academic attitudes, professional conduct, moral qualities and teamwork spirits.
2. Content of Performance Assessment
(1) Fulfillment of all compulsory courses in the training program for master's students within the designated period.
(2) Adequate skills in performing research work and essential qualities required for research.
(3) Completion and quality of thesis proposal.
Ⅳ. Assessment Criteria
1. Master's students who are assessed as having good moral conduct, excellent academic performance and adequate research abilities are permitted to continue their master's thesis.
2. An assessment warning will be issued to any master's student if any of the following circumstances occur:
(1) Poor performance in political ideology and moral behavior.
(2) Having not earned all required credits of compulsory courses specified in the training program.
(3) One compulsory course is failed (or passed only after a make-up exam or retake), and the normalized weighted average score of all compulsory courses is ≤ 75; or no degree course is failed, but the normalized weighted average score of all compulsory courses is ≤ 70.
(4) Failing to complete the thesis proposal defense on time due to subjective reasons, or failing to pass the first proposal defense followed by failure of a second attempt conducted as required by regulations.
V. Assessment Method
Master's students receiving an assessment warning may enter the thesis phase if their Schools/Colleges (Departments, Institutes) deem them worthy of further academic training after assessment. However, their theses must be anonymously reviewed by the Graduate School. Should they satisfy the requirements for defense, a thesis defense may be scheduled. After successfully passing the thesis defense, the students will be issued master's graduation certificates. Furthermore, if they meet the degree conferral criteria and such conferral is approved by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of Southeast University, they shall be awarded master's degree certificates.
If, after assessment, the Schools/Colleges (Departments, Institutes) determine that the above students are unsuitable for further academic training, they shall submit a report to the Graduate School recommending the termination of the aforementioned students' graduate studies. After being reviewed by the Graduate School, the report shall be submitted to the President's Executive Meeting for discussion. If approved, the students will be expelled.
If master's students fail to take the mid-term assessment without valid reasons, they will be expelled.
VI. Organization and Assessment
1. Within the stipulated time, the Graduate School provides Schools/Colleges (Departments, Institutes) with a list of master's students who have received a screening warning. Schools/Colleges (Departments, Institutes) make assessments of those students named on the list, and send the corresponding results to Graduate School for review within the prescribed time.
2. Master's students who receive an assessment warning must fill out the Mid-Term Assessment Form for Master's Students. It shall be submitted to the Graduate School for review. Once approved, it will be returned to the Graduate Secretaries of the Schools/Colleges (Departments, Institutes), who will then place it in the aforesaid students' graduate files.
3.For master's students whose names are not on the list, they shall fill out the Mid-Term Assessment Form for Master's Students and submit it to the Graduate Secretaries of the Schools/Colleges (Departments, Institutes), who will then place it in their graduate files.
Ⅶ. The Measures shall be interpreted by the Graduate School.
Attached: Normalized Weighted Average Method
1. Normalization: The average of each course for master's students is shifted to 80 points. That is to say, add up the scores of all participating master's students, then calculate the average and round it. For instance, if the original score of a master's student is 86, he/she will receive a normalized score of 80. In general, the normalized score Nᵢ for a student in course i is: Nᵢ = Original Score + (80 − Average Score)
2. Weighted Average: Master's students' normalized weighted average score N is obtained by calculating the weighted average of all normalized scores Nᵢ, using the corresponding course credits Cᵢ as weights:
i.e.,
