Several higher education institutions in China have announced that their students will be allowed to change majors without preconditions starting with the upcoming autumn semester, a move that they said is aimed at exploring the students' interests and respecting their secondary choice after enrollment.

中国多所知名高校近日宣布，自秋季学期起，全面推行学生无条件转专业政策，此举旨在深度挖掘学生兴趣潜能，充分尊重每位学子入学后的专业再选择权。

Shanghai Jiao Tong University said its students could apply for the switch during their freshman, sophomore and junior years, and transfers between the main campus in the city's Minhang district and the medical school in Huangpu district will also be allowed.

上海交通大学尤为积极，明确学生可在大一至大三的任一学年申请转专业，且该政策覆盖广泛，不仅限于校内各专业间，连主校区（闵行区）与医学院（黄浦区）之间也实现了转专业通道的畅通。

The "zero threshold", or no restriction, for switching majors lays greater emphasis on students' comprehensive abilities and personal development, the university said at a news conference held recently to introduce its undergraduate admissions policy.

在近期召开的本科招生政策发布会上，该校强调转专业“门槛全无”，彻底摒弃了过往对成绩或绩点的硬性要求，转而聚焦于学生的综合素养与个性成长。

Unlike previous rules that required certain exam scores or GPA rankings for switching majors, the new policy sets no preconditions. Applicants and relevant departments will engage in a two-way selection process, the university said.

与此前转专业需达到一定学业标准不同，新政策实现了真正的“零设限”，鼓励学生与院系间进行自由、双向的选择。

Fudan University and Tongji University, which are also in Shanghai, are among other higher education institutions that have relaxed rules and expanded the scope of switching majors as much as possible, such as transferring from medical disciplines to nonmedical ones.

复旦大学、同济大学等沪上名校也纷纷响应，放宽转专业限制，例如开放了如从医学到非医学等跨领域的转专业机会。

Chen Zhiwen, a member of the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy, said the new policy is more scientific, and should be supported to address growing concerns among students and their parents regarding career prospects.

中国教育发展战略学会学术委员陈志文对此新政给予了高度评价，认为其更加科学合理，有助于缓解学生及家长对未来就业的焦虑情绪。

Chen said that many students are forced to change majors because they realize after enrollment that they may find the selected subject more challenging than expected. "Those who switch from science and engineering disciplines to humanities and social sciences, for instance, often make the transfer because they believe they lack the necessary academic skills to complete their original program," he said.

他指出，不少学生因入学后发现专业难度超预期而选择转专业，如从理工科转向人文社科，多因自我评估后认为原专业所需学术能力超出自身掌握范围。

Conventionally, most universities allow students to switch majors only if they perform well in their first year. "Allowing students to switch majors even if they have failed a course is groundbreaking," Chen said.

陈志文还特别提到，新政的一大亮点在于，即使学生学业遇挫，也保有转专业的机会，这无疑是教育领域的一大突破。

However, students are encouraged not to take advantage of the "zero-threshold" policy and blindly chase popular majors such as computer sciences and artificial intelligence.

然而，他也提醒广大学子，应避免盲目跟风，仅凭热门程度选择计算机科学、人工智能等专业。

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that measures need to be taken to address the sudden influx of students into some popular disciplines that offer lucrative career prospects.

21世纪教育研究院院长熊丙奇则进一步指出，面对学生可能因新政而涌向热门学科的现象，需采取措施引导，避免误解政策初衷。

"It is important to note that the 'zero threshold' for switching majors is just for the application process. The success of changing a major depends on each individual's transfer assessment," Xiong said, noting that institutions will continue to admit the top performers based on the seat quota allotted to each major.

他强调，转专业“零门槛”仅指申请环节的无障碍，最终能否成功还需经过严格的转专业评估，各学院会根据招生名额及学生表现择优录取。

Therefore, it is crucial for students to analyze whether they can perform well in their chosen major when filling out applications, he added.

因此，熊丙奇建议学生在申请前深思熟虑，确保所选专业与自身能力及兴趣相匹配。

编辑 | ETTBL商务英语翻译

翻译｜Romola

来源｜China Daily

声明｜配图取自网络，仅供学习分享使用，侵删