The One Rule for Listing an Uncommon Chinese Degree Name

Your transcript and diploma show the official English translation your university registered with China’s Ministry of Education. That is the name you must use. Never change it to “MIT of China” or “State University of Shanghai” — recruiters have seen that trick, and it signals dishonesty. Instead, follow this exact format:

Official Degree Name (common US equivalent in parentheses)

Example:

• Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (equivalent to a US ABET-accredited B.S. in Computer Science)

This tells the recruiter what the degree is without pretending to be something it is not. It also passes ATS parsing because the official name is present.

Why US Recruiters Pause at Unfamiliar Chinese Degree Names

A recruiter scanning hundreds of resumes may not recognize “Xue Shi” (学士, Bachelor’s) or “Ben Ke” (本科, undergraduate). Many US hiring managers also do not know that Chinese university names like “Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications” are legitimate, accredited institutions. When they see an unfamiliar name, they may:

• Assume it is a diploma mill
• Skip the resume as not US-relevant
• Waste time Googling instead of reading your experience

Your job is to eliminate that friction in under two seconds. The parenthetical US equivalent does exactly that — it tells them the value of your degree instantly.

ATS Note: Keep It in One Line

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) parse text in the order it appears. If you split the official name and the equivalence into separate lines, some ATS may treat the equivalence as a separate degree entry and confuse your education section. Keep the official name and parenthetical equivalence on the same line, separated by a space — no line break, no extra bullet.

Real Before/After: A Bullet Rewrite Example

Before (vague, causes distrust):

• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

What the recruiter thinks: “Is this a real school? Is it equivalent to a US MS?”

After (clear, builds trust):

• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (equivalent to a US MS in Electrical Engineering from a Tier-2 research university)

What the recruiter thinks: “I know exactly what I’m getting. Let’s read their experience.”

What to Put in the Parentheses — And What Not To

• Do use: “equivalent to a US [degree type] from a [ranking tier or accreditation]”
  • Example: “equivalent to a US ABET-accredited B.S. in Mechanical Engineering”
• Do use: “ranked in the top 10% of Chinese universities by the Ministry of Education” (if your school is well-ranked)
• Do not use: “ranked #1 in China” (unless it is universally true and verifiable)
• Do not use: “the Harvard of China” (this triggers skepticism in 9 out of 10 recruiters I have interviewed)

How to Handle Different Degree Types

Here is a quick copy-paste checklist for the most common Chinese degrees:

Chinese Degree English Name	Recommended US Equivalent in Parentheses
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)	(equivalent to a US ABET-accredited B.S. in Engineering)
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)	(equivalent to a US B.S. in [your major])
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)	(equivalent to a US M.S. in Engineering, usually coursework-based)
Master of Science (M.Sc.)	(equivalent to a US M.S. in [your major])
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)	(equivalent to a US Ph.D. — generally no further explanation needed)
3-year College Degree (Zhuanke)	(equivalent to a US Associate’s degree in [your major])

If your university is known in your field (e.g., Tsinghua for engineering, Peking University for humanities), you can simply add “(a top-10 Chinese university)” — no need to over-explain.

Formatting Your Education Section for ATS Success

ATS systems are picky about education formatting. Follow this exact structure:

[Degree Name], [University Official English Name] [Parenthetical equivalence], [City, Country] [Graduation Date — Month Year]

Example:

• Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, Tongji University (equivalent to a US ABET-accredited B.S. in Civil Engineering), Shanghai, China June 2020

Why this works: The official degree name is the first thing the ATS sees. The parenthetical equivalence is attached in the same line block, so the ATS interprets it as part of the same degree entry. The city and country clarify the location without taking up extra space.

One Precise ATS Formatting Fact

Most modern ATS (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday) parse the “School” field separately from the “Degree” field. If you put the parenthetical equivalence inside the School field (e.g., “Tongji University (top-10 Chinese university)”), the ATS may display only the parenthetical part as the school name on the recruiter’s screen. Always put the equivalence after the degree name, not inside the school name field.

FAQ

Should I translate my Chinese degree into a US degree name (e.g., change “Bachelor of Engineering” to “Bachelor of Science”) to make it more familiar?

No. If your degree is a B.Eng., list it as a B.Eng. Changing the degree type to something else can be flagged as a discrepancy during background checks. Instead, use the parenthetical equivalence to clarify the US equivalent without altering the official name.

What if my Chinese university does not have an official English translation on the diploma?

Use the English name your university publishes on its official website. If no English name exists, use a pinyin romanization and add a parenthetical translation: “(also known as [common English name])”. For example: “Beijing Daxue (Peking University)” — though most Chinese universities now have an official English name.

Do I need to include my GPA from a Chinese university?

Only if it is 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent). Chinese universities often use a 100-point or 5.0 scale. If your GPA converts well, add it in parentheses with the conversion method: “GPA: 3.6/4.0 (converted from 88/100 using standard WES equivalency).” If below 3.0, omit it.

Should I add a note explaining that my degree is a 4-year program if it is a Bachelor’s?

Generally no — US recruiters assume a Bachelor’s takes 4 years. Only add this if your degree is a 5-year program (common in some Chinese engineering degrees) to avoid confusion: “5-year Bachelor of Engineering in Architecture (equivalent to a US B.Arch).”

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For a free check of your resume’s translation and formatting — with no sign-up required — use our Chinese-to-English resume checker to see how your degree appears to a US hiring manager.