Regulations Governing the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Academic Records by Institutions of Higher Education Article 6

The “restrictions on the period spent undertaking a program” in Article 4, Subparagraph 2 refers to the period that the applicant spent undertaking a program at a foreign educational institution and the following provisions apply:1. An applicant who has senior secondary school academic credential shall have spent a total period undertaking the senior secondary program that satisfies the regulations of the education system in the country where the school they attended is located.2. An applicant who has a bachelor’s degree shall have spent a total period of at least 32 full months undertaking the bachelor’s degree program.3. An applicant who has a master’s degree shall have spent a total period of at least eight full months undertaking the master’s degree program.4. An applicant who has a doctorate shall have spent a total period of at least 16 full months undertaking the doctorate program.5. An applicant who concurrently completed the programs for and obtained both a master’s degree and a doctorate at the same university (graduate institute) shall have spent a total period of at least 24 full months undertaking the master’s degree and doctorate programs.6. An applicant who has an academic credential after graduating from a junior college or who has an associate’s degree and academic ability equivalent to having graduated from a junior college shall have spent a total period of at least 16 full months undertaking the associated program.With regard to the restrictions on the period spent undertaking a program referred to in the preceding paragraph, each institution of higher education shall compare the domestic and foreign education systems at that level and make an overall determination taking into account the education system in the country where the applicant obtained the foreign academic credential, the administrative calendar of the educational institution during the period the applicant was undertaking the program, and the applicant’s cross-border entry and exit record. If a period that the applicant spent in that foreign locality is not consistent with the regular length of a program at that educational institution or the program schedule indicated on its administrative calendar, that period will not be counted.If an applicant had an outstanding performance during their study for a bachelor’s degree, the educational institution to which they are applying may make a discretionary reduction to the required period spent undertaking their bachelor’s degree program, taking into due consideration the regulations governing the length of programs at institutions of higher education in that particular foreign country, and the specific circumstances.If a person is categorized as having a physical or mental disability as defined in the Special Education Act, the educational institution to which they are applying may make a discretionary reduction to the required time which they spent undertaking their program, taking into due consideration the length of programs at institutions of higher education in that particular foreign country, the extent of their physical and/or mental disability, and other specific circumstances.If an applicant undertook a degree program that can be taken concurrently at the same level at a domestic institution of higher education and a foreign one under an international academic collaboration program, the applicant is not permitted to have completed the program entirely at the domestic institution. The total time the applicant spent undertaking the degree program at each of the institutions of higher education may be combined; it shall be subject to the following provisions, and the provisions of Paragraph 1 are not applicable:1. An applicant who has a bachelor’s degree shall have spent a total period of at least 32 full months undertaking the bachelor’s degree program.2. An applicant who has a master’s degree shall have spent a total period of at least 12 full months undertaking the master’s degree program.3. An applicant who has a doctorate shall have spent a total period of at least 24 full months undertaking the doctorate program.The course credits earned by an applicant studying at the domestic institution of higher education and those earned at the foreign institution of higher education referred to in the preceding paragraph shall in each case be at least one-third of the total number of course credits required by each of the institutions for the conferral of such a degree.If the period that the applicant spent undertaking their program is at least two-thirds of the requirement stipulated in Paragraph 1 or in Paragraph 5, the institution of higher education may assess their foreign academic credential for recognition, after first making an overall determination of whether the applicant’s educational level is equivalent to that required for admission to an institution of higher education, taking into account the education system in the country where the applicant obtained their foreign credential, the administrative calendar of the educational institution during the period the applicant was undertaking the program, the applicant’s cross-border entry and exit record, and the length of programs at a domestic educational institution of an equivalent academic level and nature.If an applicant for admission to a university has been awarded a foreign academic credential that, in accordance with the regulations of the foreign university, required courses to be undertaken abroad (including in the Mainland Area, Hong, Kong, and Macao, but not including Taiwan), the period that the applicant spent undertaking courses abroad may be included when calculating whether they satisfy the requirement stipulated in Paragraph 1 if the applicant has submitted documentary evidence from the foreign university and the domestic university has undertaken verification and given approval. In addition, any educational institution(s) at which the courses abroad were undertaken shall satisfy the provisions of Article 4, the provisions of the Regulations Governing the Assessment and Recognition of Educational Qualifications from the Mainland Area, or the provisions of the Regulations Governing the Examination and Recognition of Educational Qualifications from Hong Kong and Macao.If an applicant being admitted has an academic credential obtained after undertaking a professional degree program offered by a collaborating domestic university and a foreign university that was approved by the Ministry of Education on a case by case basis, when calculating whether they satisfy the requirements stipulated in Paragraph 1 and in Paragraph 5, the period that they spent undertaking courses at the domestic university may also be included.