AI over arts? China scraps 12,000 college degrees to make room for more AI courses

Chinese universities are dropping outdated degree programmes and introducing courses tied to emerging technologies. The shift reflects Beijing's industrial priorities, graduate job pressures and changing employer demands.

In Short

• China is scrapping outdated university courses
• Arts and management courses face cuts
• Experts say universities need flexible education models

Artificial intelligence is not just changing the way people work; it is also reshaping what students choose to study. As AI begins automating tasks across consulting, finance, marketing and management, many students are becoming increasingly cautious about investing large sums in degrees whose career prospects are becoming less certain. Just last month, reports suggested that several universities in the US had started lowering tuition fees for their MBA programmes to attract hesitant applicants. Now, a similar shift is unfolding in China, but on a much larger scale. The country's universities are overhauling their academic offerings, cutting courses seen as outdated and replacing them with programmes focused on emerging technologies as AI and other technological advances rapidly transform the job market.

China cuts obsolete courses

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Chinese universities are carrying out a massive reshuffle of their academic offerings, cutting programmes considered obsolete and replacing them with courses focused on emerging technologies. The overhaul is part of Beijing's broader strategy to align higher education with the country's economic ambitions as it races to become a global leader in next-generation industries such as artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

The changes also reflect a pressing reality: China's graduate job market is under strain. More students are graduating than ever before, but many are struggling to find jobs that match their qualifications. Youth unemployment remains high, with more than 16 per cent of young people out of work, while AI is rapidly transforming the skills employers are looking for.

As a result, universities are increasingly moving away from subjects that are seen as oversaturated or less relevant to the evolving economy. The cuts have been concentrated in arts, humanities, foreign languages and management-related fields.

New courses aligned with China's goals

At the same time, institutions are introducing courses that directly support China's industrial goals. One example is embodied intelligence, a field that combines AI with physical machines such as robots. At least nine universities have launched new majors in this area as the government pushes to integrate advanced AI technologies into the real economy.

This is not the first time China has redesigned its higher education system. Between 2021 and 2025, Chinese universities revoked or suspended around 12,200 undergraduate programmes while adding 10,200 new ones, according to Ministry of Education data cited by the report. Overall, more than 30 per cent of university programmes underwent some form of adjustment during the period.

Experts call for deeper reforms

However, experts cited in the report caution that repeatedly replacing one degree with another may not be enough. They argue that universities need deeper reforms to keep pace with rapid technological change. Many of the programmes now being discontinued were introduced only a few years ago and never had enough time to mature or improve.

Instead of constantly adding and removing majors, experts say universities should build a more flexible education system that allows students to choose courses based on changing industry needs and acquire skills that remain relevant even as technology evolves.

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