China Introduces First University Degree in Marriage
China’s Beijing-based Vocational University of Civil Affairs has launched a four-year degree program focused on marriage services and management.
The curriculum covers a comprehensive range of topics including wedding planning, matchmaking, marriage counseling, and divorce prevention.
Yu Xiaohui, dean of the university’s School of Wedding Culture and Media Arts, emphasized that the program addresses a growing need for skilled professionals in the marriage services industry.
The course includes modules on sociology, wedding venue design, family ethics, and the economics of the marriage industry. Students will have the opportunity to intern at specialized agencies.
Starting this September, the program aims to enroll 70 students from 12 provinces in 2024. This initiative comes as China sees a resurgence in new marriages, with a 12.4% increase in 2023, though many young adults still remain unmarried.
The university also offers degrees in fields like smart healthcare management, social work, rehabilitation assistive device technology, and funeral management, responding to the country’s rapidly aging population and declining birth rates.
