Sichuan Opera Performance Now Included in Undergraduate Degree Programs

For the first time, the cultivation of high-level talent in Sichuan Opera has been formally incorporated into undergraduate education.

This development follows the approval by the provincial education department, with the Sichuan Opera performance undergraduate program at Chengdu Vocational University of the Arts set to enroll 60 students in 2026.

The program is classified as a vocational education undergraduate major, with student selection conducted through an inter-provincial joint examination process. Admissions will take place during the early batch for arts undergraduate programs.

Prospective students are required to take the 2026 national inter-provincial joint examination for higher education institutions in the opera category, specifically the Sichuan Opera track, in addition to the national unified college entrance examination.

Admission will be based on a ranking of candidates' inter-provincial joint examination scores, from highest to lowest, provided they achieve a passing grade in the professional exam and meet the cultural score requirements set by their respective province or municipality.

The required cultural score is set at 50% of the local undergraduate minimum admission control score. For reference, the cultural score threshold for opera majors under the inter-provincial joint exam system in Sichuan Province for 2025 is 219 points, while the professional exam passing score is 180 points.

As the sole higher education institution in the country to offer a vocational undergraduate degree in Sichuan Opera performance, Chengdu Vocational University of the Arts will recruit students nationwide without allocating specific quotas to individual provinces.

A representative from the university stated that they will consolidate high-quality teaching resources and explore an integrated training model that combines traditional apprenticeship with modern academic education. This initiative aims to cultivate versatile professionals equipped with both technical skill and cultural literacy for the protection, inheritance, and innovation of Sichuan Opera art.