Zhang Xuan, an undergraduate of history at Beijing University who graduated earlier this year, has decided to postpone her graduate studies until next year.

She is now working at a museum and wants work experience before furthering her studies. A newly issued regulation by Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) has given many college undergraduates like Zhang Xuan the chance to work before continuing graduate studies.

According to the regulation, all those undergraduates who passed the graduate entrance examination but could not continue their studies due to limited graduate placements, can find work and gain valuable work experience before being accepted into their desired course.

Some Chinese government departments and enterprises would rather choose college undergraduates than graduates holding Masters degrees because graduates are well known for lacking "experience".

A MOE official said that working experience will enable college students to become more marketable in the job market. Many students who can not afford tuition fees for further study can

first work for two years and then continue their studies without any financial burden.

Eighteen "special graduates" from the Huazhong Science and Engineering University in central China's Hubei Province are now working and will enter university next year.

Feng Zheng, a teacher at the university, said that the MOE regulation will help students get enough work experience before continuing their studies.