Students of Beijing Renwen University visit construction sites as part of their architecture course. [Photos by Wang Jing / China Daily]

BRU is the first, and so far the only, private tertiary institution in Beijing to actively approach companies in different fields and set up tailor-made majors, said Zhou.

The tailor-made program began in 2005 with two majors and 60 students. Now it has 15 majors with a total of

900 students. The special majors include information technology, animation design, property management and hotel management. Tuition fees range from 7,500 yuan to 12,000 yuan a year.

BRU has signed cooperative agreements with 17 companies including Legendsoft International Technology Ltd (Litsoft), Beijing 5DS Motion Pictures and Design Company and SGF International Hotel Management Ltd.

"The special major is very well-received," added Zhou. "We estimate that the number of students will exceed 1,200 this year."

She said private tertiary institutions target students who fail university entrance exam, so the recent decrease in the number of examination takers could prove a big blow to the survival of private colleges.

According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 9.57 million mostly high school graduates sat the three-day exam this year, 650,000 fewer than in 2009. In Beijing, around 80,000 students took the exam, 20,000 fewer than in 2009.

Moreover, the expansion of public universities could also hurt private colleges.

More than 83 percent of university entrance exam takers will enter a university this year, an increase of 5 percent from last year. The enrollment rate for science students will reach a record high of 91.92 percent, according to the Beijing Municipal Education Commission.

"But the government, as well as society, should encourage private colleges' development because private education is a vital force to help produce market-oriented talents," Zhou added.

Human resources managers also gave high marks to the tailor-made major program.

Wang Huaifei, a Litsoft human resources manager, said 10 BRU students are doing internships at the company, which is a member of Lenovo Group and partner with the university.

"They are more familiar with the company's culture and products. They can start a job without too much tutoring and orientation," Wang said, adding that she interviewed two postgraduates from a public university recently and found they knew little about the skills and knowledge the company requires.

"Companies like us focus more on students' practical skills rather than on their degrees. Students from a tailor-made major can save us lots of money and time," she said.