This article addresses the limited amount of research in the realm of programme marketing in the Chinese higher education sector. Original field research examines the emergence of marketing principles and strategies with specific reference to the experience of three higher education institutions in China. The development and promotion of executive and professional education courses provides the focus for each case. The analysis considers the benefits to be gained from a more proactive and business approach to the marketing of university programmes in this field. It also explores the challenges encountered, and problematic implications for the university sector as a whole. While the case studies are informative in their own right, the research also helps to reveal and understand a number of broader issues and dilemmas relating to the marketisation and commercialisation of higher education in China and beyond.