Yenching Academy of Peking University Master’s Program in China Studies

Benefits & funding

• First-year fellowship for every admitted scholar: tuition, on-campus accommodation, monthly living and academic stipend, basic medical insurance, one round-trip travel stipend between the scholar’s base city and Beijing, and designated field-study costs
• Second-year fellowship may be available to scholars who maintain good academic standing and remain in Beijing; it covers tuition, on-campus accommodation or an off-campus housing stipend, a monthly stipend and basic medical insurance
• The program lasts two years; all scholars must live on campus during the first year

Eligibility

• International and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree, or complete their current bachelor’s degree by August 31, 2027; P.R.C. passport holders applying through the Mainland Chinese route must be current undergraduates at Mainland Chinese universities
• Have a strong academic record, a clear interest in interdisciplinary China Studies, and evidence of extracurricular achievement, community engagement, social responsibility and leadership potential
• Meet the English requirement: IELTS Academic 7.0, TOEFL iBT 100, Cambridge English Scale Advanced 185, CET-6 600, or TEM-4 at “良好” or above, subject to the route-specific exemptions published by the Academy
• International applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with valid passports; former citizens of the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan must provide passport or citizenship documents dated before April 30, 2021 and proof that Chinese nationality was cancelled
• Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan applicants must be permanent residents and hold the identity and travel or residence documents specified for their region; Mainland Chinese applicants follow the separate Peking University process
• Students and alumni of partner universities must complete their university’s internal pre-selection process as well as the Academy application
• There is no strict age cut-off

Application process

1. 1
   Check the Academy admissions page when the 2027 call opens; exact deadlines and route-specific instructions are still pending.
2. 2
   Create an account in the Yenching Academy application portal and choose the application route that matches the applicant’s citizenship and region.
3. 3
   Submit the online form, a personal statement of no more than 750 words, a research-interest statement of no more than 1,500 words excluding citations, a CV, official transcripts, a diploma or enrollment certificate, and two academic recommendations.
4. 4
   Arrange an accepted English test score unless the Academy’s published exemption applies.
5. 5
   Complete any additional route requirements: partner-university pre-selection, or the supplementary Peking University application and document submission required for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan applicants.
6. 6
   Shortlisted candidates attend an interview. International interviews may be online; Chinese candidates attend in person at Peking University.

Program timeline

1. Previous international and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan cycle opened

   September 10, 2025

2. Previous international application deadline

   December 1, 2025 at 09:00 Beijing time

3. Previous Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan application deadline

   January 9, 2026 at 12:00 Beijing time

4. Previous Mainland China Summer Experience application deadline

   June 8, 2026 at 12:00 Beijing time

5. September to December 2026

   Announced recruitment window for the September 2027 international and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan intake; exact dates pending

6. Latest date by which current bachelor’s students must graduate

   August 31, 2027

7. Intake month; exact enrollment date pending

   September 2027