The Yenching Academy annually enrolls approximately 120 new students from both the Chinese Mainland and abroad, to study, live, and learn together. International students comprise roughly 75% of the student body. 

Applicants should have:

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in any field, or be currently enrolled in a Bachelor degree program and be on track to graduate no later than August 31;
• An outstanding academic record;
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary study of China;
• A record of extracurricular achievement, community engagement, social responsibility, and leadership potential;
• English proficiency.
• Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid passport. Residents of the Chinese Mainland, and China’s Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan (HMT) Regions, who have emigrated to another country and are applying to Peking University as international students must present valid passport or citizenship documents dating from before April 30, 2021, along with proof of cancellation of Chinese nationality;
  • The National Immigration Administration of the Public Security Bureau in the P.R.C. is responsible for determining whether foreign nationals applying as Chinese citizens still has Chinese nationality or not. This determination can be made during the application process, after admission has been offered, or even after enrollment. In circumstances where the Chinese citizenship has been identified by the relevant authorities, the candidate’s application, admission offer, registration and/or enrollment status will be nullified by Peking University. 

*Peking University does not allow students to be enrolled in other degree programs whilst studying at the university.

Yenching Academy does not have a strict age cut-off for applicants, but to date, no person over the age of 29 has been admitted to the program. The average age of students entering the program is 23.

For Mainland Chinese Candidates:

Mainland Chinese applicants apply through a different process. Yenching Academy is currently only able to accept application from Mainland Chinese students (PRC passport holders) who are currently enrolled as an undergraduate in a Mainland Chinese university. For more information, please refer to the Peking University Graduate Admissions website. This requirement does not apply to students from the Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan regions. 

• 4th Year
• 5th Year
• Graduate

• US Citizen
• Permanent Resident
• International or Other Visa Status

The Yenching Academy of Peking University aims to build bridges between China and the rest of the world through an interdisciplinary master's program in China Studies. This initiative brings together young people who have demonstrated a talent for leadership and innovation. At Yenching, they are immersed in an intensive learning environment where they can explore China and its role in the world—past, present, and future. The Academy's goal is to shape new generations of global citizens with a nuanced understanding of China.

The Yenching Academy provides full fellowships to its Scholars, and offers them a wide array of interdisciplinary courses on China within broadly defined fields of the humanities and social sciences. Working closely with their academic mentors, Yenching Scholars create their own study paths by choosing courses from six research areas. They participate in a variety of extracurricular activities and field studies, organized by the Yenching Academy, and designed by scholars themselves. Studying at the Academy is an exceptional opportunity to take part in intercultural exchanges and interdisciplinary learning, developing both personally and professionally.

Scholarship Support:

The Yenching Academy Master’s program in China Studies is two years in duration. All admitted students receive the Yenching Fellowship for the first academic year, which covers tuition, accommodation in the Yenching Academy House, a travel stipend for one round-trip journey between your base city and Beijing (the base city must be a city within the country of your nationality; cost of this round-trip will be estimated and calculated by the Yenching Academy), basic medical insurance, a monthly stipend, and expenses related to research.

Students who maintain a good academic standing, and plan to stay in Beijing during their second academic year can apply for the second-year Yenching Fellowship. This will cover the tuition, accommodation support (on-campus housing or off-campus housing stipend), basic medical insurance and a monthly stipend.

Yenching Fellowships are funded by Yenching Academy’s endowment, as well as donations from both governmental and non-governmental sources. At present, major sponsors include the China Scholarship Council, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the Bai Xian Asia Institute, and the International Confucian Association. 

Learn about the curriculum

Learn about admission

FAQs

Chinese Language Proficiency

Chinese language proficiency is not a requirement but is highly valued for the Master’s program in China Studies. Applicants who meet the following conditions can be eligible to take China-related courses taught in Chinese offered in other departments at Peking University for academic credit:

• HSK 6 test taken after September 1, 2024 and with a test report of: 1) a total score of 210 or higher; and 2) a score no less than 65 for writing;
• Completed a full-time degree program of which the Chinese language was the only language of instruction. Note that applicants will need to provide documentation from the university to certify the language of instruction. 

UW is a partner university

Yenching Academy works with Partner Universities that conduct internal application processes and nominate outstanding candidates for consideration. All students and alumni of Partner Universities are required to apply through their home universities. 

Current UW students and alumni planning to apply need to complete our UW campus application and submit that campus application by our internal UW deadline. The campus application will require the same elements as the national application. A UW nomination committee will review all submitted applications and select applications to be nominated. Nominated applicants will have a very short time to revise and submit final materials for the national application deadline.

Please apply for UW nomination by completing our online application. The application will open in September.

Application components:

• UW campus application form; available starting in September
• Latest official transcript and transcripts from all previous universities (for the campus application, unofficial transcripts are fine)
• Two letters of recommendation. Peking University has very strict requirements:
  • Peking University will only accept recommendation letters written by full professors or associate professors (or equivalent titles).
  • Letters of recommendation must be submitted by professors in the applicant’s intended field of study. 
  • Please provide your recommenders with the Yenching Academy Recommendation Cover Form.
• Personal statement: The personal statement, not to exceed 750 words in English, should include a self-introduction and well-articulated explanation of how you would make the most of the Yenching Academy program experience, as well as how it would benefit your career.
• Statement of Research Interest (maximum 1,500 words, excluding citations): This statement should include your: 1) key research question(s); 2) background to study and/or summary of literature, and 3) study design that could reflect the applicant's academic training. Please note that applicants are not committed to making this proposed project their Master's thesis topic. The Yenching Admissions Committee uses this proposal as a way to judge how applicants formulate and write about academic topics.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): limited to two pages, plus an additional page for Awards, Recognitions and/or Publications (if applicable).
• English requirements and minimum scores:
  • IELTS (Academic): Overall 7.0
  • TOEFL (iBT): Overall 100
  • Cambridge English Scale (Advanced): Overall 185
  • CET 6: Overall 600
  • TEM 4: Pass level of or above
  • Native English speakers and students or alumni of an English-taught Bachelor's degree program are not required to provide English proficiency test scores.

Applicants selected as UW nominees will have a very short time to continue to revise and polish their application materials for the international selection process. Nominees' final application materials must be submitted through Yenching Academy's online application system by the official deadline date (usually in early December). Recommendation letters will be forwarded to Yenching Academy on behalf of nominees, so will not need to be uploaded through the online system.

Finalists for admission to Yenching Academy will be interviewed (remotely). All admissions decisions are final.

Applicants from Chinese Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan (HMT)

All students and alumni of Partner Universities must apply through your home university’s internal pre-selection process before submitting your application to the Yenching Academy.

Candidates from China’s Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Regions must apply through the Yenching Academy application portal, as well as complete a supplementary application through the Peking University Graduate Admissions website. More information will be available here.

Applicants Born in the Chinese Mainland or HMT Regions Intending to Apply as an International Candidate

Applicants who wish to apply as international candidates must be non-Chinese citizens holding a valid passport. Former citizens of the Chinese Mainland or the HMT regions who have emigrated to other countries and are applying to Peking University as international students must present a valid passport or citizenship document issued before April 30, 2021, along with proof of the renunciation of their Chinese nationality.

Whether an individual continues to hold Chinese citizenship is determined by the National Immigration Administration of the Public Security Bureau of the P.R.C. If the relevant authorities confirm that an applicant retains Chinese citizenship, Peking University will nullify the individual’s application, admission offer, registration, and/or enrollment status.

In the past, some applicants with Chinese heritage were found to still hold Chinese citizenship, which rendered them ineligible for enrollment as international students at Peking University. YCA therefore strongly advises students who fall into any of the following categories to contact the YCA Admissions Office (yca-submissions@pku.edu.cn) for further information:

1. Former citizens of the Chinese Mainland and China’s Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Regions;
2. Individuals with one or both parents of Chinese descent who were formerly citizens of the above regions;
3. Current holders of the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, the Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, or the Travel Document of the P.R.C.
4. Individuals who previously held (especially before the age of 18) a Travel Document of the P.R.C.

Chinese Language Proficiency

Chinese language proficiency is not a requirement but is highly valued for the Master’s program in China Studies. Applicants who meet the following conditions can be eligible to take China-related courses taught in Chinese offered in other departments at Peking University for academic credit:

• HSK 6 test taken after September 1, 2025 and with a test report of: 1) a total score of 210 or higher; and 2) a score no less than 65 for writing;
• Completed a full-time degree program of which the Chinese language was the only language of instruction. Note that applicants will need to provide documentation from the university to certify the language of instruction. 

UW Seattle undergraduate students and alumni:

Robin Chang

Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards
171 Mary Gates Hall
Phone: 206-543-2603
Email: robinc@u.washington.edu

UW Seattle graduate students and alumni:

Michelle Sutton

Graduate School Office of Fellowships & Awards
G-1 Communications
Phone: 206-543-7152
E-mail: gradappt@uw.edu

 

UW Bothell students of all levels:

Natalia Dyba
UW Bothell Student Success Center
UW1-160
Phone: 425.352.3261
E-mail: nataliak@uw.edu
http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/merit-scholarships