Yenching Academy China Studies Scholarship
- Organization: Yenching Academy of Peking University
- Type: Scholarship
- Location: Global
- Deadline: November 30, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
The Yenching Academy of Peking University runs a two year interdisciplinary Master's in China Studies in Beijing, taught in English, and takes in around 120 scholars a year from China and abroad. Roughly three quarters of each cohort is international; the 2026 intake was 124 people from 37 countries and regions. Every admitted student receives the Yenching Fellowship, which pays tuition, campus housing, a monthly stipend, medical insurance, research costs and one return journey between your home city and Beijing, so nothing about the first year is left for you to fund yourself. **What you get:** - Full tuition for a Peking University Master's degree in China Studies - A room in the Yenching Academy House on the Peking University campus, usually a two bedroom suite shared with one other scholar - A monthly stipend for living costs, plus a separate academic allowance. The Academy does not publish the amount - Basic medical insurance. You buy the Comprehensive Insurance Plan for Foreign Students before registration day and the Academy reimburses you - A travel stipend covering one round trip between a base city in your country of nationality and Beijing, costed by the Academy - Costs of the compulsory week long field study trip and expenses related to your research - A Master's diploma in China Studies in one of six research areas, awarded by Peking University - The option to apply for a second year fellowship covering tuition, housing support, insurance and a monthly stipend, if you keep good academic standing and stay in Beijing **What you'll do:** - Complete all your coursework in the first year, living on campus, then write and defend a Master's thesis in the second - Take four required courses: the Topics in China Studies lecture series, China in Transition, a week long field study trip, and Academic Writing - Study Chinese language, which is compulsory for international scholars unless you qualify for a waiver through HSK 6 or a Chinese taught degree - Pick one of six research areas: Economics and Management, History and Archaeology, Philosophy and Religion, Politics and International Relations, Law and Society, or Literature and Culture - Earn at least 31 credits and pass an oral thesis defence before an academic committee, within two years of enrolling - Take up internships and volunteering in the second year, supported by the Academy's career advising **Key dates:** - Applications open 1 September 2026 - Applications close 30 November 2026 at 9:00 am Beijing time - Partner University nominees have until 7 December 2026 at 9:00 am Beijing time - Applicants from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan must also post hardcopy materials to arrive before 10 January 2027 - Interviews run December to March, online for international candidates. No interviews between 18 January and 16 February 2027, during Peking University's winter vacation - Admission decisions for international candidates released around April 2027 - Admissions publicly posted for seven days around May 2027 - Official Peking University admission letter issued by the end of June 2027 - Enrolment at Peking University in early September 2027 **More information:** - Full application instructions for the 2027 cohort, dated 1 September 2026, on the Academy's admissions portal - The Academy's own frequently asked questions cover the fellowship, the thesis, the degree types and the selection timeline - Peking University's International Students Division publishes a separate page for this programme - Mainland Chinese applicants apply through the Peking University Graduate School, by a different route with different requirements
