March Intake in China 2027: What You Can Start in Spring

Many videos now advertise a "March 2027 intake" in China. A spring intake does exist, but it is much smaller than the September one. Chinese language courses take new students every spring. Only some degree programs do, and the main scholarship round is for September.

Everything below comes from universities' own spring 2027 notices and 2027 admission guides, read on 10 November 2026. Deadlines are close: most fall between 30 November 2026 and 1 January 2027.

What starts in March, and what does not

Two examples of September-only programs:

• Zhejiang Normal University gives its language course two windows, one for March and one for September. Its 2027 master's guide has one window only: 1 February to 30 June 2027, the same dates its language guide gives for September entry.
• Southwest University's master's guide says applications close on 15 June every year and students enter in early September.

So before you pay anyone for a "March intake" place, find the university's own spring notice for that exact program.

Chinese language courses starting spring 2027

• All four charge a 400 RMB application or enrolment fee. Fudan and Southwest Jiaotong say it is not refunded.
• Zhejiang Normal University asks for a bank statement of at least 30,000 RMB and a passport valid beyond 28 February 2028. Southwest Jiaotong University asks for a passport valid beyond September 2027.
• Xiamen University's program has no on-campus housing; it says rooms near its Xiang'an campus cost about 600 to 1,500 yuan a month. Southwest Jiaotong University's dormitory is 365 yuan a month per person in a two-person room, without water and electricity.
• Applicants aged 17 need a guardian's guarantee at Fudan, and Zhejiang Normal University asks under-18s for guardian documents.

A spring semester of Chinese is also a way to prepare for a degree that starts in September. See learn Chinese first, then a degree.

Degree programs with a spring 2027 intake

Shenzhen University: PhD, March 2027

• Apply: 10 October to 30 November 2026, online.
• Who: a master's degree or above, generally under 40. Final-year students can apply with a certificate of expected graduation and must have the degree before enrollment.
• Language: HSK 5 with at least 180 points for Chinese-taught programs; an English certificate for English-taught ones.
• First step: contact a supervisor and get the university's "Letter of Recommendation from potential supervisor".
• Money: application fee 400 RMB or 60 USD, not refunded. Tuition is 34,000 RMB a year for liberal arts, 40,000 for science and engineering and 52,000 for medicine, arts and sports. You also need a bank statement showing at least 30,000 RMB.
• Timeline: pre-admission results by email in December 2026; the final list and admission documents in January 2027.
• Passport: valid until after 30 June 2027.

Guangdong University of Foreign Studies: spring 2027 degree students

• Apply: 30 September to 10 December 2026, online, then confirm with the admissions office by phone or email.
• Programs listed: the bachelor's majors Chinese Language and Chinese Language (Business Chinese).
• Chinese level: year 1 needs no HSK certificate, but a level equal to HSK 3. To join year 2 you need HSK 4 with 180 points; for year 3 of Business Chinese, HSK 5 with 180 points.
• Also required: a high-school diploma and transcripts, and a CSCA test score report.
• Age: generally no older than 30 for a bachelor's.

Scholarships: mostly a September matter

• The Chinese Government Scholarship round that is open now is for the 2027/2028 academic year. The Chinese Embassy in the Maldives, for example, tells bachelor's applicants who plan to start in September 2027 to take the CSCA test, and closes its applications on 29 January 2027. Each embassy sets its own date.
• Zhejiang Normal University's guide says the application time for this scholarship is generally November to early February.
• For a March start, check the spring notice itself. Shenzhen University's March 2027 PhD notice lists the Guangdong Government scholarship: 30,000 CNY a year.

If you need a full scholarship, plan for September and use the next weeks for that application. See how to apply for the CSC scholarship and all scholarship types compared.

After admission: visa papers

• The university sends an admission notice and a visa form. Fudan's guide says programs of 180 days or more get a JW202 form, and shorter programs get the short-term DQ form.
• Shenzhen University's PhD students apply for an X1 visa with the admission notice and the JW202 form, and must change it to a residence permit within 30 days of arriving.
• Do not replace your passport between applying and registering: Fudan and Shenzhen University both warn against it.

More detail is in the X1 and X2 visa guide.

What to do now

1. Decide what you want in March: a language semester is the realistic choice for most people; a degree only where the university has a spring notice.
2. Open the university's own 2027 spring notice and check the program, deadline and fee.
3. Prepare the documents these notices ask for: passport, diploma and transcripts, physical examination form, no-criminal-record certificate and a bank statement. Our documents checklist explains each one.
4. Apply in the university's own online system before the deadline. The application fee in the notices above is 400 RMB.
5. If someone offers you a March place in a program, ask for the link to the university's official notice before you pay.