Master's Degree in China 2027: English Programs, Fees, CSC

A master's degree in China takes two to three years, is taught in Chinese or English, and is open to anyone with a bachelor's degree, usually up to the age of 35. Most programs start in September. For September 2027, universities are taking applications now.

Everything below comes from the 2027 master's admission guides of five universities and from the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia's notice for the 2027/2028 Chinese Government Scholarship, all read on 11 November 2026. Every university sets its own rules, so use these as examples and read the guide of the university you choose.

Who can apply

The five guides ask for much the same things:

• A bachelor's degree. Nankai University and Zhejiang Normal University also accept an equivalent qualification. If you are in your final year, you apply with a letter from your university saying when you will graduate, and show the degree certificate later.
• Age. 35 or under at Nankai University and Southwest University, under 35 at Dalian University of Technology and Xi'an Jiaotong University, and 18 to 35 "in principle" at Zhejiang Normal University. See our age limits guide.
• A foreign passport, good health and no criminal record.
• A language score for the language your program is taught in.

Master's applicants do not take the CSCA test: the scholarship notice asks for a CSCA score only from bachelor's applicants. Universities review your documents and may interview you. At Nankai University, the interview usually comes within 20 working days after you pass the first review.

English-taught or Chinese-taught

Both exist, but more programs are taught in Chinese:

• Nankai University opens 163 master's programs to international students for 2027, and 8 of them have an English-taught option.
• Zhejiang Normal University has 30 Chinese-taught and 13 English-taught master's programs.

So start from the program list, not from the university's name. Each guide links to its list of programs with the teaching language of each one.

Scores for English-taught programs

You may not need a test at all. Nankai University and Dalian University of Technology accept a certificate from your university that your earlier degree was taught in English, and both exempt applicants from English-speaking countries. More in our guide to studying in China without IELTS.

HSK for Chinese-taught programs

Two more things to know:

• Graduation can need a higher level. At Nankai University, every Chinese-taught master's student must pass HSK 5 before graduating, and students of its College of Chinese Language and Culture and School of Literature need HSK 6 with more than 180 points.
• A language year may be added. Xi'an Jiaotong University says it may add one year of Chinese before the degree, depending on your level, and only students who pass HSK 4 go on to their major.

See HSK requirements for admission for how long each level takes.

How long it takes

• Nankai University: 2 to 3 years, depending on the program.
• Southwest University: 2 to 3 years.
• Dalian University of Technology: three years, for both its Chinese-taught and English-taught master's programs.

The length is listed for each program in the university's program list. To graduate you complete the courses and defend a thesis.

Tuition and other costs

Tuition per year in the 2027 guides, for students who pay their own way:

Other costs in the same guides:

• Application fee: 400 CNY at Zhejiang Normal University, 500 CNY at Southwest University and at Xi'an Jiaotong University (self-funded), 600 CNY at Nankai University (paid after admission), 800 CNY at Dalian University of Technology (self-funded).
• Dormitory: 6,000 to 12,000 CNY a year at Southwest University, 8,000 to 19,000 CNY a year at Xi'an Jiaotong University, and 450 to 600 CNY a month for a bed in a double room at Zhejiang Normal University.
• Medical insurance: 800 CNY a year at Nankai University and Southwest University, 1,000 CNY at Zhejiang Normal University. It is compulsory.
• Proof of funds: self-funded applicants show a bank deposit of at least 30,000 CNY at Zhejiang Normal University and 50,000 CNY at Dalian University of Technology.

Our tuition fees page lists the fees we have checked for more universities, and how much money you need covers the full budget.

Scholarships for a master's

Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC). For master's students it covers tuition, a dormitory place, medical insurance and a living allowance of 3,000 CNY a month (the rate Peking University lists for its CSC master's students). The embassy notice for 2027/2028 sets these conditions for a master's:

• a bachelor's degree and under 35;
• HSK 4 or above for a Chinese-taught program, or an English certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL as the university requires;
• a pre-admission document from a university;
• a study plan of at least 800 words and two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors.

There are two ways in:

• Type A, through the Chinese embassy in your country. Each embassy sets its own deadline: the embassy in Indonesia closes on 14 February 2027. Get the university's pre-admission letter first: see how to get a pre-admission letter.
• Type B, through the university. You apply to the university and on the CSC system with the university's agency number. Nankai University takes Type B applications from November 2026 to March 2027, Dalian University of Technology takes scholarship applications until 15 February 2027, and Xi'an Jiaotong University until 31 March 2027.

Our CSC application guide explains both routes. You cannot hold the CSC scholarship together with another Chinese government or university scholarship.

Provincial and university scholarships. These are chosen inside the university's own application, and many last one year at a time:

• Nankai University: the Tianjin Government Scholarship and the university's own scholarship each have two classes. First class gives tuition, a living allowance and medical insurance; second class gives tuition only. Each award is for one academic year.
• Zhejiang Normal University: the Zhejiang Provincial Government scholarship and the university scholarship are open to all its master's programs, last one year, and you apply again each year.
• Xi'an Jiaotong University: its freshman scholarship for postgraduates waives all or part of the first year's tuition.

For how these compare, see scholarships in China compared.

What makes a master's application different

Compared with a bachelor's application, three documents matter most:

• A study plan or research proposal. At least 800 words at Nankai University, and at least 1,000 words at Dalian University of Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University and Zhejiang Normal University. Zhejiang Normal University wants it written in the language your program is taught in.
• Two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors. All five guides ask for them.
• A supervisor. Nankai University's document list includes an acceptance letter from the supervisor you want to study with, and it publishes a booklet of supervisors who are willing to take international students. At Xi'an Jiaotong University some schools require a supervisor's letter. At Dalian University of Technology it is optional, but you may contact a supervisor first and attach the letter.

The rest is the usual set: degree certificate and transcripts (with notarized Chinese or English translations if they are in another language), passport, physical examination form and a no-criminal-record certificate. Our documents checklist explains each one.

Deadlines for September 2027

Scholarship deadlines come months before self-funded ones. If you want a scholarship for September 2027, the time to apply is now until February or March.

Steps

1. Choose the field and the language. Open the university's 2027 program list and check that your program exists in the language you can study in.
2. Check your scores and age against that university's guide.
3. Write your study plan and ask two of your professors for recommendation letters.
4. Contact a supervisor where the university asks for one.
5. Apply in the university's own online system, and on the CSC system too if you want the government scholarship.
6. Watch your email for an interview and the result. Nankai University publishes results in July; CSC results come in July and August.
7. Apply for your visa with the admission letter and visa form: see our student visa guide.

Free help from us

You can do all of this yourself, using the universities' own systems. If you would like help finding master's programs that match your bachelor's degree and your language, ask for free application help. Advice and application help are free for students, and we send your details to a university only after you agree.