Subjects to Study
Studying Medicine in China Beyond MBBS: Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and More
Dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, public health and medical master's and PhDs in China: real programs, teaching language, HSK and CSCA requirements, and tuition.
6 min read · Updated 5 Nov 2026 · Verified
Clinical medicine (MBBS) is the best-known medical degree for international students in China, but it is not the only one. This guide covers the others: dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, public health, and medical master's and PhDs. For MBBS itself, see our MBBS guide; for traditional Chinese medicine, see Studying traditional Chinese medicine in China.
Medical majors in China's official catalog
The Ministry of Education lists every bachelor's major Chinese universities may offer in its Catalog of Undergraduate Majors. In the 2026 edition, medicine has 11 groups. Besides clinical medicine and Chinese medicine, these are the ones international students ask about most:
| Group | Majors (examples) | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Stomatology (口腔医学类) | Stomatology (口腔医学), China's name for dentistry | Bachelor of Medicine |
| Basic medicine (基础医学类) | Basic Medical Sciences (基础医学), Biomedical Sciences (生物医学科学) | Bachelor of Medicine; Biomedical Sciences: Bachelor of Science |
| Public health and preventive medicine (公共卫生与预防医学类) | Preventive Medicine (预防医学), Food Hygiene and Nutrition, Global Health | Preventive Medicine: Bachelor of Medicine; the others: Bachelor of Science |
| Pharmacy (药学类) | Pharmacy (药学), Pharmaceutics (药物制剂), Clinical Pharmacy (临床药学) | Bachelor of Science |
| Medical technology (医学技术类) | Medical Laboratory Technology (医学检验技术), Medical Imaging Technology (医学影像技术), Optometry (眼视光学), Rehabilitation Therapy (康复治疗学) | Bachelor of Science |
| Nursing (护理学类) | Nursing (护理学), Midwifery (助产学) | Bachelor of Science |
Two things to know when you read university catalogs:
- Similar names, different degrees. Ophthalmology and Optometry (眼视光医学) belongs to the clinical medicine group and leads to a Bachelor of Medicine. Optometry (眼视光学) is a medical technology major with a Bachelor of Science.
- Controlled majors. Codes ending in "K", such as clinical medicine, stomatology, preventive medicine and nursing, mark majors where the state controls which universities may offer them.
Bachelor's programs take four or five years, and each university sets the length. At the universities in our database, stomatology, preventive medicine and basic medical sciences take five years, and pharmacy and nursing four.
Programs in our database
These come from each university's own admission catalog (Nankai 2027, Sun Yat-sen and Zhejiang 2026). Tuition is per year.
| University | Program | Level and language | Tuition | Entry requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nankai University | Stomatology (School of Medicine, Jinnan campus), 5 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 35,000 CNY | HSK 6 (180+); CSCA mathematics, physics, chemistry, professional Chinese (science) |
| Nankai University | Ophthalmology and Optometry (School of Medicine, Jinnan campus), 5 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 35,000 CNY | Same as above |
| Nankai University | Pharmacy (College of Pharmacy, Jinnan campus), 4 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 25,000 CNY | HSK 4 (180+); CSCA mathematics, physics, chemistry, professional Chinese (science) |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Stomatology (Guanghua School of Stomatology), 5 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 48,000 CNY | HSK 5 (180+); CSCA mathematics, chemistry, professional Chinese (science) |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Basic Medical Sciences (Zhongshan School of Medicine), 5 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 48,000 CNY | Same as above |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Preventive Medicine (Guangzhou or Shenzhen campus), 5 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 48,000 CNY | Same as above |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Pharmacy (Guangzhou or Shenzhen campus), 4 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 48,000 CNY | Same as above |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Nursing (School of Nursing), 4 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 48,000 CNY | Same as above |
| Zhejiang University | Stomatology or Preventive Medicine (School of Medicine), 5 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 29,800 CNY | HSK 6 (180+); CSCA mathematics, chemistry, professional Chinese (science) |
| Zhejiang University | Pharmacy (College of Pharmaceutical Sciences), 4 years | Bachelor's, Chinese | 24,800 CNY | HSK 5 (180+); same CSCA subjects |
| Zhejiang University | Biomedicine, dual degree with the University of Edinburgh (Haining international campus), 4 years | Bachelor's, English | 200,000 CNY | CSCA mathematics and chemistry |
| Zhejiang University | Internal Medicine, Surgery, Neurology, or Obstetrics and Gynecology (academic degrees), 3 years; the first year at the International School of Medicine in Yiwu | Master's, English | 40,800 CNY | Supervisor's acceptance required |
| Zhejiang University | Immunology, or Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (Zhejiang University–University of Edinburgh Institute), 4 years | PhD, English | 47,800 CNY | See the catalog |
Our program search lists every medical program we have. We are adding more universities' catalogs, so check back.
Chinese-taught clinical medicine is not MBBS
Some universities also teach Clinical Medicine (临床医学) in Chinese. Sun Yat-sen (Guangzhou and Shenzhen campuses, 48,000 CNY a year, HSK 5 with 180) and Zhejiang (29,800 CNY a year, HSK 6 with 180) offer it as a five-year bachelor's.
MBBS is different: it is the six-year clinical medicine program taught in English, and only universities on the Ministry of Education's list may offer it (44 in its most recent published list). If you want to study medicine in English, read our MBBS guide.
Master's and PhD
China's graduate catalog (2022 edition) distinguishes academic degrees (学术学位), which follow research disciplines, from professional degrees (专业学位), which are set up for a specific profession. In medicine:
- Academic disciplines include Basic Medicine, Clinical Medicine, Stomatology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing and Forensic Medicine.
- Professional degrees include Clinical Medicine, Stomatology, Public Health, Pharmacy, Medical Technology and Nursing. Nursing is offered at master's level only.
University catalogs usually say which kind a program is: Zhejiang's English-taught master's in Internal Medicine, for example, is listed as an academic degree.
Fees at other universities in our database, per year:
- Fudan University (2026 rates for academic degrees): master's in medicine 48,000 CNY, PhD 54,000 CNY.
- Southeast University: master's in medicine 30,000 CNY taught in Chinese or 35,000 CNY taught in English; its English-taught public health master's costs 33,000 CNY.
For graduate study, find a supervisor early: Zhejiang requires a supervisor's acceptance for its English-taught master's in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Neurology and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Read the department's faculty pages, then email a short CV and research proposal.
Universities to look at
Besides the comprehensive universities above, our database includes specialist universities such as Peking Union Medical College, China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing, and medical universities such as Capital Medical University, Nanjing Medical University and Wenzhou Medical University. Check each one's international admission catalog for majors beyond MBBS.
Before you apply
- Check the licence at home. A Chinese degree in dentistry, pharmacy or nursing does not automatically let you work in that profession in your country. Ask your health ministry or professional council what they require before you enroll.
- Read the health conditions. Zhejiang University asks applicants for its medical and pharmacy majors to have no colour blindness or colour weakness. Other universities have their own lists.
- Plan your Chinese. Most programs here are taught in Chinese and ask for HSK 4 to HSK 6. Starting with little Chinese? See Learn Chinese first, then start your degree.
- Prepare for the CSCA. Bachelor's applicants take the CSCA in mathematics and chemistry (plus physics at Nankai) and professional Chinese (science): see our CSCA guide.
- Scholarships. The Chinese Government Scholarship covers bachelor's, master's and PhD students: see our CSC guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I study dentistry in China?
Yes. China calls dentistry stomatology (口腔医学). In our database it is a five-year bachelor's taught in Chinese at Nankai University (35,000 CNY a year, HSK 6 with 180 points), Sun Yat-sen University (48,000 CNY, HSK 5 with 180) and Zhejiang University (29,800 CNY, HSK 6 with 180).
Is Chinese-taught clinical medicine the same as MBBS?
No. MBBS is the six-year clinical medicine program taught in English, which only universities on the Ministry of Education's list may offer. Sun Yat-sen and Zhejiang also teach Clinical Medicine (临床医学) in Chinese, as a five-year bachelor's that needs HSK 5 or HSK 6.
How much does it cost to study pharmacy or nursing in China?
In our database, a Chinese-taught pharmacy bachelor's costs 24,800 CNY a year at Zhejiang University, 25,000 at Nankai and 48,000 at Sun Yat-sen. Sun Yat-sen's four-year nursing bachelor's is also 48,000 CNY a year.
Are there English-taught medical master's and PhDs in China?
Yes. Zhejiang University teaches academic master's degrees in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Neurology and Obstetrics and Gynecology in English (40,800 CNY a year, supervisor's acceptance required), and English-taught PhDs in Immunology and in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at its institute with the University of Edinburgh (47,800 CNY a year).