Yenching Academy 2024 Masters Fellowships for International Students

Master of Arts in China Studies with a curriculum that covers six broad categories: Literature and Culture; History and Archaeology; Philosophy and Religion; Politics and International Relations; Economics and Management; and Law and Society.  Academy courses will be available in both English and Chinese.

The Yenching Academy is a fully-funded residential program offering various interdisciplinary courses on China within the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Working closely with their academic mentors, Yenching Scholars have the flexibility to create their study paths by choosing from six research areas and a variety of extracurricular activities. Studying at the Academy represents a unique opportunity not only for intercultural and academic exchange, but also for personal and professional development. 

Field of Study: Scholars participate in infield studies to culturally, economically, or socio-politically significant regions within Mainland China. Each Scholar chooses one of six research areas corresponding to thesis topic. (The research area does not affect course selection options or requirements.)

Research Areas:

•  Economics & Management
•  History & Archaeology
•   Law & Society
•  Literature & Culture
•   Philosophy & Religion
•   Politics & International Relations

• Table of Content
• About Yenching Academy of Peking University
• Masters Fellowships
• Aim and Benefits of Masters Fellowships
• Requirements for Masters Fellowships Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Masters Fellowships
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Yenching Academy of Peking University

The Yenching Academy offers a highly customizable Master's program in China studies for English speakers with varied levels of Chinese language competency. At the core of the program lies its emphasis on interdisciplinarity and the value it assigns to thinking about China; past, present and future - from both Chinese and international perspectives. It also aims to push the study of China beyond the boundaries of traditionally defined humanities and social science disciplines, and is designed to incorporate the experiences and intellectual training of its diverse student body. Scholars are ... continue reading

Masters Fellowships

Aim and Benefits of Masters Fellowships

Yenching Academy provides a generous postgraduate fellowship covering tuition fees, a travel stipend for one round-trip journey between each Scholar’s base city and Beijing, accommodations, and a monthly living stipend.

Duration of Program: 

• Fellowships for international scholars are for 12 months, with the option to extend for a second year in Beijing.
• During the second year in Beijing, students may apply for a limited number or Teaching, Research, or Administrative Assistantships.
• In addition, scholars may apply for grants to help fund research projects related to China Studies.
• All students complete coursework during their first year. The second year is for completing thesis writing and defense (international students who choose to leave Beijing after the first year may complete thesis defense remotely). Degrees are granted upon completing all coursework and satisfactory defense of the thesis, and are awarded in January and July of each year.
• The Academy also offers a limited number of doctoral scholarships to selected Yenching Scholars who want to pursue doctoral degrees in other Peking University departments.

Requirements for Masters Fellowships Qualification

Applicants should have:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in any field, awarded no later than August 31 of the year in which they wish to enroll;
• An outstanding academic record;
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary study of China;
• A record of extracurricular achievement, community engagement and social responsibility;
• Leadership potential;
• English proficiency.

Successful applicants will show how the Yenching Academy program is relevant and valuable for their career plans.
Preference is given to candidates age 25 or younger as of August 31 2022. For students from countries with mandatory military service, the age preference is 27 years old or younger.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Masters Fellowships

Each applicant will create an account on the Yenching Academy admissions portal and submit the following materials in English:

• Completed online application form;
• Personal statement (750 words or less);
• Statement of Research Interest (maximum 1500 words, excluding citations);
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Official transcript(s);
• Diploma(s) or Certificate(s) of Enrollment;
• Two academic letters of recommendation;

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

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Each applicant must submit the following materials in English:

• Completed online application form

For more details, visit Yenching Academy Of Peking University website