Master's in China Studies at Yenching Academy of Peking University, Beijing, 2027 Cohort (Law and Society Research Area, Yenching Fellowship for All Scholars)

The Yenching Academy of Peking University is accepting applications for the 2027 cohort of Yenching Scholars. The Academy runs an interdisciplinary Master's programme in China Studies and annually enrols approximately 120 new students from the Chinese Mainland and abroad; international students make up roughly 75% of the student body.

The programme is two years in duration. All Yenching Scholars live on campus during the first academic year, and every scholar writes a Master's thesis under a faculty advisor and defends it orally before an academic committee. International students must complete at least 31 credits along with a passed Master's thesis.

Each scholar selects one of six research areas: Economics and Management, History and Archaeology, Philosophy and Religion, Politics and International Relations, Law and Society, and Literature and Culture. The choice of thesis topic and advisor determines the degree awarded. A scholar in the Law and Society research area receives a Master of Law in China Studies (Law & Society) from Peking University; Politics and International Relations also leads to a Master of Law in China Studies.

Elective courses listed under Law and Society include The Legal Dynamics of Chinese Commerce and Society, Contemporary Chinese Society, Social Stratification and Mobility in China, and Women in Contemporary China. China and International Law is offered under Politics and International Relations. Compulsory courses are China in Transition, a week-long Field Study, the Topics in China Studies Lecture Series and Academic Writing; Chinese language study is compulsory for international scholars.

• A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in any field, or current enrolment in a Bachelor's programme with the expectation of receiving the diploma in August of the intended enrolment year. Peking University does not allow students to be enrolled in other degree programmes while studying there.
• An outstanding academic record, a strong interest in interdisciplinary study of China, and a record of extracurricular achievement, community engagement, social responsibility and leadership potential.
• English proficiency (see minimum scores below).
• International candidates (this route applies to Indian applicants) must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid passport.
• Students and alumni of the Academy's Partner Universities must first go through their home university's internal pre-selection process.
• Holders of a previous master's degree may apply, though graduate degree holders are not favoured in selection. Candidates need not have formally studied China or Chinese before.
• There is no strict age cut-off, but per the Academy's FAQ, excluding Zhuoyue Scholarship recipients, no person over the age of 29 has been admitted; the average entering age is 23.

• Completed online application form on the Yenching Academy admissions portal.
• Personal statement (750 words or less).
• Statement of Research Interest (maximum 1,500 words, excluding citations).
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Official transcript(s) and diploma(s) or certificate(s) of enrolment.
• Two academic letters of recommendation (Chinese or English), only from full or associate professors (or equivalent) in the applicant's intended field of study.
• English test: IELTS Academic overall 7.0, TOEFL iBT overall 100, or Cambridge English Scale (Advanced) overall 185. Tests must be taken after 1 September 2025; TOEFL MyBest Scores, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS Indicator, IELTS Online and IELTS One Skill Retake are not accepted. Scores must be sent directly by the testing body (TOEFL institution code C488). International applicants whose native language is English, or who graduated from an English-taught degree programme, need not submit a test report.

All materials are submitted in English.

The Academy provides a fellowship to all scholars covering tuition fees, accommodation, a monthly stipend, one round-trip travel fare and field study costs. Per the FAQ, the first-year fellowship also covers basic medical insurance; the round-trip travel must be between Beijing and a base city within the country of the scholar's nationality, with the cost estimated by the Academy. Scholars in good academic standing who stay in Beijing in the second year can apply for a second-year Yenching Fellowship (tuition, accommodation support, basic medical insurance and a monthly stipend).

International finalists are interviewed online in the winter or early spring and are contacted about one week before their interview date. Final admission decisions for international candidates are released around April, and final admission is confirmed through the official Peking University acceptance letter issued in the summer before enrolment.

Create an account on the Yenching Academy admissions portal and submit the application with all materials. The deadline for international candidates is 30 November 2026, 9:00 am Beijing time (6:30 am IST on 30 November), so plan to submit by 29 November IST.

Admissions queries: yca-admissions@pku.edu.cn, tel. +86-10-6276 6358 (International).