Yenching Academy Scholarship 2027 at Peking University: Fully Funded Master’s in China

The Yenching Academy Scholarship 2027 is a full fellowship for a two-year, English-taught Master’s in China Studies at Peking University. It covers tuition, on-campus accommodation, a monthly stipend, one round-trip flight to Beijing, basic medical insurance, and research costs.

Applications for the September 2027 intake are open now and close on November 30, 2026, at 9:00 am Beijing time. The 2026 intake was the Academy’s 12th cohort and brought together over 100 students from across the globe. Scholars work with academic advisors to build their own study path from six research areas.

The program offers interdisciplinary courses on China within the broadly defined fields of the humanities and social sciences. This guide lists the exact benefits, eligibility rules, documents, and application steps, all checked against the Academy’s official pages.

What the Yenching Fellowship covers

Every admitted scholar receives the Yenching Fellowship for the first academic year. It covers:

• Full tuition fees
• Accommodation in the Yenching Academy House on campus (scholars live on campus in year one)
• A monthly stipend for living costs
• A travel stipend for one round-trip journey between your base city and Beijing
• Basic medical insurance
• Expenses for designated research trips and field study

Scholars who keep good academic standing and stay in Beijing can apply for the second-year fellowship. It covers tuition, accommodation (on-campus housing or an off-campus housing stipend), basic medical insurance, and a monthly stipend.

Scholars must live on campus during the first academic year. Beyond classes, the Academy organizes extracurricular activities and field studies, many designed by the scholars themselves. That mix of coursework and scholar-led activities is central to how the program builds intercultural exchange.

Yenching Academy Scholarship 2027 at a glance

Detail	Information
Program	Yenching Academy Master’s Program in China Studies
University	Peking University, Beijing, China
Degree level	Master’s, 2 years
Language of instruction	English
Funding	Full fellowship: tuition, housing, stipend, one round-trip flight, insurance, research costs
Intake	September 2027
Application deadline	November 30, 2026, 9:00 am Beijing time
How to apply	Online at apply.yca.pku.edu.cn

Who can apply

The program admits international candidates and applicants from China’s Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions. You need a bachelor’s degree, or you can apply in your final year with a certificate of enrollment.

The Academy looks for young people with a record of leadership and innovation, plus strong academic results. Your undergraduate field does not lock you out. The program is interdisciplinary, and scholars pick courses from six research areas after admission.

The Academy’s stated goal is to bring together young people with leadership and innovation talent and build ties between China and the rest of the world. Admissions reflect that: academic strength matters, but so does what you have done outside the classroom.

English proof is mandatory unless you are a native English speaker or you graduated from an English-taught degree program. Applicants from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan must still submit a test report. If you don’t have a valid score in hand, the USTB China Scholarship 2026 (No IELTS) is another funded option in China that skips the test requirement.

Six research areas

Scholars shape their own study path with an academic advisor, choosing courses from six research areas:

• China Studies (Philosophy and Religion)
• China Studies (Economics and Management)
• China Studies (Law and Society)
• China Studies (Politics and International Relations)
• China Studies (Literature and Culture)
• China Studies (History and Archaeology)

Core courses include China in Transition, Field Study, Topics in China Studies Lecture Series, Academic Writing, and Chinese Language. Scholars complete all required credits in the first year, then write and defend a thesis in the second year before the degree committee approves the diploma and degree.

How to apply

1. Pick a research area and confirm you meet the degree and English requirements. Read the six areas carefully, because your Statement of Research Interest must fit one of them.
2. Create an account on the admissions portal at apply.yca.pku.edu.cn. The portal holds the full instructions once you register.
3. Fill in the online application form in English and upload your documents. Watch the word caps: 750 words for the personal statement, 1500 words excluding citations for the research statement.
4. Ask two full or associate professors in your intended field to submit recommendation letters through the portal. Contact them early, because professors are slow in November and the portal closes sharply at the deadline.
5. Have your English test scores sent directly to the Academy by the testing organization. For TOEFL, use institution code C488 and choose “Yenching Academy of Peking University” as the recipient. Scores sent by you do not count.
6. Submit everything before November 30, 2026, at 9:00 am Beijing time. Late or incomplete applications are not considered.

Documents you need

• Completed online application form
• Personal statement, 750 words or less
• Statement of Research Interest, maximum 1500 words excluding citations
• Curriculum Vitae
• Official academic transcript(s)
• Diploma(s) or certificate(s) of enrollment
• Two academic recommendation letters from full or associate professors (or equivalent titles) in your intended field of study
• English proficiency test report: IELTS Academic 7.0, TOEFL iBT 100, Cambridge English Scale (Advanced) 185, CET 6: 600, or TEM 4 pass level. Tests must be taken after September 1, 2025.

The Academy does not accept TOEFL MyBest Scores, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS Indicator, IELTS Online, or IELTS One Skill Retake. Score reports take weeks to arrive, so book your test early.

Submit everything in English through the admissions portal. The portal shows the full instructions once you create an account, so register early and read them before you upload.

Deadlines and timeline

The Academy runs online information sessions in October for prospective applicants, announced on its notices page.

Applications for the September 2027 intake are open now. The hard deadline is November 30, 2026, at 9:00 am Beijing time.

The Academy runs online information sessions in October for prospective applicants, listed on its notices page. After the deadline, the Academy reviews applications and contacts shortlisted candidates. Successful scholars begin classes at Peking University in September 2027.

Don’t wait for the last week. Your recommenders need time, and official English score reports must reach the Academy directly from the testing organization.

• Now to October 2026: prepare documents, book your English test, and contact recommenders.
• October 2026: the Academy holds online information sessions for applicants.
• November 30, 2026, 9:00 am Beijing time: application deadline.
• After the deadline: the Academy reviews applications and contacts shortlisted candidates.
• September 2027: classes begin at Peking University.

Tips for a strong application

The Academy selects young people with demonstrated leadership and innovation. Your personal statement should show what you have done, with concrete examples.

Write the Statement of Research Interest around a clear China-related question. You have 1500 words, so name the topic, the approach, and why it matters. Vague proposals are the most common weakness.

Treat the two written pieces as different jobs. The personal statement (750 words) is about you: your background, leadership, and why this program. The Statement of Research Interest (1500 words) is about the work: the China-related question you want to research and how you would approach it.

Choose recommenders who are full or associate professors in your intended field. The Academy only accepts letters from professors at that rank, so a lecturer’s letter will not count even if it praises you.

Plan your English test around the Academy’s cutoff. Tests must be taken after September 1, 2025, and the score must reach the Academy directly from IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge. A test taken in November may not report in time, so sit it by October.

The most common avoidable mistakes are a recommendation letter from a lecturer instead of a professor, a research statement over the 1500-word cap, and a score report the applicant sends themselves instead of the testing organization.

If you are comparing funded master’s programs in China, look at the Schwarzman Scholars Program 2027-28, another full fellowship at a top Chinese university. The Hubei Provincial Scholarship 2026 is a further funded route for studying in China.

Frequently Asked Questions