Introduction of UCASS
The University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (UCASS) is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the premier academic organization and comprehensive research center of the People’s Republic of China in the fields of philosophy and social sciences. Its predecessor, the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, is one of the earliest graduate schools in China. Proudly, UCASS operates and develops an almost complete range of disciplines of humanities and social sciences in China, involving areas such as philosophy, economics, law, literature, history, and management. UCASS has 16 first-tier disciplines at the doctoral level and 17 first-tier disciplines at the master’s level, which are further divided into 124 doctoral degree programs, 132 master’s degree programs, and 12 professional master’s degree programs.
Introduction of Huangpu Institute
Located in Guangzhou, Huangpu Institute for Advanced Study of Social Sciences, UCASS (hereinafter referred as HPIAS) is a global and open cooperation platform jointly set up by UCASS and the Management Committee of Guangzhou Development Zone of Guangzhou Municipality. In terms of the international postgraduate students’ cultivation, the Huangpu Institute functions as a platform for teaching and academic research, and also a research base on Chinese national conditions. Equipped with world-class software and hardware facilities and environment, the Huangpu Institute aims to nurture international high-level talents who know China, have a friendly attitude towards China and love China.
Categories for Admissions
The categories for international graduate admissions at our university include:
★ Master's degree students
★Ph.D. degree students
★General visiting students (equivalent to Master's level)
★Advanced visiting students (equivalent to Doctoral level).
The master’s and PhD degree programs in areas such as Literature, History, and Economics are open to international applicants. All courses will be delivered in English. Students will study in two locations, UCASS (Beijing) and HPIAS of UCASS (Guangzhou, Guangdong Province). For students on degree programs, at least one year of schooling should be spent at UCASS (Beijing). All programs start in early September of 2025.
Enrollment Methods
The “Application-Assessment Model” is adopted in the international student admission procedure for Master’s and Doctoral programs.
List of Degree Programs
Please refer to the “2025 English-taught Doctoral Degree Programs for International Students, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences” and “2025 English-Taught Master’s Degree Programs for International Students, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences” (available on UCASS official webpage).
Application Procedures
1. Application Period
The application period starts from the day publicizing this guide until May 6th, 2025.
2. Eligibility
Applicants meeting the following basic criteria are eligible to apply:
① Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid foreign passport.
The applicants who fall under either of the two categories mentioned below are required to provide relevant documents and materials to prove their foreign citizenships：
●Applicants whose parents are both Chinese nationals and have both settled abroad, or one of whose parents is a Chinese national and has settled abroad, and who has acquired foreign nationality at birth, should hold valid foreign passports or official nationality proofs for at least four years, and submit an official record of residing abroad for at least 2 years in past four years before April 30th of the admission year (a residence duration abroad for at least 9 months in one year counts for one year, proved by the entry and exit seals);
● Applicants who were born in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan but acquired foreign nationality due to immigration, should meet the requirements mentioned above in Item A, and submit a Chinese Nationality Renunciation Certificate and a Household Registration Cancellation Certificate.
② Applicants should have a friendly attitude towards China, be well-conducted, abide by the laws and regulations of China, and the regulations of UCASS, and respect Chinese social customs.
③Applicants should be in good health, meeting the physical examination requirements for a Chinese visa and residential permit, and able to conduct daily normal activities regarding study and living in China;
④ Applicants should have an adequate command of English. Non-native English speakers should have a TOEFL iBT score of 100 points or above, IELTS of 7 points or above) or GRE of 315 points or above, or other proofs of sufficient English proficiency; Applicants with any proof of sufficient English proficiency may apply to take the English proficiency test held by UCASS.
⑤Applicants applying for a Master’s degree must have already obtained a Bachelor's degree or any degree above.
Applicants applying for a Doctoral degree must have obtained a Master's degree or a doctoral degree.
3. List of Application Materials
Applicants can download the application-related forms at:
https://intl.ucass.edu.cn/lxskd1/ywxm.htm
Applicants should truthfully prepare and provide the following application materials:
① International Student Application Form of UCASS
② The Original or Authenticated Certificate of the Highest Degree Written in Chinese or English
The International Exchange and Cooperation Department will check the original degree certificate upon in-person registration. If the original degree certificate cannot be presented for review, the admission may be canceled. Applicants currently studying in the final year of the Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree Program should provide official documents stating their anticipated graduation date for conditional admission. Full admission is granted only after receipt of the official degree certificate or the notarized certificate of academic degree.
Applicant who has obtained degree(s) from overseas universities or colleges shall get their degree(s) first notarized by local competent authorities, and then authenticated by the local Chinese Embassy and Consulates, or directly apply for online certification from China Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (website: http://zwfw.cscse.edu.cn).
A diploma which is issued in any member country of the Apostille Convention, is accepted with an Apostille issued by competent authorities, and its authentication from the Chinese Embassy or Consulates is no longer needed.
l List of member countries to Apostille Convention could be found at
https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
l Competent authorities for Apostille service of the member countries could be found at
https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/authorities1/?cid=41
③ The Official Transcript issued by the educational institutions since undergraduate study
It must be the original form or the notarized/authenticated document in Chinese or English (It can be certified by applying to the institution which applicants graduated from for re-stamping or requesting the institution to provide a certification document).
④ Two Original Recommendations in Chinese or English
Applicants must present two recommendations from professors, associate professors, or professionals with equivalent academic credentials. It is preferable to use the letterhead paper with the name of the employer which the recommender works for. The recommender’s position or professional title and contact information should be included. The recommendations should be signed by the recommenders. The recommendation letter should be written within 6 months prior to the application deadline.
⑤ A Resume in English
Applicants should list all study and professional experiences starting from higher education.
⑥ Personal Statement in English
Please describe reasons for application, professional aspirations, academic research experience, research plans during the study in UCASS, etc., around 1,500 words for master’s students and around 3, 000 words for doctoral students.
⑦ Passport Photocopies
The passport must remain valid for at least 3 months after registration. Passport photocopies should include the passport front cover, personal information page, and pages with visas (if any).
⑧ Proof of English Proficiency
Native English speakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa are exempted from this requirement while non-native English speakers need to present an adequate TOEFL iBT, IELTS or GRE score, or other proofs of sufficient English proficiency. The minimum scores for TOEFL, IELTS and GRE respectively are 100 points, 7 points, and 315 points.
Applicants from countries other than above-mentioned countries are not regarded as native English speakers.
⑨ Summary of Research Achievements
Please provide menus of contents, abstracts of published or completed academic papers, and other original research achievements (if any).
⑩ A Copy of Completed “Foreigner Physical Examination Form”
The form should be filled in English. Applicants should take the examination item by item as listed in the “Foreigner Physical Examination Form”. An incomplete form or a form without the applicant’s bust photo or a signature from the physician is regarded as invalid. The form should bear the hospital’s official seal and have the edges of all pages stamped with the hospital’s official seal. It should be noted that the examination results are valid only for 6 months. The applicant needs schedule the examination no early than 6 months before handing in application to UCASS.
⑪ Two Recent Bust Photos and its Digital File
The bust photo should be in color with a white background and 2 inches in size.
⑫ Scholarship Application Form
For those willing for scholarship, please download the Scholarship Application Form for International Students of HPIAS, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and fill in the form in English.
Applicants for general visiting students or advanced visiting students should submit the following materials: Item 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, and 12 from the list above.
Note:
l All application materials need to be written in Chinese or English. Documents written in any other languages need to be notarized. The notarized copies should be written in Chinese or English.
l If the submitted materials are notarized/authenticated copies or apostilles, please provide the original copies. Duplicates are not acceptable.
l UCASS reserves the right to require the applicants to submit other relevant supplementary documents.
4. Submitting the Application Materials
Applicants can send application materials by post. The date of the postmark should be no later than the application deadline.
The mailing address is:
International Exchange and Cooperation Department
University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
No.11 Changyu Street, Fangshan District, Beijing, 102488, China
Please mark the envelope cover with “2025 International Students Application Materials”.
While posting the hardcopies of application materials, applicants should also send scanned copies to UCASS by compressing all digital copies into a .ZIP or .RAR file and submitting them to UCASS at hpias@ucass.edu.cn. Please label the file as "English program + applicant’s name". Please do not combine all documents into one single PDF or Word file.
The application materials will be reviewed and verified. The applicants should bear all consequences if any inconformity or misrepresentation is discovered in the materials. Application materials will not be returned to applicants.
5. Application Fee
The application fee is 580 CNY. Applications will not be processed if the documents are incomplete or the application fee is not paid. Applicants should make payment by wire transfer after submitting the application materials (please do not put cash into the envelope of application materials). The application fee is preferably to be paid in CNY. The application fee is non-refundable.
Please include the applicant’s passport number and full name in English in the wire transfer.
Remittance account information:
Account: UNIVERSITY OF CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Deposit bank: INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK OF CHINA, FANGSHAN BRANCH, LIANGXIANG SUB-BRANCH
Bank account number: 0200 0264 0920 0176 883
SWIFT code: ICBKCNBJBJM
Screening and Assessment
1. Review of Eligibility
All applications will be reviewed by UCASS International Exchange and Cooperation Department. Those who are not on the list are not eligible applicants.
2. Assessment Permit
UCASS will designate expert panels to evaluate the eligible applicants’ documents and shortlist candidates that enter the assessment process. Those on the list will be given the Assessment Permit. The Assessment Permit will be sent to eligible applicants via email, along with the information on the time and arrangements of the following assessment.
3. Assessment
The assessment will be carried out in the form of oral tests. The applicant's education background, specialty, academic skills, virtue and character, and potential for academic development will all be taken into consideration. If those students who are required to take the English proficiency test held by UCASS pass the test, they can continue to take part in the assessment.
Assessment Subjects for Master's and Doctoral Degree Candidates are:
① English Proficiency and General Knowledge on China with a total score of 50 points;
② Comprehensive Academic Knowledge and Skills with a total score of 100 points.
Applicants will make a presentation to the assessment expert panel in the test of Comprehensive Academic Knowledge and Skill. The presentation should focus on reasons for application, scientific research experiences and achievements, understandings and viewpoints regarding the area of study, and plans for study and research.
Assessment Subjects for General and Advanced Visiting Students:
English Proficiency and Comprehensive Academic Knowledge and Skill with a total score of 100 points.
4. Admission Decision
① Applicants who successfully pass the eligibility review in line with the national admissions regulations and achieve satisfactory scores in each subject of the assessment tests will be ranked on the final list applicants according to their total scores. The preliminary admission list will be determined based on the applicants’ rankings and the results will be announced online at UCASS official website with a public notification period of 5 days. The admission decision is made by the principles of “fully assessing ethic quality, academic knowledge, and physical fitness, prioritizing excellence, and guaranteeing high quality”.
②UCASS Admission Letter, Confirmation Form for Study in China or Information Form for Foreign Students’ Short-term Visit, and other related documents will be posted to the students. No further notice will be made to those who are not admitted.
5. Release of Information
Admission Guide, List of Degree Programs, admission decisions, and other relevant information will be released on the UCASS official website (https://intl.ucass.edu.cn/lxskd1/ywxm.htm).
Visa, Registration and Insurance
Admitted international students will apply for a student visa (X1/X2) at the Chinese embassy or consulate with the UCASS Admission Letter, Confirmation Form for Study in China (“JW202” form) or Information Form for Foreign Students’ Short-term Visit (“DQ” form), and the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. Please keep the original admission letter and JW202 form or DQ form for applying for a residence permit after arriving at UCASS.
Admitted students should come to UCASS for registration in September 2025. Admitted students must go through the admission and registration procedures strictly in accordance with the time and place specified in the admission letter. The original Foreigner Physical Examination Form and Blood Test Report will be checked by the Registrar. Those who can't register in time as required should get permission from UCASS in advance.
The Ministry of Education of China stipulates that all international students must have medical insurance throughout the period of their study in China. International students of UCASS are required to purchase the Comprehensive Medical Insurance for Foreigners staying in China on the day of registration. Students who do not purchase the insurance as required will not be allowed to register. The insurance premium is 800 CNY per year (please refer to www.lxbx.net for details). For international students who are provided with a full scholarship, the university will purchase the comprehensive medical insurance for them once they are registered.
Length and Overview of the Programs
The regular study period of the Master’s degree programs is 3 years, during which students should study full-time at UCASS. If students manage to obtain all required credits ahead of schedule, meet the related regulations of UCASS and pass the dissertation defense, they may be allowed to graduate one year earlier. Those who have completed 3 years of study but have not met the graduation requirements can apply for an extension of study for up to 1 year.
The regular study period of the doctoral degree program is 4 years, during which students should study full-time at UCASS. If students manage to obtain all required credits ahead of schedule, meet the related regulations of UCASS and pass the dissertation defense, they may be allowed to graduate one year earlier. Those who have completed 4 years of study but have not met the graduation requirements can apply for an extension of study for up to 2 years.
The study period for general and advanced visiting students is usually no more than 1 year.
Assistantships, Scholarship and Tuition
1. UCASS adopts Three Assistantships Policy that offers financial assistance to the Master’s and doctoral students who are admitted to work as teaching or administrative assistant at UCASS in their spare time.
2. According to the relevant regulations, UCASS provides scholarships for international students who exhibit good conduct and excellent academic performance.
3. The admitted international Master’s students should pay a tuition fee of 27,000 CNY per academic year and the admitted international doctoral students should pay a tuition fee of 30,000 CNY per academic year. The admitted general visiting students should pay a tuition fee of 25,000 CNY per academic year and the admitted advanced visiting students should pay a tuition fee of 28,000 CNY per academic year.
4. International students admitted to UCASS can apply for a full scholarship, which will waive tuition, accommodation cost, the comprehensive medical insurance and living allowances. For detailed information, please refer to the Special Scholarship Application Guide for International Students of University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Accommodation
UCASS provides well-furnished accommodation with fully-equipped facilities and a great environment for international students. To reserve a room, students should submit accommodation applications in advance. Room rent and miscellaneous fees are in line with the relevant UCASS standards of student accommodation fees.
Graduation and Degree Awarding
Students who have fulfilled all the requirements stipulated in the program overview, including having passed all the courses with satisfactory scores and passing the dissertation defense in English, are permitted to graduate. After being examined and approved by the UCASS Academic Degree Evaluation Committee, the corresponding academic degrees will be conferred to students.
Upon completion of the study and fulfillment of the study plan, general and advanced visiting students will be granted a certificate of study. No degree will be awarded.
Other Matters
1. Students can find detailed information on UCASS and Huangpu Institute, such as the curriculum, faculty, and program overviews, by contacting UCASS through phone or email.
2. International students are not allowed to enrol in two or more universities at the same time in China.
Contact Information
Email: hpias@ucass.edu.cn
Tel: + 86-20-82385669, +86-10-81360328
Working hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 11:30, 14:00 to 16:30, Beijing time.
University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Date of Issue: March 25th, 2025
