Yenching Academy of Peking University Fellowship 2027: who should apply, what the award covers, and how the Partner University rule works

If you already have the Yenching Academy admissions page open, this explainer is still useful. It puts the main application routes and university-status rules in decision order, including the first-year versus second-year funding conditions and the English-score requirements, and it flags where aggregator “fully funded” copy invents stipend amounts the Academy does not publish.

Scholarship Tally editors checked the official Yenching Academy homepage, the Admissions page, the Frequently Asked Questions, the Partner and Cooperating Universities page, and the Yenching Academy application portal on 30 September 2026. We are not the selection panel. Re-check the live official pages before you submit because deadlines and application requirements can change.

Is this the right call, or should you wait?

Read on if you:

• Want a two-year interdisciplinary Master’s in China Studies at Peking University (PKU) in Beijing, and can commit to living on campus in the first academic year
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in any field, or will receive that diploma by August of the intended enrollment year (for the 2027 cohort, that means August 2027)
• Can show strong academics, leadership or community engagement, and a serious interest in interdisciplinary China study
• Meet the English rules for your track (or plan to sit an accepted test after 1 September 2025 and have scores sent directly to Yenching Academy)
• Can secure two academic recommendation letters from full professors or associate professors (or equivalent titles) in your intended field of study
• Know which track you are on: independent international applicant, Partner University nominee, applicant from China’s Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan Regions (HMT), or Mainland Chinese applicant

This call may not fit if you:

• Need a published monthly stipend amount in renminbi or United States dollars before you apply. The official FAQ confirms that the fellowship includes a monthly stipend but does not publish the amount on the pages checked
• Expect second-year funding to be automatic (you must maintain good academic standing, plan to stay in Beijing, and apply for the second-year fellowship)
• Are still enrolled in another degree that will not finish by August of the enrollment year (Peking University does not allow concurrent degree enrolment)
• Are a Partner University student or alumnus and plan to skip your home university’s internal pre-selection
• Are counting on an age exception: the FAQ states there is no strict age cut-off, but excluding Zhuoyue Scholarship recipients, no person over 29 has been admitted, and the average entering age is 23
• Want a science or engineering master’s diploma (Yenching awards China Studies master’s diplomas tied to six humanities and social-science research areas)

Start-here facts (official): Applications for the 2027 cohort of Yenching Scholars opened 1 September 2026. Deadline for international candidates and for candidates from China’s Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Regions: 30 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. Beijing time. Apply through the Yenching Academy application portal. Mainland Chinese candidates follow a separate Graduate School of Peking University process. Partner University students and alumni must complete their home university’s internal pre-selection before submitting to Yenching Academy.

What this programme is (and what it is not)

Yenching Academy of Peking University offers a two-year interdisciplinary master’s programme in China Studies. Scholars select one of six research areas and complete a master’s thesis.

The Academy annually enrolls approximately 120 new students. The official pages do not state a separate 2027 intake number beyond that approximate figure. International students comprise roughly 75% of the student body. Among international scholars, approximately 30–35% are from Europe, 25–30% from the United States and Canada, and 30–35% from the rest of the world (official FAQ).

The programme lasts two years. Fellowships for students are initially for twelve months, during which scholars complete coursework and may begin thesis work. All Yenching Scholars must live on campus during the first academic year. In the second academic year, Chinese students (including HMT) must stay in Beijing; international students may choose whether to stay in Beijing to finish the thesis and defence.

Upon graduation, each scholar receives a Master’s diploma in China Studies issued by Peking University. The diploma wording follows the scholar’s research area:

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

A research area choice does not lock elective course selection, but it does determine the diploma type. Scholars outside the Chinese Mainland (including international and HMT students) must earn at least 31 credits and pass a Master’s thesis. Mainland Chinese students must complete at least 34 credits and a thesis, plus required Political Theory and English coursework (English may be waived per Academy rules).

What the fellowship pays, and what it does not

The homepage states that the Yenching Academy provides full fellowships to its Scholars. The FAQ lists the covered items for the first-year Yenching Fellowship and does not publish a cash amount for the monthly stipend. Do not treat “full fellowship” as covering every possible living cost beyond the published list.

First academic year (all admitted students receive the Yenching Fellowship), official FAQ:

• Tuition
• Accommodation in the Yenching Academy House
• A travel stipend for one round-trip journey between your base city and Beijing (the base city must be a city within the country of your nationality; Yenching Academy estimates and calculates the cost of this round-trip)
• Basic medical insurance
• A monthly stipend
• Expenses related to research (Admissions page also refers to field study costs; same fellowship package, two official phrasings)

Second academic year (not automatic): Second-year funding is not automatic. Students who maintain good academic standing and plan to stay in Beijing during their second academic year can apply for the second-year Yenching Fellowship. The official FAQ states that the second-year fellowship covers tuition, accommodation support (on-campus house or off-campus housing stipend), basic medical insurance, and a monthly stipend. Second-year students who live on campus and serve in student assistantship roles can receive additional funding support (FAQ).

Do not invent amounts. If an aggregator quotes a monthly stipend figure, treat it as unofficial unless you can verify it on yenchingacademy.pku.edu.cn. Scholarship Tally will not invent a renminbi or United States dollar number the Academy has not published.

Accommodation (year one): Scholars live in renovated rooms in the Shaoyuan 6 dormitory on Peking University’s campus. Most scholars are placed in two-bedroom suites, sharing a bathroom with one person of the same gender.

Eligibility without the brochure gloss

Applicants should have (Admissions):

1. 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 enrollment year
2. An outstanding academic record
3. Strong interest in interdisciplinary study of China
4. A record of extracurricular achievement, community engagement, social responsibility, and leadership potential
5. English proficiency

Peking University does not allow students to be enrolled in other degree programmes while studying at the university. Finish (or schedule to finish) any current degree by August of the enrollment year.

International candidates (Admissions): Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid passport. Former citizens of the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan who have emigrated to other countries and apply as international students must present valid passport or citizenship documents dating from before 30 April 2021, along with proof of cancellation of Chinese nationality. For other international-student rules, see the Peking University International Students Division website linked from Admissions.

Mainland Chinese candidates: Apply through a different process via the Graduate School of Peking University. Per the FAQ, students holding a People’s Republic of China passport are eligible if they are currently enrolled as undergraduates in a Mainland Chinese university (this requirement does not apply to HMT).

Prior master’s degrees: International and HMT applicants who already hold a master’s degree may apply. Roughly 16% of previous Yenching Scholars already had a master’s before joining. Holding a graduate degree does not favour you in selection. Mainland Chinese rules differ; check the Graduate School pages.

Age: There is no strict age cut-off. Excluding Zhuoyue Scholarship recipients, no person over the age of 29 has been admitted. The average age of students entering the programme is 23.

China Studies background: Not required. You must be strongly interested in studying China at Yenching and should articulate a study plan tied to your career goals.

The Partner University rule

All students and alumni of Partner Universities must apply through their home university’s internal pre-selection process before submitting an application to the Yenching Academy (Admissions; Partner and Cooperating Universities page). Partner Universities run that preliminary evaluation and nominate students for Yenching Academy interviews. Submitting directly through the Yenching Academy portal does not replace the required home-university pre-selection process for students and alumni of Partner Universities.

Cooperating Universities are not the same track. Officially, they are a point of contact and a source of information. They do not take part in pre-selection. Students and graduates of Cooperating Universities apply directly through the Yenching Academy online admissions portal.

Check the live Partner and Cooperating Universities list before you assume either rule. Partner Universities set their own internal pre-selection timelines. Applicants should check their home university’s deadline because the internal process must be completed before the Yenching Academy application is submitted. The official Yenching deadline for international candidates and for candidates from China’s Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Regions remains 30 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. Beijing time. The official Partner page does not publish a later portal window for nominees.

Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan candidates (any campus type) must use the Yenching portal and complete a supplementary application on the Peking University Graduate Admissions website (Admissions).

English rules that trip applicants

Minimum scores (Admissions), tests taken after 1 September 2025:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: Overall 7.0
• Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT): Overall 100
• Cambridge English Scale (Advanced): Overall 185
• College English Test Band 6 (CET 6): Overall 600
• Test for English Majors Band 4 (TEM 4): Pass level of “良好” or above

Not accepted: TOEFL MyBest Scores, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS Indicator, IELTS Online, or IELTS One Skill Retake.

Score delivery: For IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge tests, Yenching Academy only accepts scores sent directly from the testing organisations. Choose “Yenching Academy of Peking University” as the recipient. For TOEFL, use institution code C488.

Exemptions: International applicants whose native language is English, or who graduated from an English-taught degree programme (undergraduate or above), are not required to provide an English proficiency test report. Applicants from China’s Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Regions are required to provide a test report even if they attended or graduated from an English-taught programme; without it, they will need to take English as a Second Language after enrolment. For Mainland Chinese applicants, an English proficiency test report is compulsory.

What you actually submit

Create an account on the Yenching Academy admissions portal and submit materials in English:

1. Completed online application form
2. Personal statement (750 words or less)
3. Statement of Research Interest (maximum 1,500 words, excluding citations)
4. Curriculum Vitae
5. Official transcript(s)
6. Diploma(s) or Certificate(s) of Enrollment
7. Two academic letters of recommendation (Chinese or English), written by full professors or associate professors (or equivalent titles) in the applicant’s intended field of study
8. English proficiency evidence as required for your track

More detail appears in the portal after you create an account. Mainland Chinese materials and timelines follow the Graduate School of Peking University website.

Practical application order

1. Confirm your track on the official pages: international; Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan; Mainland Chinese; Partner University student or alumnus (campus pre-selection first); or Cooperating University / unaffiliated applicant (direct portal). Read the matching Admissions and Partner-page rules before you open an account.
2. If you are a Partner University student or alumnus, start the home university internal nomination process and note its earlier deadline.
3. Confirm that your Bachelor’s diploma will be awarded by August of the enrollment year and that you will not hold another concurrent degree at Peking University.
4. Book or confirm an accepted English test (if required), ensure the test date is after 1 September 2025, and arrange direct score delivery to Yenching Academy (TOEFL code C488).
5. Choose a research area that matches the thesis you want to write, knowing it will determine your diploma wording.
6. Ask two eligible professors for recommendation letters early; letters must come from full or associate professors (or equivalent) in your intended field.
7. Draft the personal statement (750 words or less) and Statement of Research Interest (1,500 words or less excluding citations) against the evaluation themes the FAQ names: academic merit, leadership potential, international experience, and long-term aspirations.
8. Submit through the Yenching portal (and any required parallel Graduate Admissions steps for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, or Mainland tracks) before 30 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. Beijing time. If you are a Partner University student or alumnus, finish your home university’s pre-selection first; that campus deadline is separate and is usually earlier. The official Yenching pages do not state a later portal deadline for nominees.

Selection timeline (official FAQ)

• Mainland Chinese finalists: interviewed in the summer or in September; all Chinese candidates including HMT attend interviews in person at Peking University; Mainland admission decisions no later than October.
• International and HMT finalists: interviewed in the winter or early spring; international candidates interviewed online; finalists contacted about one week before the interview date; final admission decisions around April.
• Candidates who accept offers must complete internal Peking University procedures before pre-admission. Final admission is confirmed through the official Peking University acceptance letter, issued in the summer prior to enrollment.

Evaluation criteria named in the FAQ include academic merit, leadership potential, international experience, and long-term aspirations. Personal statements should explain specifically how you would benefit from the interdisciplinary China Studies programme. The official pages do not publish a scoring formula or a separate 2027 intake number beyond the approximate annual cohort size.

Mistakes the official rules help you avoid

• Treating aggregator stipend figures as official
• Assuming second-year funding is guaranteed
• Missing a Partner University internal deadline
• Submitting recommendation letters from ineligible recommenders (below associate professor or outside the intended field)
• Relying on TOEFL Home Edition, MyBest Scores, or IELTS Online or Indicator
• Expecting an English exemption as an HMT applicant because your prior degree was English-taught
• Applying while still locked into another degree past August of the enrollment year
• Ignoring the former-citizen documentation rule (passport or citizenship dating from before 30 April 2021 plus proof of cancellation of Chinese nationality)
• Planning to live off campus in year one (on-campus residence is required)

• Treating a Cooperating University like a Partner University and waiting for a nomination those campuses do not run (Cooperating applicants apply directly on the Yenching portal)
• Treating the Partner campus deadline as optional, or assuming nominees get a later official Yenching portal deadline (the published Academy deadline is 30 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. Beijing time)
• Assuming an in-person thesis defence is optional for Mainland or Hong Kong / Macao / Taiwan scholars (FAQ: those scholars must defend in person; internationals who leave Beijing may defend via Skype with advisor permission)

FAQ

Is every admitted student funded in year one? Yes. The FAQ states that all admitted students receive the Yenching Fellowship for the first academic year, covering the items listed above. The Academy does not publish the monthly stipend amount on the pages we checked.

Is second-year funding automatic? No. You must maintain good academic standing, plan to stay in Beijing, and apply for the second-year fellowship.

When do applications close for the 2027 cohort? For international candidates and for candidates from China’s Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Regions: 30 November 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Beijing time. Partner University applicants must also meet their home university’s earlier internal deadline. Mainland Chinese applicants follow the Graduate School timeline.

Can I apply if my Bachelor’s diploma arrives in summer 2027? Yes, if you expect to receive the diploma in August of the intended enrollment year. Peking University does not allow concurrent enrolment in another degree programme.

Do I need prior Chinese language or China Studies coursework? No. You must show strong interest and a study plan. Chinese language coursework is compulsory for international scholars after enrolment, with a waiver path for high proficiency.

Where do I apply? Through the Yenching Academy application portal, plus any Partner University, HMT Graduate Admissions, or Mainland Graduate School steps that apply to you.

Who do I contact? Admissions: [email protected]. International telephone: 86-10-6276 6358. Domestic: 86-10-6274 4510. General: [email protected]. Address: Jingyuan Courtyard 3, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100871.

What is the difference between a Partner University and a Cooperating University? Partner Universities run an internal pre-selection and nominate candidates before the Yenching portal submission. Cooperating Universities advise applicants but do not pre-select; their students and graduates apply directly on the Yenching portal. Check the official Partner and Cooperating Universities list for your campus.

Does the official site publish the monthly stipend amount? No. The FAQ states that the fellowship includes a monthly stipend (and lists tuition, housing, travel stipend, basic medical insurance, and research-related expenses) but does not publish a renminbi or United States dollar figure on the pages we checked.

Official sources

• Yenching Academy of Peking University (homepage)
• Admissions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Partner and Cooperating Universities
• Yenching Academy application portal
• Contact: [email protected]

Facts on this page were checked against those sources on 30 September 2026. If Yenching Academy updates the call, trust the live official pages over this article.