Institutions of higher education provide education for academic qualifications and education for non-academic qualifications for international students. Education for academic qualifications includes special course education, regular course education, master degree programs and doctoral degree programs；education for non-academic qualifications includes for general scholar programs and senior scholar programs.
(1) Undergraduate programs: applicants for undergraduate programs must have the academic qualification equivalent to senior high school certificate and be under the age of 25. The duration of study is 4 to 6 years.
(2) Master degree programs: applicants for master degree programs must pass the postgraduate entrance examination of China or have out academic performance as graduates at universities in China, be recommended by their universities to be exempted from taking the exam, and be under the age of 35. The duration of study is 2 to 3 years.
(3) Doctoral degree programs: applicants for doctoral degree programs must be recommended by two associate professors or professors and pass the test of relevant Chinese universities and be under the age of 40. The duration of study is 2 to 3 years.
(4) General scholar programs: applicants for General Scholar program must have completed at least two years of undergraduate study, be under the age of 35, and continue the study in the original major. The duration of study is 1 to 2 years.
(5) Senior scholar programs: applicants for Senior Scholar program must have the academic qualification equivalent to a master degree in China, or obtain the qualification for pursuing doctoral degree programs, further their study on a certain subject under the instruction of a Chinese supervisor, and be under the age of 45. The duration of study is generally 1 year.
As of November 20, 2012, 208 institutions of higher education in China have enrolled international students in more than 20 cities across the country. The concerned majors include liberal arts, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, art, sports and so on. 5. Application requirements for studying in China
A foreign citizen who applies to study in a university in China shall have appropriate qualifications and meet the admission requirements, have a reliable economic security and a guarantor of affairs in China.
Universities will review, test and assess the admission qualification of the foreigners applying for studying in China. The admission criteria are determined by the universities independently. Those students who receive education for academic qualifications in Chinese shall take the exam of HSK.
The admission of international students is determined by universities. Universities shall give priority to enrolling international students in the national plan, and then enroll intercollegiate exchange international students and international students at their own expense.
Universities can also enroll international students admitted by or transferred from other universities under the precondition of getting the agreement of the original universities.
