Application Guide for Doctoral Degree Programs 2026

Zhejiang University (ZJU) is a comprehensive, research-oriented and innovative university with distinctive characteristics and great influence both domestically and internationally. It offers 13 disciplines, including Philosophy, Economics, Law, Education, Literature, History, Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Management, Art and Interdisciplinary.

With a program length of 3–4 academic years, doctoral degree programs are generally instructed in Chinese, while some English-taught programs are also available. Graduates fulfilling all the degree requirements will be awarded the doctoral degree.

I.  Program Catalog

1.  Catalog of Chinese-taught Doctoral Degree Programs 2026  [upload PDF → link here]

2.  Catalog of English-taught Doctoral Degree Programs 2026  [upload PDF → link here]

The catalog of doctoral degree programs is subject to change. Please pay attention to the updated information on this website.

Applicants are encouraged to search in advance for information about relevant supervisors, according to their chosen research direction, on the Personal Homepage system of Zhejiang University (Link), and to contact supervisors prior to application. The list of supervisors can be viewed by downloading the Supervisor Database  [upload PDF → link here]. Applicants are expected to enclose in their application package the Form for Provisional Acceptance of International Student by a ZJU Supervisor.

II.  Application Duration

Note:  Applicants must complete the application in the Online Application System for International Students (Link) before the deadline and pay the application fee. Applications without the application fee paid before the deadline will be considered invalid. All dates and times listed are Beijing time. All deadlines include the day itself.

III.  Application Fee and Tuition Fee

1.  Application Fee:  RMB 800 yuan, non-refundable.

2.  Tuition Fee:

2.1  To find the tuition fee of a specific program, please refer to the program catalog. The final rates are subject to those stated in the official admission notice.

2.2  Tuition fees paid by self-funded international students are non-refundable in principle.

3.  Way of Payment:  Application fee and tuition fee should be paid in the online application system. If one fails to make the online payment, then one MUST remit the fees to the University’s Bank Account (Link). Please mark the application number and name when remitting, and upload the remittance letter to the online application system.

IV.  Eligibility

1.  Requirements on Citizenship

1.1  Non-Chinese citizens with an ordinary foreign passport.

1.2  Applicants who have given up their original Chinese citizenship (including residents in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) and become foreign citizens must provide documents certifying the cancellation of Chinese citizenship and household registration.

1.3  If the applicant acquired foreign citizenship automatically at birth in a foreign country, and both parents were Chinese citizens, or one parent was a Chinese citizen, the parent’s (with Chinese citizenship) permanent residence in a foreign country should have been obtained prior to the birth of the applicant.

Note:  If the applicant is concluded to have Chinese citizenship by the exit-entry administration of the Chinese public security organs after application, admission or enrollment, their application eligibility, admission offer, enrollment qualification, or student status shall be revoked.

2.  General Requirements

2.1  Under the age of 40 (the age limit is flexible for healthy applicants with work experience and high academic ability). Applicants must be master’s degree holders (those who provide a pre-graduation certificate or student status certificate at application MUST provide a master’s degree diploma no later than registration).

2.2  With proper moral conduct, in good health with no infectious disease or any physical or mental disease that may affect normal study.

2.3  Language Proficiency Requirements:  Applicants should meet the Language Proficiency Requirements of Graduate Programs at Zhejiang University for International Applicants (Download  [upload PDF → link here]).

3.  Additional Requirements

Please refer to the program catalog for additional requirements and notes.

V.  Documents for Application

Applicants must log in to the Online Application System for International Students of Zhejiang University (Link), fill in clearly and upload completely the following materials as required.

1.  Personal information page of passport. The expiry date of the passport should be after March 1, 2027. If it does not meet the time requirement, please renew it in advance. Passport information cannot be changed before registration for enrollment.

2.  Highest degree certificate. Graduating students should provide a pre-graduation certificate or student status certificate issued by their current university, and MUST provide the original or a notarized copy of the degree certificate no later than registration.

3.  Academic transcripts for the master’s and bachelor’s degree study. Graduating students should submit transcripts up to the current stage.

4.  Language proficiency certificates (Download  [upload PDF → link here]).

5.  Personal statement, in Chinese or English, including but not limited to academic background, work experience, reasons for application, and study proposal. No fewer than 1,500 words.

6.  Two letters of recommendation, in principle from full professors or associate professors in the professional field of the applied program (the professors’ signature, contact phone number and email address must be put on the letter).

7.  2026 Form for Provisional Acceptance of International Student by a ZJU Supervisor  [upload PDF → link here] (if applicable, click the filename to download). Applicants shall provide this form for supervisors to complete. Applicants for some programs must provide it—please refer to the catalog of doctoral degree programs.

8.  Published academic papers or other academic achievements (if applicable).

9.  Applicants who have given up their original Chinese citizenship and become foreign citizens shall provide:

9.1  Documents certifying the cancellation of Chinese citizenship;

9.2  Documents certifying the cancellation of Chinese household registration;

9.3  Documents certifying the acquisition of foreign citizenship;

9.4  Self-Statement Form of Nationality Status and Nationality Confirmation and Guarantee Letter (Download  [upload PDF → link here]).

10.  Applicants who acquired foreign citizenship automatically at birth in a foreign country, whose parents were both Chinese citizens, or one of whose parents was a Chinese citizen, shall provide:

10.1  Documents certifying acquisition of foreign citizenship at birth;

10.2  Documents certifying the parent’s (with Chinese citizenship) permanent residence in a foreign country before the birth of the applicant;

10.3  Self-Statement Form of Nationality Status and Nationality Confirmation and Guarantee Letter (Download  [upload PDF → link here]).

11.  Commitments for Zhejiang University International Student Application (Download  [upload PDF → link here]). The PDF version of the Commitments must be clearly and completely filled out and hand-signed.

Notes:

1.  The above application materials must be in Chinese or English; notarized copies of translations must be provided for texts in other languages, along with the original copy.

2.  Please ensure that all required materials have been uploaded in accordance with the requirements. Once the application is submitted, supplementary materials will generally not be accepted. The university reserves the right to request additional supporting documents from the applicant.

3.  Please ensure that the application fee is paid online, or that a remittance voucher is uploaded. Applications for admission and scholarships will not be processed if the application fee is not paid.

4.  All application materials will be reviewed and processed through the application system. Please do NOT post hard copies of the application materials or send them by email, as these will NOT be reviewed or processed.

VI.  Selection, Admission and Notification

1.  The university will conduct a preliminary review of the applicant’s materials. Those who pass the preliminary review will take a video interview arranged by the academic schools. Students are admitted on the basis of competitive selection according to their research ability, academic performance, language proficiency, and performance during the video interview, etc.

2.  The Admission Notice can be downloaded from the Online Application System (Link) from the end of July 2026. The download link of the electronic Confirmation Form for Study in China (for visa) will be sent to the permanent email address filled in the application system by the applicant. Hard copies of the Admission Notice and Confirmation Form for Study in China will no longer be provided.

3.  The university will release information related to admission and interviews through the website of the International College, the websites of relevant academic schools, the application system, emails, and other means. Applicants are advised to regularly visit the websites and application system and check their emails. Any consequences resulting from the applicant’s personal negligence will be the responsibility of the applicant.

4.  If new policies are issued by superior departments, corresponding adjustments will be made.

VII.  Registration

1.  The online pre-registration is expected to be at the end of August 2026, and the on-site registration is expected to be in early September 2026. The exact dates will be announced on the website of the International College. Newly admitted students are required to come to the university for registration within the specified time.

2.  The original graduation certificate, original degree certificate, and original language proficiency certificate will be verified upon on-site registration. Those who fail to provide the corresponding certificates will be disqualified from enrollment.

3.  Students are not allowed to have more than one student status registered at Chinese universities simultaneously.

VIII.  Scholarships 

Applicants for doctoral degree programs may apply for the following scholarships:

1.  Chinese Government Scholarship – Bilateral Program (CSC Type A)  (Link)

2.  Chinese Government Scholarship – Chinese University Program (CSC Type B)  (Link)

3.  “China Studies Program” Ph.D. in China Fellowship  (Link)

For applicants of Humanities and Social Science programs.

4.  Zhejiang Government Scholarship  (Link)

5.  ZJU International Campus Scholarship (ZJE Hai Scholarship)  (Link)

For applicants of the ZJU–UoE Institute (ZJE).

6.  ZJU International School of Medicine Scholarship  (Link)

For applicants of programs offered by the International School of Medicine.

7.  China–ASEAN Oceanic Scholarship for Education of International Graduate Students  (Link)

For applicants of programs offered by the Ocean College.

8.  ZJU College of Optical Science and Engineering Scholarship  (Link)

For applicants of programs offered by the College of Optical Science and Engineering.

IX.  Medical Insurance

Fee:  RMB 800 yuan / academic year

According to the regulations of the Ministry of Education, international students must purchase comprehensive medical insurance in the mainland of China as a necessary requirement for registration for the new semester.

Students who fail to purchase the comprehensive medical insurance as required will NOT be registered by the university.

Information related to purchasing insurance will be notified in detail in the registration notice.

X.  Accommodation

For accommodation details, please refer to “Current Student – Accommodation” (Link) on the website of the International College of Zhejiang University. Please refer to further notices for the specific accommodation arrangements.

XI.  Contact

Address:  Room 418, International College Building, West Zone, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

Post Code:  310058

Email:  admissionphd@zju.edu.cn

Tel:  +86 571 87951537

Fax:  +86 571 87951755

Online Application System:  https://intlstudent.zju.edu.cn/

International Admissions:  https://iczu.zju.edu.cn/admissions/

International College:  https://iczu.zju.edu.cn/iczuen/

Note:  Should there be any change in the above content, the final interpretation from the International College of Zhejiang University shall prevail. Please pay attention to the updates on the website of the International College (Link) in time.