Peking University 北京大学

Overview

Peking University (PKU) is China's oldest modern national university and its strongest comprehensive institution in the humanities, basic sciences, medicine and social sciences. It occupies one of the most beautiful campuses in Asia, built around the Yan Garden lake and the Boya Pagoda.

PKU admits international students through a dedicated International Students Division, with an unusually wide catalogue of English-taught master's degrees — including the Yenching Academy, the Peking University HSBC Business School and the School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen.

History

Founded in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking, PKU was the first modern national university in China and became the intellectual birthplace of the May Fourth Movement in 1919.

The university moved south during the war years as part of the National Southwestern Associated University, and in 1952 was relocated from the city centre to its present Yan Garden campus. It was the first Chinese university to establish a school of Marxism, and among the first to reopen international exchange after 1978.

PKU entered Project 211 in 1996, Project 985 in 1999 and Double First Class in 2017. Today it operates 30 schools and departments, two affiliated hospitals with national referral status, and the Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School.

Faculty and research

Peking University employs around 7,000 academic staff, including about 105 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. Around 105 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. The School of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physics and the College of Chemistry all host internationally recruited faculty who supervise in English.

Admissions, tuition and deadlines

Requirements

Bachelor: high school diploma, entrance examination or interview, HSK 5 for Chinese-taught tracks. English-taught bachelor's requires IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90. Master's/PhD: degree certificates, transcripts, two recommendation letters and a study plan; research degrees require prior contact with a supervisor.

Deadlines and fees

Deadlines: Bachelor: typically 1 December – 31 March. Graduate: rolling with most schools closing in February or March.. Application fee: CNY 800 (non-refundable). Tuition: CNY 26,000–30,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 29,000–55,000 for master's; MBA programmes are higher and separately priced.

Scholarships

Chinese Government Scholarship (Type B university programme), Yenching Academy full fellowship, Peking University Presidential Scholarship, Beijing Municipal Government Scholarship.

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Why students choose this university

• Best choice for Chinese studies, economics, law, medicine and mathematics
• Historic campus in the heart of Beijing's research district
• Graduates gain access to the country's most influential professional networks