With the gradual improvement of China's economic status in the world, the "going global" development of Chinese enterprises and foreign students in China also presents a double growth trend. In addition, with the continuous progress of the Belt and Road Education initiative, China has successively signed special scholarships with Mongolia, Egypt, Indonesia, and other countries along the Belt and Road to encourage graduate students, especially doctoral students, to study in China. China now has the most Ph.D. graduates in the world and is one of the best places to get your Ph.D.

1. Popular Programs

The course structure of a Ph.D. or doctoral program in China is similar to the UK and US. First, you will choose a novel topic in your field and conduct detailed research about it with the assistance of a chosen supervisor. Upon completion of the research, you will submit a thesis presenting significant findings.

The normal length of a full-time Chinese Ph.D. program is three to four years with an option to apply for a one-year extension to complete writing your dissertation.

A Ph.D.’s academic year in China is composed of two semesters, the spring semester which starts in March and ends in mid-July, and the fall semester which starts in mid-September and ends in January.

The popular Ph.D. majors among international students are below:

1)      Business Administration/Management

2)      Computer Science & Technology

3)       Civil Engineering

4)       International Politics/Relations

5)       Economics

6)       Finance

7)      Architecture Design

8)       Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

9)       Electrical and Electronic Engineering

2. Tuition Costs

The tuition fee for Ph.D. programs in China varies depending on the field of study. For instance, Arts and Humanities subjects have lower tuition fees when compared to other subject areas. Ph.D. programs related to medicine usually have more expensive tuition fees with science and engineering programs coming in next. You can apply for Chinese government scholarships or Chinese university scholarships to ease the burden financially. Overall, Chinese PhDs offer cheaper tuition costs than universities in the US or Europe. Below are the annual tuition fees for the more popular courses:

1)       Business Administration/Management: RMB 25000-50000 Per Year

2)       Computer Science & Technology: RMB 23100-80000 Per Year

3)       Civil Engineering: RMB 20000-80000 Per Year

4)      International Politics/Relations: RMB 22400-100000 Per Year

5)       Economics: RMB 10000-80000 Per Year

6)       Finance: RMB 21000-55000 Per Year

7)       Architecture Design: RMB 28000-45000 Per Year

8)       Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering: RMB 17000-55000 Per Year

9)       Electrical and Electronic Engineering: RMB 17000-80000 Per Year

10)    Accounting: RMB 25000-55000 Per Year

11)    Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering: RMB 42800 Per Year

12)   Chemical Engineering: RMB 17000-55000 Per Year

13)    Dentistry: RMB 45000-60000 Per Year

14)    E-commerce: RMB 24000-48000 Per Year

15)    International Trade: RMB 25000-50000 Per Year

16)    MBA: RMB 20000-65000 Per Year

17)    Marketing: RMB 25000-48000 Per Year

18)    Nursing: RMB 36000-53000 Per Year

19)    Pharmacy: RMB 27800-52000 Per Year

20)   Petroleum Engineering: RMB 36000 Per Year

21)   Tourism Management: RMB 10000-40000 Per Year

3. Scholarship Opportunities

With more and more international students studying in China, the Chinese government offers numerous scholarships for international students. China is one of the most generous countries in providing scholarships to foreign students and there are currently over 50,000 international students in China with scholarships (Study in China for Free: 3 Ways to Get Full Scholarship in China).

CSC Scholarship

CSC which stands for China Scholarship Council is a non-profit institution that offers Chinese Government Scholarship under the Chinese Ministry of Education (List of 279 China Universities Admitting Chinese Government Scholarship Students: Apply for Scholarship in China). It not only provides funds for Chinese to study abroad but also for international students to study in China.

You can apply on the official CSC website. And you can take a look at the application guidance and agency number list of Chinese universities if you want to apply for China Government Scholarships.

Local Government, University Scholarship, or other scholarship

Except for the CSC scholarship which provides a Chinese Government Scholarship, there are also particular Local Government Scholarship (such as Beijing Government Scholarship, and Shanghai Government Scholarship) and University Scholarship (such as Peking University Scholarship).

CUCAS Fu Scholarship Website

Through CUCAS Fu Scholarship Websiteif you want to apply for university or other scholarships. CUCAS is an experienced team in this industry. And it provides a scholarship application service to guide you through all the application procedures such as choosing a university and program, application documents review, study plan guidance, etc. Check doctoral's degree program scholarships available on CUCAS>>

4. Career Prospects

With the deepening of economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries in the world, Chinese enterprises have an increasingly strong demand for foreign development, and their interactions with multinational enterprises are becoming more frequent. The target countries for Chinese enterprises, especially large state-owned enterprises engaged in infrastructure construction, to "go global" are highly consistent with the main source countries of Chinese students studying in China. The demand for graduates studying in China has generally increased, making their employment prospects even better. Broad.

l  Work in a Chinese-funded company in your home country

l  Work in local Chinese related enterprises in your home country

l  Doing business with China

Graduating from Chinese Universities offers the international students the opportunity to meet a vast amount of their peers, many of whom go on to be young professionals working in a huge variety of different roles in different countries. As an international student, you get to know a plethora of other international students from a wide variety of different backgrounds, many of whom head back to their home countries after graduation. This means that you’ll be able to develop a worldwide contact base of young professionals.

5. University Recommendation

There are around 2000 higher education facilities in China. 450 of them accept international students. Each university has its rich history. Here are some popular universities for international students.

1)       Shantou University Medical College

2)       Nanjing University of Science and Technology

3)       East China University of Science and Technology

4)       Shenyang University of Chemical Technology

5)       Northwestern Polytechnical University

6)       National Center for Nanoscience and Technology

7)       China-UK Low Carbon College, Shanghai JiaoTong University

8)       University of Science and Technology Beijing

China’s outstanding achievements in the fields of economy, biochemistry, medicine, and technology prove the fact that Chinese educational institutions prepare the most competent professionals in these spheres. Universities in China keep up with the world’s most current trends and adapt themselves to the demands of the international job market.