Where do you want to study?

If you’re unfamiliar with China’s cities and universities, there are a number of pages you may want to take a look at. For university rankings, browse our Good Universities Guide or the Top Universities in China. For more information on Chinese cities, peruse our City Guide. Universities are listed here and displayed on a map here.


If you’re interested in taking a non-degree program to learn Chinese, you may have been told that Beijing is the best location because the local dialect is the closest to standard Mandarin. However, smaller cities with fewer foreigners are also well-worth considering, as you’ll likely find yourself with even more opportunities to practice your Chinese. Consider somewhere in the northeast like Liaoning province, where locals speak standard Mandarin, but the cost of living is cheaper.

How long will you spend in China?

Academic degree programs are generally fixed: undergraduate degree programs last for four to five-years, master’s degrees for two to three years, and doctorate degrees for three to five years.
Language programs are mainly six months (one semester), one-year or short-term (the scheduling for short courses in some universities are already fixed, but some can be adjusted according to the demands of a large group of students).


When do you want to start your class?
Most Chinese universities’ degree courses begin every autumn (September). A small number of courses can admit students during spring. Regarding the enrolment period for language courses, the six-month language course usually opens in both semesters; the One-year language course usually opens during fall; the Short-term courses may have fixed times or may arrange a time at the request of a group of students.

Vacations
Chinese universities each have a one to two-month winter break (January-February) and a two month long summer break (July-August). Universities usually do not arrange classes during the vacation (if the applicant wishes to study during the school holidays, please contact us service@ studyoverseaschina.com). Private language schools usually accept applicants anytime.

Note: Schools which state that you can enroll anytime mean that you can enroll anytime except on holidays, winter and summer vacation. Winter and summer vacations are normally during January to March and July to Sept.