The graduate program in Qiuzhen College started in 2023 with the aim to be one of the top graduate programs in mathematics globally and offer the best education in mathematics for the top talents in the world. Qiuzhen has a world-class faculty in the mathematical sciences with Fields medalist Shing-Tung Yau as Dean. This graduate program provides students with institutional support for international exchange through conference attendance, summer schools, and research visits.

1. Applicants must be foreign nationals with valid foreign passports or other valid proof of foreign nationality. Applicants cannot be Chinese nationals (*).

2. There are two different streams for doctoral studies in China dependent on whether one has completed a Bachelor's degree or a Master’s degree. Qiuzhen College accepts students from both streams. Applicants must apply in the correct stream and provide authenticated (**) proof of their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mathematics or related field by Fall 2027. These documents are also needed during the application process, but a Provisional Degree Certificate may suffice as a temporary stand-in.

3. Applicants must provide proof (**) of English proficiency; this is tested during the interview stage.

*: For clarification, contact us or see the application requirements on Admission to Graduate Programs of Tsinghua University 2027For International Students）

**: For specific requirements, see the section on Application Materials and Deadlines.

There are two application rounds this year.

First Round: September 28, 2026 8:00 - November 27, 2026 17:00 (Beijing Time)

Second Round: January 4, 2027 8:00 - April 2, 2027 17:00 (Beijing Time)

Admission offers are usually released within one month of application round deadlines.

Applicants should complete an Online Application during the elected application round. All application materials must be submitted via the International Graduate Program Online Application Service System.

Materials include:

l Official University transcripts
Doctoral degree program applicants should submit academic transcripts of both graduate and undergraduate studies. Transcripts should be in English. Applicants who have not graduated by the application deadline may provide their current (incomplete) academic transcript during the initial application process. If admitted into the College, they must provide the completed academic transcript prior to registration. If the uploaded transcript does not show the total GPA, a GPA certification document issued by the university is also required.

l Statement of Purpose in English

l Academic recommendation letters
Applicants must provide at least two letters from scholars who hold the title of Associate Professor or higher, or senior professionals in a related academic field. Please follow the instructions on the online system for submission of online recommendation letters. Should you run into issues with this step, please contact us.

l Applicants may include any research papers, publications, and other original works they would like to have evaluated by the admissions committee.

l Degree diploma and Degree authentication
The degree diploma awarded by overseas universities should be authenticated by Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, Ministry of Education, P.R. China(CSCSE). The degree diploma awarded by universities of the Chinese mainland should be authenticated by Center for Student Services and Development, Ministry of Education, P.R.China(CSSD). Applicants who will not graduate by the application deadline should provide instead a Provisional Degree Certificate from their institution. If admitted, we will request the relevant Degree diploma and authentication prior to registration.

l Applicants to Qiuzhen College are exempt from HSK certification. However, non-native English Speakers must meet one or both of the following English proficiency requirements:

1. A score above or equal to IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 80 (for tests taken prior to January 21, 2026) / 4.5 (for tests taken on or after January 21, 2026) or another English language report of comparable authority.

2. The applicant has obtained a Bachelor's or Master's degree from a university in a program taught completely in English. Certification needs to be provided by the institution from which you received the relevant degree.

CGS Scholarship (optional)
        If you wish to apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship, please complete your application within the first round (please see the Scholarships and Financial aid section for relevant information)

There is an initial internal screening by the admissions committee with the input of Qiuzhen faculty. This is usually completed within two weeks of the application deadline, and shortlisted applicants will then be contacted with further instructions.

There are two major stages in the selection process which require direct applicant participation: a comprehensive online written examination stage and an online interview stage.

Written Examination Stage

All applicants must first sit three 3-hour long exams. Specifically:

l Applicants must choose 3 out of 8 possible subject exams (listed below). One of these is a primary exam, the other two are supplementary, and they are weighted differently in determining the applicant’s final score.

l Applicants must take the corresponding exam for their intended research area as the primary exam; the two supplementary exams may be chosen freely by the applicant.

l The scope of each subject examination is based on the PhD Qualifying Examination Syllabus published at

EXAM-Qiuzhen College, Tsinghua University

Examination Subjects and Scope (3 out of 8 subjects to be selected)

Scoring rules

l Each subject paper is scored out of 100 points.

l The final written-examination score is a weighted total, also on a 100-point scale:

ü Primary subject: 50%

ü Each supplementary subject: 25%

ü Formula: Final Score = 0.50 × (compulsory subject score) + 0.25 × (supplementary subject 1 score) + 0.25 × (supplementary subject 2 score)

Examination arrangements

l Applicants who pass the initial screening will be contacted to confirm their chosen written examination subjects.

l Each subject examination lasts for 3 hours and is administered online with online proctoring. Each applicant takes three distinct exams.

l Only applicants who pass the written examination are eligible for the interview stage.

l Applicants who may enter the interview stage will be notified by email within one week after the written examination.

l An online interview of at least 30 minutes is then conducted for each candidate by a committee of five faculty members who will assign a score out of 100 based on the following categories:

- English proficiency,

       - mathematical ability,

       - and research potential.

Following the above comprehensive examination process, the committee will recommend a shortlist of candidates for final approval.

Candidates are expected to have clear support from at least one potential supervisor on the Qiuzhen faculty.

There are two PhD streams in the Qiuzhen College PhD Program:

· PhD (Bachelor) stream – this is a five year program for candidates with only a bachelor degree at the time of enrolment;

· PhD (Master) stream – this is a four year program for candidates with a Masters degree already under their wings.

Taking courses (Year 1-3):

Course requirements at Qiuzhen are similar to international standards for a PhD in Mathematics, albeit with a little additional focus on basic theoretical physics. Generally speaking, PhD candidates with a bachelors background are required to take at least 8 mathematics classes (specific requirements are based on a credit system), as well as three out of the following four (undergraduate level) physics courses:

· Classical Mechanics,

· Statistical Mechanics,

· Quantum Mechanics,

· Electromagnetism.

Taking qualifying exams (Year 1-2):

Candidates must pass 3 out of 8 qualifying exams within the first two years of enrolment. There are two rounds of exams each year (one for each semester):

· Algebra and Number Theory (past questions)

· Analysis and Differential Equations (past questions)

· Artificial Intelligence (this is a newer subject, and past questions will be made available in the future)

· Probability and Statistics (past questions)

· Computational and Applied Mathematics (past questions)

· Geometry and Topology (past questions)

· Quantum Mechanics, Classical Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics and Electrodynamics (past questions)

· Theoretical Physics (past questions).

See the following link (https://qzc.tsinghua.edu.cn/syzs/ktzy.htm, in Chinese) for other past exams.

Passing the qualifying exams is mandatory for PhD completion, although one’s performance in the exams may have additional consequences such as exemptions from certain classes.

Confirming your advisor:

Candidates who have pass the requisite qualifying exams are expected confirm their potential PhD advisors. Here are the lists of potential advisors based at:

· the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center (https://ymsc.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/),

· Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (https://www.bimsa.cn/),

· and the Morningside Center of Mathematics (http://mcm.amss.cas.cn/).

Research proposal:

Candidates need to propose and confirm their research topic with a supervisory panel consisting of their thesis advisor and 2-3 other experts familiar with the subject. This needs to be done by the end of the third year for PhD candidates with a masters background, and by the end of the fourth year for candidates with a bachelors background.

Producing a thesis (Year 4-5):

The final phase of a student’s candidature is spent producing a thesis on their proposed research topic.

Tsinghua University currently provides the following scholarships for outstanding prospective full-time international graduate students:

· Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS):
The Full CGS usually covers tuition fees, free university dormitory or accommodation subsidy, stipend, and comprehensive medical insurance. The Partial CGS includes one or a few items covered by the Full CGS.

· Beijing Government Scholarship:The BGS usually covers tuition fees and comprehensive medical insurance with a duration of one academic year.

For further information about scholarships, see the Financial Aid page on the Graduate Admission Website.

Based on past experience, we strongly recommend candidates complete their graduate program applications by December. Otherwise, you may miss the deadline for some CGS Type B programs. Tsinghua University only selects scholarship candidates from pre-admitted students. The Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) cannot be combined with other scholarships.

Note that the specific schedule for scholarship deadlines is subject to the policies of the CSC and Tsinghua University.

Qiuzhen College also has its own scholarships and there are three tiers for these scholarships, the least of which suffices to support a student’s tuition and standard living cost. We encourage the applicants to first apply for government scholarships. Note that candidates may not hold a Qiuzhen Scholarship concurrently with any other scholarships.

In addition, Qiuzhen College will provide TA/RA opportunities.

We will update relevant information in a timely manner according to relevant policies.

Yitwah Cheung, Yi Huang (Chair), Nicolai Reshetikhin

Representation Theory, Algebraic Geometry, Number Theory:

       Koji Shimizu (shimizu@tsinghua.edu.cn),

       Will Donovan (donovan@tsinghua.edu.cn)

Geometry and Topology:

       Yi Huang (yihuangmath@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn),

       Dylan Allegretti (dylanallegretti@tsinghua.edu.cn)

Analysis, Partial Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems:

       Yitwah Cheung (yitwah@tsinghua.edu.cn)

Mathematical Physics:

       Nicolai Reshetikhin (nicreshet@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn),

       Ling-Yan Hung (lyhung@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn)

Probability, Statistics, and Applied Mathematics:

       Angelica Aviles-Rivero (aviles-rivero@tsinghua.edu.cn)

       Oscar Mickelin (oscarmi@tsinghua.edu.cn)

Detailed information regarding THU life, accommodation, student activities, visas and other useful information, is available on the International Students & Scholars Center website:http://is.tsinghua.edu.cn