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, 

· and 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.