Confucius China Studies Program

Ph.D. in China Fellowship Eligibility

The CCSP Ph.D. in China Fellowship is open to both U.S. and international (non-Chinese) students. U.S.-based applicants must apply through IIE to be considered. Students applying from outside of the U.S. should apply directly to Hanban, the sponsor of the CCSP Fellowships. In addition, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Have completed a master’s degree, or will have completed a master’s degree by the start of the fellowship
  • Are interested in pursuing their doctoral degree in China in the arts, education, humanities, and social sciences with a focus on China
  • Do not hold a passport from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan
  • Will not be recipients of other Chinese government scholarship funding
  • Have not spent a significant amount of time in the People’s Republic of China during the years of their secondary education
  • Have an HSK test score of at least level 5, with priority given to applicants with higher scores. However, please note that some universities may require a higher minimum score. PKU, for example, requires a minimum score of 6. It is up to the applicant to determine the minimum HSK score at her/his prospective university. You may register for the HSK on their website.
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Research Ph.D. Fellowship Eligibility

The CCSP Research Ph.D. Fellowship is open to both U.S. and international (non-Chinese) students. Applicants from U.S. institutions must apply through IIE to be considered. Students enrolled in institutions outside of the U.S. should apply direct through Hanban, the CCSP Fellowships sponsor. In addition, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Currently enrolled in a doctoral program at a U.S. Institution (terminal master’s, undergraduate students, and post-doctoral students are not eligible to apply)
  • Pursuing a doctoral degree focusing in the arts, education, humanities, and social sciences with a focus on China
  • Do not hold a passport from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan
  • Will not be recipients of other Chinese government scholarship funding
  • Have not spent a significant amount of time in the People’s Republic of China during the years of their secondary education
  • Will have proficiency in Chinese sufficient to conduct dissertation research in China

In addition to the above requirements, it is recommended that applicants for the CCSP Fellowship take the HSK and receive a score of 3 or higher. You may register for the exam on the HSK main website, which also provides information on test dates and locations. Once you receive your HSK score, please upload them into the online application. Applicants who are unable to receive their scores until after the February 15 deadline should plan to submit their scores as soon as possible after they are available. All other components of the application must submitted by the application deadline.

Your application will still be considered and will not be at a disadvantage if you are not able to take the HSK. We will use the Foreign Language Evaluation Report as a substitute to evaluate your Chinese language proficiency.

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Research Fields

The areas of research eligible for this funding are wide ranging, with the focus being on areas outside of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Research areas include, but are not limited to, Language, Literature and the Arts, History, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Education, International Relations and Cross Cultural Studies, and Confucius Institute development and management.