Master’s Program in Chinese Politics, Foreign Policy, and International Relations (CPFP)
1. Introduction
In 1997, Tsinghua University established the Institute for International Studies, the predecessor of the International Relations Department (abbreviated IR department). The Institute’s outstanding achievements in teaching and research during the more than ten years of its existence provided a strong basis for the creation of the IR Department. Graduates of the Department have pursued careers at institutions of higher education, major national research institutions, government departments, foreign affairs organizations, media industry and various corporations. A number of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students have continued their studies at well-known universities worldwide. The IR department has 20 faculty members with significant academic and research experience. They all hold PhD degrees from leading international and Chinese universities such as UC Berkley, Yale University, Cornell University, Tsinghua University and Peking University.
In 2010, the Department launched a Master’s degree program in English in addition to its Chinese program. The department is committed to a better understanding of Chinese politics, China’s role in international relations as well as China’s foreign policy through inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural dialogue. Graduates of the program will be qualified to be administrative officers and policy analysts in various levels of governments, think tanks, international organizations, multinational corporations and international media. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time study, including completion of the course curriculum and the Master thesis. The name of the program has been changed to Master’s Program in Chinese Politics, Foreign Policy, and International Relations (CPFP) since July, 2013.
To provide students with more extra-curricular academic activities, the Department successfully initiated the Carnegie-Tsinghua Distinguished Speaker Program in 2010, in which established scholars and policy makers are invited to give lectures on various aspects of international relations and policy making. The Department also launched Tsinghua Ambassador Talks at the beginning of Spring 2012. This event allows students to connect IR theory with diplomatic practice, providing a unique opportunity to engage in pressing political issues through an informal dialogue with each country’s highest representative in China, the Ambassador.
Since the establishment of the CPFP program, a total of over 200 students from nearly 60 countries have studied in the program by September 2020. The department has some full scholarships, full tuition waivers as well as partial tuition waivers to outstanding applicants on a competitive basis.
2. Courses
Students are expected to complete the program in two years (or four semesters) of full-time study, including completion of required curriculum and a Master thesis. Students are required to complete a minimum of 26 credits by the end of the 3rd semester, among which 4 credits are from compulsory public courses offered by the University, 6 credits from compulsory training programs and courses, and no less than 16 credits from elective courses. Of the 16 credits from elective courses, students may take courses of no more than 4 credits from other departments and need to get approval in advance from the Vice Chair for Academic Affairs.
1) Compulsory public courses
Chinese Culture and Society (2 credits)
Chinese Language (2 credits)
2) Compulsory training programs and courses
Literature Review and Research Proposal (1 credit)
Academic Activities (1 credit)
Academic Introductions to International Relations (2 credit)
Research Design and Writing (2 credits)
3) Elective courses
Ancient Chinese Thoughts on International Relations (2 credits)
Arms Control and International Security (2 credits)
Comparative Democratization and China (2 credits)
Comparative Politics (2 credits)
Contemporary Theories in International Politics (2 credits)
International and Comparative Political Economy (2 credits)
Politics and Government in China (2 credits)
Principles of Area Studies (2 credits)
Public Diplomacy: Chinese and Global Perspectives (2 credits)
Regional Diplomacy: China and South Asia (2 credits)
Research Method in International Relations (2 credits)
Seminar on Critical Issues and Global Governance (2 credits)
Theory and Practice of Chinese Foreign Relations (2 credits)
US-China Relations (2 credits)
China in the developing world (2 credits)
Introduction to Chinese Politics (2 credits)
3. Thesis
Research for the thesis is supervised by a faculty advisor. The Master degree requires completion of a thesis of publishable quality. The thesis must be defended before a committee consisting of at least five faculty members in the Department. The research area may be, but is not limited to, one of the following:
(1) International Security
(2) International Political Economy
(3) China’s Foreign Policy
(4) Regional and Countries Studies
(5) Comparative Politics
(6) Chinese Politics
(7) Public Diplomacy
(8) International Organizations
(9) Foreign Policy Attitudes Analysis
4 Qualification of Applicants
· Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid passport
· Applicants for master’s degree programs should have a bachelor’s degree.
· Fluent in English.
5. Documents for Application
Applicants should complete the Online Application on the website of the THU Graduate Programs Application System for International Students during the designated THU application period. Applicants should fill in the application information online, upload the application documents listed below to the Online Application System, and pay the application fee online at the time of submission.
To start application, click: http://gradadmission.tsinghua.edu.cn (The program is listed under “School of Social Science)
Please upload all the listed documents below to the application system:
Ø Personal statement. Master's degree program applicants should submit a Personal Statement. (The Personal Statement should be filled out in accordance with the requirements of university template). Click here for the template.
Ø Latest Curriculum Vitae
Ø Degree certificate. Master’s degree program applicants should submit a bachelor’s degree certificate. Applicants who will not graduate before the application deadline shall provide the expected graduation certificate first, and the degree diploma must be submitted before registration. (Applicants who have graduated are recommended to provide a certified copy or an authentication of the degree diploma at the same time. The certified copy / authentication and the original degree diploma should be combined into one PDF file and uploaded to the application system.) Please click here for the issuing method of the certification.
Ø Academic transcript. Master’s degree program applicants should submit an academic transcript of undergraduate study. Applicants who will not graduate before the application deadline shall provide their current academic transcript. In this case,the completed academic transcript must be submitted before registration.
Ø Two online academic recommendation letters from scholars who have 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 or upload the recommendation letters signed by references .
Ø Passport personal information page (personal and ordinary passport). (According to Article 3 of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, any individual who was a Chinese national and then acquired a foreign nationality shall provide a Certificate of Cancellation of Chinese Household registration issued by the police station where the original household registration is located. )
Ø English proficiency certificate for students from countries where English is not the native language. TOEFL score should not be lower than 100 or IELTS should not be lower than 7.0. Students who completed a degree in an English-speaking country can be exempted from the English tests.
Application Remarks
Ø Applicants are required to submit scanned images of all required documents at the time of application. All uploaded documents should be in Chinese or in English; otherwise notarial translations in Chinese or English are required. Once translated, the original documents and certified translations are to be submitted together to the application system.
Ø Please scan the original or notarial application documents in color using a scanner. Documents images captured by mobile phone or camera are not acceptable. Scans of copies are also not acceptable.
Ø The application fee must be paid at the time the application is submitted. (It cannot be covered by the Chinese Government Scholarship). Please apply online and pay the application fee in a safe place. THU is not responsible for any losses caused by your own operation errors or the leakage of your online payment account and password. Please consider carefully before paying the application fee online. If you cannot finish the application due to various reasons, the paid application fee will not be refunded. Regardless of whether the application is successful or not, the application fee is not refundable.
Ø Applications with incomplete documents or without application fee payment will not be processed.
Ø THU has the right to require applicants to provide original/notarized copies of application materials or certification documents issued by a designated certification body for further inspection.
Ø As some countries' higher education systems are very different from the Chinese system, applicants from different education systems should refer to THU’s online application website for reference. Click here
Ø None of the above application documents will be returned.
Ø If the higher-level department issues a new policy, THU will make corresponding adjustments.
Ø Applicants must ensure that the application information and application materials provided are true and accurate. If the admissions unit or certification department verifies that anything in the application is not true, the application, admission or study qualification will be cancelled.
Ø Applicants who are found to be in breach of academic ethics, professional ethics, honesty and trustworthiness, etc., will not be admitted or admission/study qualification will be cancelled after this breach has been verified.
Ø The relevant information, documents and messages that the THU Graduate Admissions Office and relevant departments / schools publish or send to applicants through websites, phone calls, emails, text messages, etc. are deemed to have been delivered. All consequences caused by the applicant’s personal negligence and other reasons shall be borne by the applicant himself/herself.
Application Procedure
Applicants should complete the Online Application on the website of THU Graduate Programs application System for International Students (http://gradadmission.tsinghua.edu.cn) during THU appointed application period. Applicants should fill in the application information online, upload the application documents listed below to the Online Application System, and pay the application fee online at the time of submission.
The application fee is RMB 800 (non-refundable).
6. Application Schedule
For applicants who want to apply for scholarships, online application (available from Oct.15.2020) should be completed and all application documents should be received before December 31, 2020.
For applicants who do not apply for scholarships at Tsinghua, online application should be completed and all application documents should be received before March 20, 2021.
First wave of admission and scholarship decisions are expected to be made by late February 2021. Admission decisions for second wave of applications are expected to be made in mid-April 2021.
7. Application Procedure
Step 1: Online Application
Applicants should complete the Online Application on the website of the THU Graduate Programs Application System for International Students during the designated THU application period. Applicants should fill in the application information online, upload the application documents to the Online Application System, and pay the application fee online at the time of submission. For scholarship application documents, please refer section 8 below.
Step 2: Documents Submission
Bring the application documents(original ones) listed above to Tsinghua University for examining when you come to register in August 2021.
Step 3：Application Fee Payment
Pay online using credit card;
After your application form is approved or the materials are received by Tsinghua University, the staff will make you the online payment draft, and at the same time, an email is sent to remind you to pay the application fee via the online application system.
8. Tuition and Scholarship
Tuition: RMB 30,000/year.
Accidental Injury and Hospitalization Insurance: RMB 800/year.
Accommodations: Due to limited dormitory capacity, on-campus rooms can only be reserved for those who have successfully applied online. For Chinese Government Scholarship (full-scholarship) recipients, a dormitory on campus will be reserved by the University. Those who fail to apply for the dorm online have to find off-campus accommodation independently.
Detailed information regarding THU academic life, accommodation, student activities, visa, and residence permit application, as well as other useful information, is available at http://is.tsinghua.edu.cn
Accommodation in students dormitories on Tsinghua campus, Beijing: RMB 80/day per person for single rooms and AB rooms, RMB 40/day per person for double rooms.
Please visit http://gradadmission.tsinghua.edu.cn/f/yzlxs/yz_lxs_kstzb/view?id=76262 for detailed information about scholarship.
9. Contact Information
Ms. Li Ran
Department of International Relations
Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
Tel: +86-10-62788801
Email: iisws@tsinghua.edu.cn
Other unfinished matters in this guide are implemented in accordance with 'Admission to Graduate Programs of Tsinghua University 2021(For International Students.）
