Yenching Academy of Peking University

The Yenching Academy of Peking University program offers support for at least the first year of a two-year Master’s in China Studies (in English). The Academy's mission is to ensure that international leaders in a variety of fields have a broad and rich understanding of China. Yenching Scholars receive a full tuition scholarship for the first year of the program, accommodation in the residential college, basic medical insurance, a monthly stipend, and expenses related to research. 

Students who maintain a good academic standing and plan to stay in Beijing during their second academic year can apply for the second-year Yenching Fellowship, which covers tuition, accommodation, basic medical insurance, and a monthly stipend.

Yenching Scholars select one academic concentration:

• Literature and Culture,
• History and Archaeology,
• Philosophy and Religion,
• Law and Society,
• Politics and International Relations, or
• Economics and Management

Yenching Scholars are deeply immersed in Chinese culture through excursions to various parts of China and an intensive Chinese language program. 

Eligibility Requirements

Current students in the College and College alumni who have not enrolled in graduate school must be nominated by UChicago for the Yenching Academy.

Eligibility:

• Open to current citizens of any country except China
• CCRF requires a 3.6 GPA or higher without rounding; CCRF recommends a 3.7 GPA or higher
• BA required. Any currently enrolled degree awarded no later than August 31, 2025
• Demonstrated English proficiency 
• Able to secure two strong letters of recommendation from associate or full professors
• Meets all eligibility criteria set out by the Yenching Academy. Potential applicants may also wish to review Peking University’s additional admissions criteria which may affect applicants with specific medical conditions or disabilities. Please note that CCRF is committed to ensuring equitable access to our programs and services. These admissions criteria of Peking University will not affect an applicant’s eligibility to be part of CCRF’s 2024 Yenching Cohort or the applicant’s eligibility for University nomination

Selection Criteria:

• Evident commitment to, and preparation for, rigorous graduate studies
• Strong interest in the interdisciplinary study of China, including a research proposal for an MA thesis that aligns well with the Yenching Academy program
• A record of extracurricular achievement, community engagement, social responsibility, and leadership potential

Please note: 

• Applicants with any form of current identification from Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan have a different application process. Applicants in this category should reach out to Johanna Best (bestjl@uchicago.edu) as soon as possible to discuss the application process.
• Applicants who were born in, or who previously held citizenship in, China, Hong Kong, Macao, or Taiwan have a different application process. Applicants in this category should reach out to Johanna Best (bestjl@uchicago.edu) as soon as possible to discuss the application process.
• College students holding a Chinese passport are not eligible to apply for UChicago nomination.

Application Process

Potential applicants are encouraged to review recorded versions of the two Yenching Academy workshops, both of which are available in the CCRF Resource Library.

• Yenching Academy Information Session
• Yenching Academy: Essay Overview
• If you are a UChicago College alum who is having difficulty accessing the recorded presentations, please email Johanna Best at bestjl@uchicago.edu with the following information: former UChicago email address, current email address, year of graduation from the College, and major.

To apply for UChicago nomination to the Yenching Academy, applicants must complete the following steps:

• On or before October 15, 2024 at 12:00 pm CT: Complete and submit Stage 1 of the UChicago Yenching Academy Campus Nomination Application in Survey Monkey
  • The first draft templates for the Statement of Research Interest and Personal Statement can be found in the Yenching Academy Shared Box folder. If you are a UChicago College alum who is having difficulty accessing the templates for first drafts, please email Johanna Best at bestjl@uchicago.edu with the following information: former UChicago email address, current email address, year of graduation from the College, and major.
• On or before November 20, 2024: All letters of recommendation submitted by recommenders to Stage 2 of the UChicago Yenching Academy Campus Nomination Application
• On or before November 22, 2024 at 12:00 pm CT: Complete and submit Stage 2 of the UChicago Yenching Academy Campus Nomination Application through this Survey Monkey application portal

Students with disabilities who have been approved for the use of academic accommodations by Student Disability Services (SDS) and need reasonable accommodations to participate fully in the 2024 UChicago Yenching Academy Campus Process should follow the procedures established by SDS for using accommodations. Timely notifications are required in order to ensure that your accommodations can be implemented. Please contact Johanna Best (bestjl@uchicago.edu) to discuss your access needs for this Campus Process after you have completed the SDS procedures for requesting accommodations.