SIAT Call for 2026 Master's/PhD Degree Programs for International Students

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) is an innovative university that integrates science and education, focuses mainly on graduate education, and features outstanding undergraduate education.

Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science (SIAT) is committed to building an international first-class research institute while striving to give full play to its advantages in scientific and technological innovation, promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talents, build a collaborative education system between industry, academia and research and a multi-type cultivation model, and cultivate a large number of top-notch innovative talents in scientific research. SIAT has taken the construction of a training base for first-class leading talents as one of its core objectives and missions. After 19 years of development, SIAT has accumulated rich experience in postgraduate training and has trained more than 10,000 postgraduates.

I. Majors and Study Period

1. Majors for PhD Students

2. Majors for Master Students

3.Study Period

Master’s Degree Programs: 3 Years

PhD Degree Programs: 3-4 years

II. General Conditions for Applicants

1. Non-Chinese citizens who abide by China’s laws and decrees, as well as UCAS’s rules and regulations.

2. Being of good character and in good health without any infectious diseases or physical/mental disease that may affect the normal study.

3. Applicants for master’s programs must have attained a degree or academic qualification equivalent to a Chinese bachelor’s degree; applicants for doctoral programs must have attained a degree or academic qualification equivalent to a Chinese master’s degree. Due to differences in educational systems between some countries and China, please refer to Attachment 1 for specific degree requirements for applicants from certain countries.

4. English proficiency is required. For Chinese-instructed programs, the applicant’s Chinese proficiency shall reach at least HSK Level 5 with no less than 180 scores.

III. Application Deadline

Scholarship Deadline: Jan. 31, 2026

Self-funded Deadline: Apr. 15, 2026

IV. Application Materials

       1.  Scanned Copies of Passport Information Page

Passport type must be ordinary. It shall have at least 1 year validity. Applicants who have given up their original Chinese citizenship and become foreign citizens shall provide the documents certifying the cancellation of Chinese nationality, according to the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China.

2. Two-inch Recent Bareheaded Photo

The uploaded photo shall be the same as that used for your passport.

3. Complete CV with Detail Education and Research Experiences (must include complete educational experience from university onwards)

For currently employed applicants, a certificate of employment must be attached.

        4. Scanned Copies of Original Degree Certificates

Master’s program applicants must submit bachelor’s degree certificate, while PhD program applicants must submit both master’s and bachelor’s degree certificates. 

For those who are expected to graduate before September 2026, they shall provide a pre-graduation certificate from the student department of their current university stating their expected graduation date. The scanned copies of Master’s degree certificate must be uploaded to the application system via host college/institute before registration if get admitted.

5. Scanned Copies of Original Academic Transcripts

Applicants for master’s programs must submit scanned copies of complete original transcripts from their undergraduate studies, while applicants for doctoral programs must submit scanned copies of complete original transcripts from both their master’s and bachelor’s studies. 

For those who are expected to graduate before September 2026, they can provide official transcripts up to the present. The final complete transcripts must be uploaded to the application system via host college/institute before registration if get admitted. 

6. Scanned Copies of Original English or Chinese Proficiency Certificates

English proficiency is required. Applicants must provide the scanned copy of valid IELTS or TOEFL result or other proof of their English proficiency (not necessary for those whose mother tongue is English).

Applicants for programs instructed in Chinese must provide the photocopy of HSK certificate (at least level 5 with no less than 180 scores) or other proof of their Chinese language proficiency.

7. First Page and Abstract of Published Academic Papers (if available)

Submit up to 5 representative published papers. Please DO NOT provide any unpublished academic papers.

8. Motivation Letter and Research Proposal

The motivation letter should include purpose of studying in China, academic background, reasons for applying, study plan and career goals, etc. PhD program applicants should also provide a research proposal.

9. Two Reference Letters from Professors or Associate Professors

The referees should be academic experts who are familiar with the applicant’s academic background. The referees should not be the prospective supervisor from UCAS. Letters must be written on the official letterhead of the referee’s institution and must include the referee’s signature and date.

10. Supervisor’s Acceptance Form (see Template in Attachment 2)

Applicants are encouraged to contact potential supervisors before applying and get provisional acceptance form, which will highly increase your chance for admission. Supervisor information can be found via our website (click here). 

11. Certificate of Financial Support

Applicants who have received funding from sources other than UCAS should provide corresponding proof of funding. Self-funded applicants should submit a financial guarantee letter from their sponsor and a bank statement (original or notarized copy). Those who wish to apply for scholarships should complete the relevant online scholarship application procedures.

12. Bank Receipt of Application Fee

Applicants of CAS-ANSO Scholarship, Chinese Government Scholarship and UCAS Scholarship for International Students are not required to pay for this fee. Application fee is non-refundable in any case.

Applicants shall carefully prepare the application materials in strict accordance with the following requirements, and must ensure that the submitted materials are authentic, complete and valid. For those who have not yet enrolled, failure to meet these requirements will result in the revocation of application eligibility or admission offer. For those who have already enrolled, their student status will be terminated. Applications with incomplete materials or those that do not meet the requirements may not be processed.

All certificates and documents must be in English or Chinese. Otherwise, scanned copy of the original and its English or Chinese translation are required to combine into one PDF file. Please use color scanner to scan the original copies of all certificates and documents. In the process of reviewing the application materials, the university may require some applicants to provide the original version of the application materials, the verification documents issued by the designated authority and others for further examination.

V. Online Application

Applicants are required to submit their application via the online application system (https://is.ucas.ac.cn/) within the application time. Please finish your online application as early as possible, for us to evaluate your application and remind you to correct or complete it when necessary. Please also note that:

1. Applicants are encouraged to contact potential supervisors before applying and get provisional acceptance form, which will highly increase your chance for admission. 

2. The application information is very important for the university to make UCAS Admission Letter, Visa Application for Study in China and others. Applicants must ensure that your full name and passport no. provided is the same with those shown on your passport, as any errors may affect the admission process.

3. Please DO NOT create two or more accounts and submit multiple applications to us. We will check the duplicates. Once verified, they will be disqualified from application or admission.

VI. Evaluation and Admission Procedures

1. Contact potential supervisor (click here to view the supervisor list)

2. Interview and evaluation by supervisor

3. Get provisional acceptance form

4. Submit online application (https://is.ucas.ac.cn/)

5. Materials review by SIAT (make modifications if required)

6. SIAT entrance examination (online interview by SIAT admission committee)

7. UCAS final review and evaluation

8. UCAS announce the final admission results

VII. Scholarships and Fees  

1. Scholarships

Please click the name of the scholarship for more details.

2. Fees

(1) Application Fee: RMB 600 (Waived if apply for scholarships);

(2) Tuition Fee:

Students awarded Chinese Government Scholarship, CAS-ANSO Scholarship, or UCAS International Student Scholarship are exempt from tuition fees.

Master’s programs: RMB 30,000

PhD programs: RMB 40,000/year per person.

(3) Accommodation Fee:

   Accommodation fees are waived for CSC scholarship, UCAS Full and UCAS Partial scholarship awardees. ANSO scholarship awardees need to pay for the accommodation fee (stipends include accommodation allowance).

A. Accommodation at UCAS:

For two or three students shared rooms, RMB 30/day for one student; 

For single room, RMB 60/day for one student.

B. Accommodation at SIAT:

RMB 500/month (two or three students shared rooms).

(4) Other Fees

Medical fee is covered by insurance according to the medical insurance plan,  and all scholarships include the health insurance for international students. Board expenses, travel expenses and other costs of experiments, meetings and training beyond the program curriculum are at the student’s own expense.

VIII. Contact Us

Education Department

Email: international.edu@siat.ac.cn

Tel: +86 (0)755 86564149

Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Attachments 

1 Specific degree requirements for applicants from certain countries

2 PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE FORM OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT BY UCAS SUPERVISOR

3 Call for 2026 Chinese Government Scholarship for International Students to Study at UCAS

4 CAS-ANSO Scholarship (Degree Program) 2026 Call for Applications to Study at UCAS

5 UCAS Scholarship for International Students 2026 Call for Applications