Call for 2021Master’s Programs for International Students

1. Introduction

The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) accepts international students through over 20 UCAS schools and over 100 institutes of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). See herefor detailed information about UCAS faculties and CAS institutes.

In 2021, UCAS provides over 200 Master’s programs that commonly last for 3 years. Certificates of graduation and degrees will be awarded to those who have met the requirements of graduation and degree conferment. Master’s programs are mainly instructed in Chinese or bilingual in Chinese and English, with only a few programs instructed in English. For Chinese-instructed Master Programs, please refer to UCAS Admission Information Website (see here). Please see the following information about English-instructed Master’s Programs:

1.1 Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The program provides professional courses such as Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genomics, Developmental Biology, Plant Ecology, Conservation Biology, etc. Research directions involve botany, zoology, ecology, aquatic biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, genetics, aiming to develop talents in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology. Through study of the program, students will have a firm and comprehensive grasp of basic theories and profound and systematic specialized knowledge in the discipline, will get scientific thinking and experiment training in basic and applied basic research with good scientific research morality and professional dedication spirit, will have the ability to undertake scientific research or independently to engage in a special technical work. The majors and related institutes, colleges for this program are as follows:

1.2 Program in Geography and Environmental Science

The professional courses given in the program include Physical Geography, Global Climate Change, Biogeography, Tourism Geography, Remote Sensing Analysis and Application Models, Restoration Ecology, Soil Chemistry, Bioremediation, Dynamic Modelling of Environmental System and its Application, etc. Research orientation refer to hydrology and water resources, environmental evolution, resources use and ecological security, desert environment, environmental bioremediation. Through the implementation of the program, international students are expected to be equipped with both the solid knowledge in geographical comprehensive research and environmental problems analysis, and the ability to conduct original research in geography and environmental science with independent and innovative thinking. The majors and related institutes, colleges for this program are as follows:

1.3 Program in Pharmaceutical Science

The professional courses of this program include Molecular Biology and Genomics, Immunology and Biophysics, Functional Nanostructure: Synthesis, Characterizations and Device Applications, Physical Pharmacy, Pharmacy Development Frontier, Modern Pharmaceutics, Genetic Interpretation System, Protein Polypeptide Drugs’ Modification and Delivery, Molecular Pharmacology, Biotechnology and New Drug Research, Drug Discovery, Adverse Drug Reactions, etc. The program involves Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Drug Design. The program aims to cultivate high-level pharmaceutical talents. Students in this program learn about the current status and future tendency of drug research, master the theories, methods and skills of pharmaceutical science, with the capability of independent drug discovery and technology development. The majors and related institutes, colleges for this program are as follows:

1.4 Program in Chemical Engineering and Technology

The professional courses of this program include Reaction Engineering and Technology, Advanced Thermodynamics, Green Chemistry and Technology, Principle of Transfer Process, Biological Process Engineering, etc. The research directions include: Chemical Reaction Engineering, Mass Transfer Separation Technique, Complex System, Fluidization Technology, Clean Energy / Resource Development and Transformation, Green Metallurgy, Process System Engineering, Development of Functional Materials, Biochemical Process Development, Biomass Refining Chemicals, Pollution Control, and Other Research Areas. This program aims to cultivate innovative talents in the area of Chemical Engineering and Technology. Through this program, students can master the basic theory and systematic expertise in Chemical Engineering and Technology, has the sense of scientific innovation and the ability to undertake specialized technical work independently. The major and related research institutes/colleges include:

1.5 Program in Marine Environmental Science

The major courses in this program include Ocean Dynamics, Ocean Circulation: Wind-Driven and Thermohaline Processes, Sea-Air Interaction, Tropical Climate, Marine Seismology, Paleoclimatology, Tectonic Geology, Natural Product Chemistry, etc. The specialties cover Physical Oceanography, Marine Biology, Marine Geology, Chemical Oceanography and Environment Science. The aim of the program is to train young scientists who have international view and long termly focus on marine environment science. After 3 years’ study, the students will have holistic thinking and skilled practices in their specialties, who can do research in marine environmental science independently and innovatively. The majors and related institutes, colleges for this program are as follows:

1.6 Program in Nanoscience and Technology

The program offers professional courses such as Functional Nanostructure: Synthesis, Characterizations and Device Applications, Cancer Nanotechnology, Experimental Course of Nano-testing Technology, Nanotechnology for Solar Energy Utilization, Nano Electronic Materials, Nano-biology and Organometallics. The research areas cover nano devices, nano materials, nano biology and safety, nano characterization, nano manufacture and application. The program aims at cultivating excellent talents with interdisciplinary knowledge and international vision in the future study and development of nanoscience and technology. Through the program, students will be equipped with professional knowledge in nanomaterials preparation, nanocharacterization, design and fabrication of nanodevices, observation and manipulation of nanostructure, nanobiology and medicine and other related areas. Students will be able to carry out original research with independent and innovative thinking method in the field of nanoscience and technology. The name list of recruitment majors, institutes and schools is presented here:

1.7 Program in Biodiversity Conservation Research

Biodiversity Conservation is an interdisciplinary field for investigating the pattern, formation and change of biological diversity using macro and microbiological methods. It seeks to reveal the evolutionary mechanisms leading to current patterns and processes of biodiversity, and to provide theoretical guidance for biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization of biological resources. English-taught professional courses in this program include Conservation Biology, Plant Ecology, Developmental Biology, Global Change Ecology, Molecular Entomology and Plant Pathology, Advanced Field Course in Ecology and Conservation etc. The research direction covers botany, zoology and ecology. The program aims to cultivate outstanding professional talents in areas such as biodiversity and environmental protection, sustainable utilization of biological resources and etc. After completing this program, students are expected to master the solid basic knowledge of in the fields of ecology and biology and have the capacity to conduct biodiversity conservation research, as well as an independent and innovative way of thinking. The related disciplines, institutes and colleges are as followed.

1.8 Program in Environmental Science and Technology

Environmental Science and Technology is the research on the interactions between the environment and human beings and the methods to regulate and control these interactions. Multidisciplinary scientific and engineering tools are applied to control the pollution sources including physical, chemical, biological and ecological methods. Usually comprehensive treatment and resource reuse are recommended in the research in order to prevent, alleviate and eliminate the contamination. These R&D activities are expected to remediate the polluted environment and keep it in satisfactory quality. English-instructed professional courses in this program include Water Supply Technology, Biological Processes for Wastewater Treatment, Physicochemical Technology for Water Treatment, Introduction to Ecology, Environmental Chemistry, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Environmental Bio Technology, Environmental Catalysis, Environmental Material, Progress of Environmental Science and Engineering and etc. This program is aimed at providing world class training for young scientists and engineers with international background and inter disciplinary knowledge in environmental protection science and technology.

1.9 Program in Microbiology

The Microbiology Program of UCAS include the research on HIV, viral hepatitis B and C, respiratory viruses and virus-induced cancers, immune，environmental microorganisms and biological control of pollution, green catalytic technology and mechanism of microorganisms, Biomass microbial transformation and process control, molecular microbial engineering, microbial metabolic engineering, marine microbiology , tracing to the origin of emerging or lethal infectious diseases, response and defense to highly pathogenic pathogens, antibody engineering production, rapid and accurate analytical technology for highly pathogenic pathogens, characterization of antiviral immunity, development and application of green agricultural microbes，etc. English-taught professional courses in this program include Highly pathogenic viruses, Symbiotic Microecology, Pathogenic epigenetics, Pathogen Bioinformatics, Advanced microbiology, Environmental Microbiology. Students of this program will master basic theory and a solid broad system of specialized knowledge in the field of microbiology, has the innovation consciousness in the scientific research area and the ability to undertake technical research work independently.

2. Application Guidance

2.1 General Conditions for Applicants

(1) Non-Chinese citizens.

(2) Be in good health, of good character, and willing to abide by China's laws and decrees, as well as UCAS’s rules and regulations.

(3) Holding a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in program-related fields with satisfactory performance.

As some countries’ higher education systems are very different from the Chinese system, applicants from different education systems should see Attachment 1 for reference.

(4) Get approval for application from a host supervisor in CAS and the institute/school that the supervisor is affiliated with.

(5) Language skills requirements:

● For programs offered in Chinese: should pass the new HSK band 5 with score more than 200;

● For programs offered in English: Good command of English.

Applicants whose native language is not English should provide unexpired TOEFL or IELTS scores. TOEFL scores should be 90 or higher, and IELTS scores should be 6.5 or higher. Applicants are not required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score only if their:

a) Native language is English, or

b) Major undergraduate courses are conducted in English/Chinese, which should be stated in transcripts;

3. Application Time

Please submit online application during December 1^st, 2020 to May 31^st, 2021. For those who apply to UCAS for scholarship, please submit the above admission application documents along with scholarship application form before March 31^st, 2021, the scholarship application deadline.

4. Application Guideline

(1) CHECK ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

You should verify that you meet ALL the requirements specified in the “General conditions for applicants” section of this call. You need to find an eligible professor of your interest that agrees to accept you. See here for a list of eligible schools/institutes and supervisors of UCAS. Send an explanatory e-mail together with your CV, research proposal and other required documents to him/her, and indicate that you wish to apply for the master’s program of UCAS. Your supervisor should finish the required procedure illustrated in the email automatically sent to him/her by the UCAS system immediately after your application materials pass the preliminary review by the institute/college with which the supervisor is affiliated.

(2) SUBMIT YOUR ADMISSION APPLICATION VIA THE ONLINE SYSTEM

Applications shall be submitted via the Online Application System for International Students of UCAS (http://adis.ucas.ac.cn) which would be officially launched around Dec. 1, 2020. Please prepare and upload the following materials to the system. Make sure the electronic version of supporting documentation is in the right format as requested for the online application system.

● Personal information page of ordinary passport

The passport shall have at least 2 years validity. 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.

● Recent full-face bust photo with 2-inch

It is best to upload the photo used for passport.

● Complete CV with a brief introduction of research experience

● Foreigner Physical Examination Form (Attachment 2)

● Bachelor’s degree certificate

Applicants having just completed or about to complete their Bachelor’s degree should provide an official pre-graduation certificate showing their student status and stating their expected graduation date. They are required to submit Bachelor’s degree certificates to the International Students Office of UCAS via their host institute before they enroll in UCAS.

● Undergraduate study transcripts

● Proof of knowledge of English and/or Chinese

● Detailed research proposal

● Title pages and abstracts of published papers (if have)

If you have more than 5 papers, please upload no more than 5 of representative papers. Please DO NOT upload any unpublished paper.

● TWO reference letters from 2 professors or experts with the equivalent title

The referees shall be familiar with you and your work, NOT to be your host supervisor. The letters should be signed, dated on official headed paper with contact phone number and email address of the referees.

● Certificate of financial support (or complete the scholarship application procedure to UCAS)

For those who a. have already got financial support, please attach the certificate of financial support; b. are applying to study by self-support, please attach the affidavit of support from guarantors and a bank statement; c. are applying for scholarship program(s) to UCAS, please complete the scholarship application procedure(s).

● Bank Receipt of Application Processing Fee

Please note:

a. 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 their notarial translations are required to submit together to the application system. Please use a scanner to prepare all the required documents in colour. Images captured by mobile phone or camera are not acceptable. Copies are also not acceptable.

b. The university has the right to request applicants to provide the original or notarial hardcopies of their application documents for further qualification checks if the uploaded documents are insufficient. Applicants shall guarantee all the information and application documents submitted in this application are authentic and accurate, otherwise they will be disqualified from admission.

c. Application with incomplete documents, lack of some required documents or wrong personal information will not be processed.

d. The applicant cannot apply to more than one institute/school and supervisor.

e. Please choose major, host supervisor and host institute cautiously before submission. After enrolment at UCAS, applications for the change of these items are seldom considered.

f. Please DO NOT send any hardcopy of application materials directly to the International Students Office of UCAS. None of the application documents will be returned.

g. The Chinese Government Scholarship, ANSO Scholarship for Young Talents and UCAS Scholarship for International Students do not request for application processing fee.

h. Processing fee is non-refundable in any case.

i. Please prepare your application carefully. After submission, none will be returned to you for modifications.

5. Evaluation and Admission

UCAS enrolls international students based on evaluation of application documents together with a further matriculation examination. The admission committee of the applicable UCAS schools/CAS institutes will review the application documents and select applicants for further examination.

The examination will take the form of one of the following methods: ①Interview Exemption; ②Personal Interview; ③Interview plus written test. If an interview is required for admission, relative UCAS schools/CAS institutes will contact the applicant directly to set up an interview appointment and provide information about the interview process.

Admission is determined at UCAS school/CAS institute level with oversight by UCAS according to the result of the document review, the interview, and other factors. Admission Notices, Visa Application Forms and some other documents will be sent to the admitted students after the final admission result is released. Prior to this, applicants may check their admission status via the Online Application System for International Students of UCAS (here)

6. Visa Application and Registration

The admitted student should take his personal passport that is used for admission application, Admission Notice, Visa Application Form (JW202/JW201), and original Form of Physical Examination Record for Foreigners as well as other original documents of physical examination to the Embassy or Consulate of the People's Republic of China, and apply for a student visa (X1/X2 visa). Please do not enter China visa-free or with other types of visas other than X visa. Please keep the original Admission Notice and Visa Application Form (JW202/ JW201) which are needed for registration and residence permit application.

The admitted student should register at the place indicated in the Admission Notice, and should register on the assigned date. Otherwise, they should get the university approval in advance.

7. Fees and Scholarship

7.1 Application Fee, Tuition, and Other Costs:

(1) Application processing fee: RMB 600 (Non-refundable);

(2) Tuition: RMB30,000;.

(3) Accidental Injury and Hospitalization Insurance premium:

RMB 800/year, RMB 400/half year;

(4) Accommodation (shared rooms) fee: RMB 900/month for one student;

(5) Outpatient service fee is paid according to the insurance scheme from insurance company.

   Board expenses, travel expenses and other cost of experiments, meetings or trainings beyond the program curricular is at the student’s own expense.

Please note:

    1. Currencies other than RMB, USD and EUR are unacceptable.

    2. UCAS bank account information:

Beneficiary: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Account number: 11001059200053002790

Bank: Construction Bank of China

Beijing Municipal Dongfangguangchang Branch

SWIFTCODE：PCBCCNBJBJX

    3. Please specify the purpose of the remittance and the student’s name, nationality and passport number.

4. Due to the limitation of dormitory capacity, those who fail to make reservation need to find the accommodation off campus by themselves.

7.2 Scholarship

● Chinese Government Scholarship

The Chinese Government Scholarship sponsor international students to study at Chinese universities. The scholarship offers fee waivers of admission application and tuition, health insurance, on-campus accommodation, etc. Please refer to the website of the China Scholarship Council (http://www.csc.edu.cn/Laihua/) for detailed introduction, qualifications of applicants and application procedure.

UCAS is one of the Chinese Government Scholarship universities. Eligible applicants may apply to the China Scholarship Council with recommendation from related national official departments and Embassies or Consulates of the People's Republic of China. The scholarship application usually starts in November and ends in the following April, but please be noted of deadline variations for different countries. The International Students Office of UCAS will offer pre-admission notice if needed.

Applicants may submit application via UCAS (see http://english.ucas.ac.cn/ for detailed information and application procedure). But this is only for a small number of excellent international students who are not currently studying in China.

● ANSO Scholarship for Young Talents

The program offers full scholarship for international students from all over the world to pursue graduate education at UCAS. It provides tuition and application processing fee waivers and living allowance, health insurance and international travel subsidy. Please refer to the UCAS website at http://english.ucas.ac.cn/ for detailed information and application procedure.

● UCAS Scholarship for International Students

The program offers full scholarship for international students to pursue graduate education at UCAS. It provides tuition fee waiver, health insurance and living allowance. Please refer to the UCAS website at http://english.ucas.ac.cn/ for detailed information and application procedure.

8. Contact Information

8.1 International Students Office, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Coordinator: Hu Menglin (Ms.)

Tel/Fax: +86-10-82672900

Email: master@ucas.ac.cn

Website: http://english.ucas.ac.cn

8.2 Institute/College for English-instructed Master’s Programs