English-taught programmes in China: which language certificate a scholarship application needs

For a Chinese Government Scholarship programme taught in a language other than Chinese, section IV, eligibility item 11 and section VI, document item 5 of the Application Guide name no required language test or score. Both items leave the certificate to the university you apply to.

The document checklist tool on this site prints the items that apply to your case. Open the document checklist and it returns the section VI items of the official Application Guide matched to your answers, including the language-certificate line for a non-Chinese-taught programme.

What the Chinese Government Scholarship guide says

Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, section IV, eligibility item 11: an applicant for a programme taught in a language other than Chinese must meet the admission requirements of the university of preference "in terms of language proficiency and academic ability, among others." Item 11 names no test and no score.

Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, section VI, application document item 5: applicants for programmes taught in other languages "are required to provide relevant language proficiency certificates, such as IELTS or TOEFL score reports, in accordance with the requirements of each university." IELTS and TOEFL appear only as examples after "such as"; the rule is each university's own requirement.

Other scholarship programmes with their own English scores

Separate Campus China scholarship guides name their own English minimum. Their terms do not apply to the Chinese Government Scholarship.

Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship, eligibility item c: an applicant "must possess an IELTS score of at least 6.0 or a TOEFL score of at least 80 points."

MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program (Enrollment Guide), section III, eligibility: an applicant must "be sufficient in English which meets the academic requirements of the program, be equivalent to IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 and above level."

Teaching in a foreign language and your thesis

The Ministry of Education's Order No. 42 also covers programmes taught in a foreign language. The English below is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools (Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security), Article 19: a qualified institution may open programmes taught in a foreign language; an international student receiving higher education in a foreign language may write the degree thesis in that foreign language, but the thesis abstract should be in Chinese; whether the thesis defence uses a foreign language is decided by the school.

Article 19 sets no language-certificate requirement for admission. It concerns teaching and thesis language after admission.

How the checklist shows your language item

The document checklist tool asks for the language the programme is taught in. When you select "English or another language" and mark that you are a Chinese Government Scholarship applicant, the tool prints section VI item 5 of the Application Guide as one of your documents, with its item number. The printed line is the same rule: provide the language proficiency certificate the university requires.

The tool does not check, store or submit documents. The body that receives your application and the university may ask for more.

Questions people ask

Does the Chinese Government Scholarship guide name a required English test?

No. Section IV, eligibility item 11 and section VI, document item 5 name no test and no score for programmes taught in a language other than Chinese; both defer to each university's requirements.

Can my thesis be in English if I study in China?

Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools (Order No. 42), Article 19: an international student taught in a foreign language may write the degree thesis in that foreign language, with the abstract in Chinese; the school decides whether the defence uses a foreign language.

Do ACYLS and MOFCOM use the same English score as the Chinese Government Scholarship?

They are separate programmes with their own guides. Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship, eligibility item c: IELTS at least 6.0 or TOEFL at least 80 points. MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program (Enrollment Guide), section III, eligibility: equivalent to IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 and above. Neither sets the terms of the Chinese Government Scholarship.

Sources

• Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China)
• Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools (Order No. 42) — Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China
• Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China)
• MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program (Enrollment Guide) — China Scholarship Council (Campus China)

Checked 10 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the bodies named, and the official text and the instructions of the body handling your application prevail if they differ.