MOFCOM Scholarship: conditions and where to apply
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
The MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program is open to citizens of a developing country other than the People's Republic of China who are under the age of 45, hold the degree required for the level applied to, have at least three years' work experience, and hold a post in government, an organisation or enterprise, or a university or research institution. It supports a master's programme of 2–3 years or a PhD programme of 3 years, taught in English. Applicants first obtain the approval and recommendation of the relevant department of their own government and submit as that department requires; only where that government allows direct submission is the application handed to the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office (ECCO) of the Chinese Embassy in your country, and applications without the ECCO's recommendation are not considered (Section V).
MOFCOM is the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. The English on this page is this site's translation of the Chinese text.
The scholarship match on this site reads 19 national scholarship entries and prints, for each, whether the conditions it can test are met on what you enter — study level, country group, age and language; work experience and conditions set by a university are left for you to check, and a result is not an award or an eligibility decision.
What the programme is described as
The introduction on the page describes Degree Education Programs sponsored by MOFCOM as designed to foster high-end business officials and managerial personnel for the recipient countries, offering one-year and two-year master programmes as well as three-year doctoral programmes, to educate high-end, inter-disciplinary talent working in the applied fields of government, trade, foreign affairs, agriculture, technology, education, culture and health. It says these programmes assist governmental officials, research fellows and senior managerial personnel with master's and doctoral education in China, fully conducted in English, and that admission requirements include a bachelor's degree, relevant working experience and decent physical conditions.
The same introduction says the MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Program was set up by MOFCOM to strengthen communication and cooperation between China and other countries and to develop talent for developing countries. Starting from 2015 it mainly sponsors young and middle-aged talents from recipient countries to pursue postgraduate degree education in China. China Scholarship Council is entrusted to administer the Scholarship.
Categories, duration and teaching language
Section I of the Enrollment Guide, "Supporting categories, duration of scholarship and instruction language":
| Item | What the Enrollment Guide, Section I states |
|---|---|
| Supporting categories | Master's programme or PhD programme |
| Duration | Master's: 2–3 years. PhD: 3 years |
| Instruction language | Scholarship winners must register for an English-taught programme |
The introduction and Section I give different master's durations: the introduction refers to one-year and two-year master programmes, while Section I of the CSC Program states 2–3 years for a master's. Both wordings are on the page. Ask the office handling your application which applies to the intake you are applying to.
Where and when to apply
Section II, "Where & When to Apply": the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office (ECCO) of the Chinese Embassy in your country will be open for application. The page tells applicants: "Please consult the application receiving authority for the deadline of each year." Section V, "Submission Offline", sets out the route to that office. Applicants first obtain the approval and recommendation of the relevant department of their own government and then submit as that department requires. Only where that government allows direct submission to the Embassy do applicants hand the government's permission or recommendation letter, with the other application documents, to the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy in their country; applications without the recommendation from the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy are not considered (Section V, "Submission Offline" and Reminders). Section V also asks applicants to submit the application form online and to print the hard copy.
Section II states no deadline date and names no academic year. The guide gives the scholarship coverage in Section IV (including a monthly stipend, stated as 36000RMB per year per master student and 42000RMB per year per PhD student), the application documents in Section V, and the choice of one major and three preferred universities out of the 26 designated universities in Section VI and Attachment 2. It states no number of awards and does not say which visa type to apply for.
Eligibility, as written
Section III, "Eligibility", states that to be eligible applicants must:
- be a citizen of a developing country other than the People's Republic of China, and under the age of 45;
- be healthy physically and mentally, with a physical examination report issued by a local public hospital, and not have any disease or situation in the list below:
- a) diseases prohibited by Chinese Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Laws and Regulations;
- b) other severe chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, cardio-cerebrovascular disease or diabetes; psychological diseases; or other infectious diseases which may harm public health;
- c) being in a recovery period after major surgery or acute disease attacks;
- d) severe physical disability ("severe physically challenged" in the text);
- e) pregnancy;
- have at least three years' working experience, hold a bachelor's degree when applying for a master's programme, and hold a master's degree when applying for a doctoral programme;
- be incumbents — the text adds that a relevant educational background or working experience for the applied programme is preferred;
- be public officials of division level and above (or corresponding level) in government sectors, or senior management staff of organisations and enterprises, or academic backbones of universities and research institutions;
- be sufficient in English, meeting the academic requirements of the programme, equivalent to IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 and above;
- have the potential for professional development, and be committed to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between the host country and China;
- be neither studying in China nor admitted to other scholarship programmes provided by the Chinese government.
Section III states the English requirement as an equivalence to IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 and above, and Section V, item 7 of the document list asks for a photocopy of the English proficiency certificate; the guide names no other test.
Questions people ask
Who receives the application?
Section II of the Enrollment Guide says the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office (ECCO) of the Chinese Embassy in your country will be open for application. Applicants first obtain the approval and recommendation of the relevant department of their own government and then submit as that department requires. Only where that government allows direct submission to the Embassy do applicants hand the government's permission or recommendation letter, with the other application documents, to the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy in their country; applications without the recommendation from the ECCO of the Chinese Embassy are not considered (Section V, "Submission Offline" and Reminders).
Is there a deadline on the page?
No application deadline date appears. Section II says to consult the application receiving authority for the deadline of each year, so the date has to come from the application receiving authority handling your case.
Can I apply if I am already studying in China?
Section III requires that an applicant be neither studying in China nor admitted to other scholarship programmes provided by the Chinese government.
Is the programme taught in English or Chinese?
Section I requires scholarship winners to register for an English-taught programme. The introduction also describes the degree programmes as fully conducted in English.
Do I need work experience?
Yes. Section III requires at least three years' working experience, and separately requires a post as a public official of division level or above, senior management staff, or an academic backbone of a university or research institution.
Sources
- MOFCOM SCHOLARSHIP-CSC Program (Enrollment Guide) — China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by China Scholarship Council, MOFCOM or any embassy, and the official text and the instructions of the body handling your application prevail if they differ.