The University of Manchester - China Scholarship Council joint scholarship

Unlock your potential in research

This scholarship covers fees and living expenses for Chinese PhD students for up to four years.

The University of Manchester, in collaboration with the China Scholarship Council (CSC), offers a prestigious joint scholarship program for Chinese PhD students.

Please be aware that the cost of living can vary significantly across different parts of the UK, with some cities and regions being more expensive than others. Although some funders may take this into account when setting stipend levels, many students supplement their stipend with additional sources of funding. We encourage you to consult the University’s Money Advice and Cost of Living webpages for guidance on budgeting and managing living costs while studying at Manchester.

Benefits of the scholarship

• Open to Chinese citizens wishing to study with us, across all research disciplines
• All tuition fees covered at the international rate
• Living allowances as prescribed by the Chinese Government, plus airfare, visa and passport fees.

Key dates for 2027 entry

• Deadline for applicants to submit the programme application: 11 January 2027

Eligibility criteria

To be considered suitable for the joint scholarship, you must be a citizen and permanent resident of the People's Republic of China at the time of application. Overseas Chinese students may be eligible for application subject to CSC policy at the time (CSC publicises the policy in October or November every year).

You must also:

• return to China upon completion of your studies and/or research;
• hold an Upper Second class UK honours undergraduate degree (or international equivalent) from a reputable institution;
• hold an unconditional offer letter from The University of Manchester;
• ideally hold a master's-level qualification at merit or distinction (or international equivalent);
• have a track record of engaging with research, which may include contributions to publications/articles, promoting your research to a wider audience, prizes for research or project work;
• satisfy CSC's selection criteria .

Application process

Complete our online application form.

As you must be in receipt of an unconditional PhD offer, you must first follow our usual admissions process by completing an online application form . See information on potential projects and supervisors.

On your application form in the funding section, state that you are applying for The University of Manchester Scholarship, in particular a UoM-CSC Award.

Online application form

Complete a nomination form

Once you have been interviewed and offered a PhD place, you will then work with your primary supervisor to complete a nomination form, which needs to be submitted to the Faculty Doctoral Academy.

All nominations will be reviewed internally and a shortlist of candidates will be selected to apply to the CSC directly.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please email Manchester's Doctoral Academy .

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