USTC Scholarships 2027: CSC, ANSO, and University Sponsored Scholarships Open
Your next research question could become a master’s or PhD at the University of Science and Technology of China. USTC’s 2027 international postgraduate applications are open, and its admission guides identify three scholarship routes: CAS-ANSO Scholarship, Chinese Government Scholarship and USTC Scholarship.
Based in Hefei, China, USTC offers opportunities ranging from astrophysics and software engineering to chemistry, biomedical engineering and quantum science. You can pursue a two- to three-year master’s or a four-year doctorate, with selected English-taught master’s programmes and English instruction available across nearly all doctoral programmes.
The useful starting point is your academic direction: what do you want to investigate, and which programme gives you the right training? USTC does not require you to secure a supervisor before applying. That makes your proposal, academic evidence and assessment performance central to the application. This guide helps you choose the degree and language, compare the funding routes and prepare one coherent application.
Choose the research. Build the funding case.
2027 master’s and PhD admission is open.
CAS-ANSO, Chinese Government and USTC scholarships.
Eligible non-Chinese applicants with the required previous degree.
HSK 4+ for Chinese programmes; English proof or an accepted exemption for English programmes.
No fee, according to USTC’s admissions FAQ.
27 October 2026. Scholarship-specific dates are separate from the admission window.
Your route from research interest to USTC application
01Which USTC programme matches what you want to investigate?
USTC advertises 70 master’s programmes and 82 doctoral programmes for international students. Choose the degree, research field and teaching language together; a subject offered in Chinese is not automatically available in English.
Master’s: build specialist knowledge over two to three years
The 2027 English-taught catalogue includes Astronomy, Atmospheric Science, Electronic Information with Software Engineering, Geology, Geophysics, MBA, Optics Engineering and Physics. Research directions include astrophysics, space physics, condensed matter physics and theoretical physics.
Chinese-taught choices extend to Computer Science and Technology, Cyberspace Security, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Materials Science and Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and Public Administration. The MBA and the starred MPA programme require a bachelor’s degree obtained before 31 August 2024.
PhD: develop an original research contribution over four years
English-taught doctoral options include Quantum Science and Technology, Computer Science and Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Nanoscience and Engineering, Chemistry, Mathematics and Materials Science and Engineering, alongside many other fields.
I would start with a research field you can explain convincingly in an interview, then select a teaching language you can document. This gives your scholarship application an academic purpose beyond wanting financial support.
Return to the USTC application map
02How do the three USTC scholarship routes compare?
USTC’s 2027 guides name CAS-ANSO, CSC and university funding for outstanding postgraduate applicants. The fellowship framework groups support into levels, and the same level label can mean different benefits for master’s and doctoral students.
The linked detailed fellowship pages still carry 2026-cycle dates. The figures below are their published reference packages; your 2027 scholarship terms and award letter determine the actual amount, duration and accommodation support.
| Funding route | Degree options | Published fellowship reference |
|---|---|---|
| CAS-ANSO Scholarship | Master’s and PhD | USTC’s published master’s funded tier includes tuition, insurance, RMB 3,000 monthly and housing support. Its CAS-ANSO doctoral tier lists tuition, insurance and a stipend up to RMB 7,000 monthly. |
| Chinese Government Scholarship | Master’s and PhD | The published framework includes tuition, insurance and housing support, with RMB 3,000 monthly for the funded master’s tier and RMB 3,500 for the doctoral CSC tier. |
| USTC Scholarship | Master’s and PhD | University-funded awards include supported fellowship packages and tuition-only tiers. Teaching or research assistance may be applied for after enrolment under the tuition-only framework; it is not guaranteed. |
A tuition-only award leaves housing, living expenses and insurance to finance separately. Read the funding category on the actual offer: “scholarship admission” should not be treated as a promise that every expense is covered.
Return to the USTC application map
03What must your USTC application establish?
You need the right previous qualification, language evidence and a complete academic file. Master’s applicants need a bachelor’s-equivalent degree; doctoral applicants need a master’s-equivalent degree. Final-year applicants may use official pre-graduation evidence if they will obtain the required qualification by July 2027.
For Chinese-taught study, the general requirement is HSK Level 4 or above, with exemptions available for supported Chinese-language education or native-language cases. English-taught applicants need IELTS, TOEFL or other accepted English evidence; native English speakers are exempt. USTC’s FAQ also accepts a university letter confirming previous courses were taught in English.
Scholarship eligibility is an additional test. Apply the chosen award’s 2027 age, nationality and student-status conditions; a 2026 age-reference date does not establish your eligibility for 2027 funding.
- Identity and qualifications: Ordinary passport valid through at least September 2028, applicable Chinese visa/residence pages, and notarized degree certificates and transcripts. PhD applicants supply both bachelor’s and master’s records.
- Your academic case: CV, a study or research proposal of at least 1,000 words, and two recommendations from full professors or associate professors, with telephone numbers and email addresses.
- Health, conduct and language: Language evidence, a no-criminal-record certificate and the complete Foreigner Physical Examination Form, issued within six months before submission and bearing the required sealed photograph.
- Conditional supporting records: Current students provide status and expected-graduation evidence. Employed applicants provide employment proof and written permission to leave for study. Supply notarized Chinese/English translations where needed; financial-support evidence is required if USTC requests it.
My practical advice is to organize the proposal around one research problem, a feasible method and the preparation you already bring. Use our China scholarship study-plan guide to shape that argument, and our medical-form guide for the health paperwork.
Return to the USTC application map
04How does your application move towards a funded USTC offer?
Submit through USTC’s system, identify the funding route and complete the academic assessment. You do not need a professor’s acceptance letter before starting the general postgraduate application.
- Choose the exact programme. Use the 2027 master’s admission guide or 2027 doctoral admission guide. Each links the Chinese- and English-taught catalogues, so select the listed major and research direction rather than a general subject label.
- Build your USTC application. Register in the USTC International Student Application System, enter your academic details and upload the required evidence. The university’s FAQ states that the online application is free.
- Request the appropriate funding consideration. Choose the scholarship options presented for your programme and follow the award instructions linked from the admission guide. For CSC, complete any additional CSC-system submission required by the applicable call. For CAS-ANSO and USTC funding, follow their university-system instructions and separate eligibility rules.
- Keep the file complete. Respond promptly to requests for corrections or additional evidence. Read the email account used for registration, including its spam folder, so you receive department assessment notices.
- Complete the department assessment. USTC may use an online interview and, in some departments, an online written examination. Admission considers academic performance, assessment results and supporting evidence; the final funding notification establishes your scholarship package.
For the broader CSC route, our Chinese Government Scholarship application guide explains how university and sponsor submissions fit together. Keep USTC’s current instructions as the authority for your own file.
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05Which USTC scholarship questions are worth settling early?
Can I request more than one fellowship level?
Yes. USTC’s published fellowship framework allows applicants to request multiple levels for consideration. The university selects the award, and each applicant can receive support from only one scholarship.
Can I apply for CAS-ANSO at USTC and UCAS together?
The published CAS-ANSO rules prohibit applying at both universities simultaneously. Choose one host institution for that scholarship and follow its current application instructions.
Does the English-taught MBA automatically qualify for every scholarship?
No. A place in the admission catalogue confirms a study option, not entitlement to each award. Programme prerequisites and the chosen scholarship’s own eligible-field and applicant rules both apply.
Return to the USTC application map
06What is the USTC application deadline for 2027 entry?
The last date to submit the general USTC international master’s or doctoral application for 2027 entry is 31 March 2027. The published admission period at USTC on all 3 scholarship based admissions runs from till 31 March 2027.
Scholarship-specific application dates may differ. USTC explicitly separates the overall admission window from CAS-ANSO and Chinese Government Scholarship schedules. Complete the scholarship stage by its own cutoff, even if the general admission portal remains open.
Department assessments are scheduled for January–April 2027, with admission results expected in June or July 2027. Submit early enough to resolve missing documents before your scholarship’s own cutoff.
Choose your research direction, contact your referees and draft the first page of your proposal. Those three steps turn an attractive funding possibility into an application USTC can evaluate.