I. About YES China

The China Scholarship Council (CSC) implements the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China (YES China) to nurture global governance talent equipped with international perspectives, outstanding overall competences, essential leadership qualities for professional excellence, and cross-cultural sensibilities. Xiamen University is one of the higher-education institutions accepting students under YES China.

Xiamen University (XMU), founded in 1921 by renowned patriotic overseas Chinese leader Mr. Tan Kah Kee, was the first Chinese university established by an overseas Chinese person. XMU has long been listed among China’s leading universities on the national 211 Project, 985 Project and Double First-Class Initiative, which have been launched by the Chinese government to support selected universities in achieving world-class standing. Nestled snugly between green hills and the blue sea, XMU is renowned as one of the most beautiful universities around the world for its excellent education facilities and beautiful environment.

Xiamen University currently comprises Siming Campus, Zhangzhou Campus, Xiang’an Campus and XMU Malaysia. XMU consists of a graduate school, six academic divisions, 34 schools and 17 research institutes. In 2022, six XMU disciplines –Chemistry, Marine Science, Biology, Ecology, Statistics and Pedagogy – were included in the nation’s list of disciplines for achieving world-class status. XMU ranks among ESI’s global top 1% in 19 disciplines, with chemistry, materials science and engineering in ESI’s global top 1‰. XMU currently has a faculty of nearly 3,000, of whom 74% are full or associate professors. Among them, 35 are the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. XMU currently has an enrollment of more than 46,000 students, including over 21,000 students in bachelor’s degree programs, 19,000 in master’s degree programs, and 5,700 in doctoral degree programs.

XMU implements a comprehensive global outreach strategy. The University has signed cooperation agreements with 270 overseas universities. Actively involved in international Chinese education, XMU has built 14 Confucius Institutes, one Chinese Language and Culture Research Center, 42 Confucius Classrooms in 12 countries on five continents, the highest numbers with the most extensive geographic coverage among Chinese universities on the List of “Double First-Class” Universities. The establishment of XMU Malaysia was approved in September 2013, which makes XMU the first Chinese university to open an international campus.

II. Program Details

Program: Urban and Regional Planning Master Program for International Students

School: School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Course of Study: Urban and Regional Planning

Academic Degree: Master's

Medium of Instruction: English

Duration of Study: 2 years

Financial Support: Full scholarship (living allowances are paid only in the first academic year)

About the Program:

The International Master's Program in Urban and Rural Planning at Xiamen University is a fully English-taught master's program officially approved by the Ministry of Education of China, enrolling international students. Adhering to the principles of "Professionalism, Cutting-edge, Regionality, and Internationalization," the program focuses on the new dynamics of China's socio-economic and urban-rural development, advancing research-oriented teaching. Leveraging the university's strengths in humanities and social sciences, and using the regional culture of Fujian and Taiwan and coastal zone resources as entry points, it cultivates inter-disciplinary professionals in urban and rural planning with international and multi-disciplinary backgrounds.

This program responds to the needs of global development strategies, aiming to cultivate high-level, versatile planning talents with humanistic values, an international perspective, an innovative spirit, and practical abilities. Students are required to abide by laws and regulations, demonstrate integrity and trustworthiness, possess a strong sense of social responsibility, uphold the virtues of diligence, perseverance, and the pursuit of excellence, alongside a robust innovative spirit and practical capabilities, and maintain both physical and mental health.

Through the program, students will systematically master the theories and technical methods of urban and rural planning, deeply understand national strategies such as territorial spatial governance, ecological civilization construction, and integrated urban-rural development, and acquire the ability to independently conduct work in areas including territorial spatial planning, regional development strategy research, urban regeneration and governance, rural planning, and international cooperation under the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

Building on the multi-disciplinary advantages of a comprehensive university, the program cultivates versatile talents in urban and rural planning design theory and practice, who can utilize theories and methods from fields such as natural sciences and social sciences and possess a broad knowledge base.

Faculty Team

This program boasts a well-structured and echeloned teaching team. It currently has 22 full-time faculty members, including 3 Professors, 1 Professor-level Senior Engineer, 6 Associate Professors, 9 Assistant Professors, 2 Senior Engineers, and 1 Engineer. Among them, there is 1 recipient of the Fujian Provincial Outstanding Youth Science Fund and 1 recipient of the Xiamen University Nanqiang Young Top Talent award. Nearly half of the faculty have overseas study, visiting scholar, or postdoctoral experience (including at institutions such as The Ohio State University, University of North Carolina, University of Arizona in the USA; The University of Melbourne in Australia; Cardiff University in the UK; Wageningen University in the Netherlands, etc.).

Requirements:

(I) Duration of Study

The standard duration of the program is 2 years, with a maximum study period of 5 years.

(II) Credits

Master of Engineering in Urban and Regional Planning, the first year is primarily dedicated to course work, field research, and thesis preparation. The second year involves returning to one's home country to complete the degree thesis in conjunction with practical work experience, followed by a defense. Those who pass will be approved for graduation and awarded the degree. A total of 23 credits are required, comprising 21 course credits and 2 credits for other training components. The course credits are allocated as follows: 4 credits for public compulsory courses, 10 credits for compulsory major courses. The 2 credits for other training components consist of Academic Integrity Education, Thesis Proposal, Literature Review and Research Report, and Academic Exchange Activities.

(III) Degree Thesis Requirements

The topic of the degree thesis must reflect the forefront of the urban and rural planning discipline, align with the needs of social development and national economic construction, integrate the practical needs of urban and regional development, connect with the student's own practical work, and fully embody the characteristics of the discipline and international features. It should select typical planning cases or practical projects. The thesis should possess theoretical and practical significance, employ feasible research methods, demonstrate rigorous argumentation, yield reliable results, and feature accurate expression and standardized formatting. Master's students must complete the thesis independently under the guidance of their supervisor. The dedicated thesis work period should, in principle, be no less than one year. Generally, the thesis proposal should be completed before the fall semester of the second academic year, with thesis submission for review and the oral defense taking place in the spring semester of the second academic year.

III. Application Eligibility

1. Applicants should be a citizen of a country other than the People’s Republic of China, not older than 45 years of age, and be in good health;

2. Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree or above and have three or more years of working experience. Preference will be given to those who have academic or professional experience in a field related to the course of study applied to.

3. Applicants should belong to one of the following four categories of personnel:

① Civil servants at the rank of section chief or above (or equivalent) in a government department of their home country;

② Senior managerial personnel at institutions or enterprises;

③ Administrative personnel at universities or research institutes;

④ Personnel with work or internship experience with an international organization

4. Applicants should present a TOEFL iBT certificate with a score of 80 or above, or an IELTS (academic) certificate with an overall score of 6.0 or above, either of which must be within its period of validity. Applicants who have completed undergraduate studies at a university with English as the medium of instruction are exempted from this requirement, but a medium-of-instruction certificate from the university should be furnished. Applicants can provide other equivalent English proficiency certificates recognized by XMU. Applicants from English-speaking countries are not required to provide an English proficiency certificate.

5. Applicants should obtain a “Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” signed by their supervisor and stamped by the school (School of Architecture and Civil Engineering) and the Admissions and Examinations Office. (To obtain this letter, please refer to the Applications Procedures.)

6. For other application eligibility requirements pertaining to master’s degree programs with English as the medium of instruction, please refer to the Prospectus for Admission to Master’s Degree Programs.

(https://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/Admissions/Master_s_Students.htm)

IV. Application Procedures

Online Application:

(1) Obtain a “Pre-acceptance Letter”

① Download and complete the “Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” (https://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/cn/info/1136/2362.htm);

② Submit, via email, the completed “Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” signed by the supervisor, certification documents about academic and professional experience as listed in the Application Eligibility section, and other application materials required in the Prospectus for Admission to Master’s Degree Programs, to the school (School of Architecture and Civil Engineering:archfy@xmu.edu.cn) and also to the Admissions and Examinations Office (admissions@xmu.edu.cn). Please indicate “YES China Program – Pre-acceptance Letter” in the subject line of the email;

③ The school related and the Admissions and Examinations Office will carry out pre-evaluations, and a “Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” will be issued to applicants who meet the pre-acceptance requirements.

(2) Application Materials Required

Applicants should complete online registration before March 31, 2026 in the Chinese Government Study-in-China Management Information System (https:// studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login) and submit their application materials to the China Scholarship Council. When completing online registration, choose “Type A” for the type of scholarship (Institutional Code: 1563; Program for Application: “YES China Program”), and fill in “Xiamen University”.

Application materials required include:

①The “Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” signed by the supervisor and stamped by the school related and the Admissions and Examinations Office;② Certification documents about academic and professional experience as listed in the Application Eligibility section;③ Other application materials required in the Prospectus for Admission to Master’s Degree Programs and in the Chinese Government Study-in-China Management Information System.

Application Acceptance:

The China Scholarship Council (CSC) directly accepts applications from individual international students. Materials submitted by applicants will be reviewed by the CSC and evaluated by an expert panel organized by the CSC.

V. Evaluation and Decision

The CSC will conduct preliminary evaluation of the application materials received.

The CSC will organize an expert panel to evaluate the application materials, and a final decision will be made on the application after evaluation by the expert panel.

VI. Timetable

VII. Contact Information

1. China Scholarship Council

http://www.campuschina.org

https://www.campuschina.org/content/details3_790440.html

2. Admissions and Examinations Office, Xiamen University

Add.: Admissions and Examinations Office, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China (postcode: 361005)

Tel: +86 (0)592 2184792/2188375

Fax: +86 (0)592 2180256

Email: admissions@xmu.edu.cn

Website: http://admissions.xmu.edu.cn

3. School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Add.: School of Architecture and Civil Engineering , Xiamen University, Fujian Province, P.R.China

Tel: +0086 (0)592 2186421

Email: archfy@xmu.edu.cn

Website: https://archt.xmu.edu.cn/eng/