Is there a foundation year before a degree in China?
Unofficial answer · Sources checked
Yes. In China this stage is called preparatory education (预科教育). A university may run a preparatory programme that teaches Chinese and basic subject knowledge so that international students reach the university's entry standard for a bachelor's programme. The scholarship guide also states that the Chinese Government Scholarship covers one year of Chinese language (preparatory) study before the major.
This page quotes the Chinese documents in this site's own English translation. The Chinese texts are the originals.
What the rules say
Order No. 42, Article 9, lists the categories of international students. For non-degree study, it lists 预科生 (preparatory students), 进修生 (advanced-study students) and 研究学者 (research scholars). Preparatory students are therefore a separate category from degree students.
The 2018 Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students, section 3, deals with preparatory education. It says that universities shall give weight to preparatory education and actively run it. It also says that a university may open preparatory programmes for suitably qualified international students. Those programmes teach Chinese and subject basics so that students reach the bachelor's entry standard and can adapt to study in China. The programmes must meet the relevant teaching standards and norms.
The Quality Standards state language levels against the International Chinese Proficiency Standards (《国际汉语能力标准》), not against HSK test levels. Under section 1.2, the Chinese ability required for entry to a Chinese-taught bachelor's programme is at least level 4 of that standard. Preparatory study is one route to reaching that level, but the section does not say that preparatory study is required.
The Chinese Government Scholarship
The scholarship guide, section II(II), says that the scholarship covers both major study and Chinese language (preparatory) study. The language courses last one year. The length of the major study follows the requirement of the programme.
This is a condition of that scholarship. It does not describe the rules for every international student who studies in China. A self-funded student should check the university's own offer.
Section II(III) of the guide refers readers to the CSC website for the universities and majors it designates. It does not name the universities that run the language year. Section II of the guide also does not describe an exit test for that year.
Who decides
Under Order No. 42, Article 10, each university sets its own international student enrolment plans and majors, unless another national rule applies. Article 12 says that the university decides admission. Article 7 says that universities admit international students under national rules on their own authority.
Each university publishes its own admissions brochure under Article 11. Article 14 requires it to publish its fees for international students and its refund rules. The university's brochure is therefore the place to check which programmes are offered, what they cost and how the course is assessed. Section 2.1 of the Quality Standards also lists the items that a university's admissions information should include, such as the programme's length, admission procedure and fee policy.
Where to check the rest
For the language year in a particular scholarship, read the guide and the university's brochure together. For questions about your own admission, contact the university's international student office. The CSC contact details are in section VII of the scholarship guide.
Related questions
Is a preparatory student a degree student?
No. Order No. 42, Article 9, places 预科生 among the non-degree categories. Degree categories in the same article are 专科生 (junior college), 本科生 (undergraduate), 硕士研究生 (master's) and 博士研究生 (doctoral).
Is Chinese language compulsory in a degree programme?
Under Order No. 42, Article 16, Chinese language and a general survey of China (汉语和中国概况) must be compulsory courses in higher education degree programmes, and political theory must be compulsory for international students studying philosophy or political science.
Which costs does the Chinese Government Scholarship cover?
Section III of the scholarship guide lists tuition fees, a free university dormitory or an accommodation subsidy, a monthly stipend, and comprehensive medical insurance. The guide gives the stipend and insurance amounts in that section.
Sources
- 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
- Quality Standards for Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China
- Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (Campus China)
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, it is not published by or affiliated with the bodies named, and the official text and the instructions of the university, embassy or exit-entry office handling your case prevail if they differ.