Q: Is the cost of living in China too high?
Although prices in China are rising, the cost of living here is still favorable compared with most developed countries. You will be amazed by how comfortably you can live and how strong your purchasing power is. Compared to developed countries, the cost of living and studying in China is relatively low. Accommodation in Beijing is roughly RMB 2000-3000 yuan per month. An average meal costs around 30-50 yuan. The subway has a flat rate of 2 yuan and buses within the city are even cheaper. Smaller cities and those in China’s central and western regions are particularly inexpensive.
Q: How can I deal with the accommodation after arriving in China if I don’t speak Chinese?
Applications for accommodation should be made to the universities before coming to China.
There are many kinds of dormitories in universities, and the prices differ from each other due to the furniture and facilities. International students should apply before arriving in China. If you want to come with your families, you should consult the university in advance. Otherwise, you should take care of the accommodation by yourself.
Students can live off-campus with the permission of the university, but should register at the local public security office within 24 hours upon arrival.
Q: Can I take a part-time job while studying at college?
Tuition fee is generally paid on year basis. According to relevant Chinese laws, international students studying in China are forbidden to be employed, and work-study opportunity is relatively small. So self-financed international students should make the financial preparation before arriving in China.
Q: How should I apply for the visa to study in China?
International students should apply for “X1” visa or “X2” visa at the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General to study in China with the original documents and one set of photocopies of the:
(1) Visa Application for Study In China (JW201 or JW202),
(2)Admission Notice,
(3)Foreigner Physical Examination Form,
(4)A valid ordinary passport.
International students must enter China with the original copies of the above documents. A person coming to China with other types of passports, visas or without the original documents will not be able to register with the institution, nor will they be able to apply for residence in China.
X1 (long term) visas are issued to those coming to China for study for a period of more than six months.
X2 (short term) visas are issued to those invited to China to study for a period of less than six months.
International students should apply for Residence Permit for Foreigners from the division of exit-entry administration of local public security bureau within thirty days upon arrival in China.
Q: What health verification should be presented if I want to go to China?
After arriving in China, international students are required to go to the Health quarantine bureau to confirm the Physical Examination Record for Foreigner within prescribed time limit. Students failing to provide Physical Examination Record for Foreigner must have physical examination at the local Health Quarantine Bureau. If the student is diagnosed to have any disease the laws prohibit entry in China, he/she must return to his/her country at his own expense.
Q: How are health verification and residence permit applied for?
Health verification: Scholarship students who are to stay in China for more than 6 months are requested to bring their passports, Admission Notice, the original Foreigner Physical Examination Form and the Blood Test Report to the local health and quarantine office within the due time to have their medical examination reports verified. Scholarship students who do not meet the requirements of the above authority will be required to re-take the medical examination. Those who refuse to re-take the medical examination or are diagnosed with diseases that are not permitted to stay in China according to the Chinese laws and regulations will be required to leave China.
Residence Permit: After the health verification, the scholarship students must apply for residence permit to the local police authority with their passports, Admission Notice and Visa Application Form for Study in China (JW201) within 30 days upon their arrival.
Note: Expenses incurred in the procedures above shall be born by the scholarship students themselves.
Q: I have already bought insurance in America. Do I need to buy insurance again in China?
International students are required to buy both medical insurance and personal accidental death and injury insurance. You can buy them either in your own country or in China after your arrival.
Q: Can I study in China?
International students from all over the world are warmly welcomed to study in China. China’s universities offer thousands of programs for foreign students. Non-degree programs teaching Chinese language and culture are particularly popular, but it is also possible to earn your degree in China. Most degree programs are taught in Chinese and therefore require a certain level of language proficiency. However, an increasing number of English-taught degree programs are available. So you can make a choice according to your own situation.
Q: Can I apply for MA courses if I don’t speak Chinese?
Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) generally conduct courses in Chinese language. Applicants with no command of Chinese are generally required to take Chinese language courses for 1-2 years before their major studies. Applicants who apply to study science, engineering, agriculture, medicine (western medicine), economics, management and law are required to take Chinese language courses for 1 year. Applicants who apply to study literature, history, philosophy, and medicine (traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese herb medicine) are required to take Chinese language courses for 2 years.
Some of the Chinese HEIs offer postgraduate programs and non-degree courses for general and senior scholars in English. Students who apply for these programs are not required to take Chinese language courses.
Q: How many kinds of universities are there in China?
There are two types of universities in China: comprehensive university and professional university. Comprehensive universities have a wide range of disciplines, with tremendous strength in scientific research; Professional universities are generally proficient in certain disciplines and activities carried out by students are full of academic atmosphere.
Q: What kind of program can I choose?
China’s universities offer thousands of programs for foreign students. Non-degree programs teaching Chinese language and culture are particularly popular, but it is also possible to earn your degree in China. Most degree programs are taught in Chinese and therefore require a certain level of language proficiency. However, an increasing number of English-taught degree programs are available.
Q: When will the university start classes generally？
Degree programs: degree programs begin in September at most Chinese universities . A small number of programs can admit students in February or march.
Language programs: the one-semester (4-6 months) language course usually opens in both semesters (starting in both September and February/March); the One-year language program usually opens in September; the short-term courses may have fixed times or may arrange a time at the request of a group of students. Short-term summer programs usually start in June, July or August, and last 1-8 weeks.
Q: Is it easy for a foreign graduate to find a job in China?
Thanks to the economic growth, the opportunities for foreigners who want to work in China have increased considerably in the last few years. In 1996, there were 180,000 foreign workers registered in China and the number is rapidly growing.
Teaching
English is one of the main job areas for foreigners in China, while there is also a growing demand for foreign experts in sales, engineering and management, etc. The current rise of China has made it very clear that people who can speak Chinese and have first-hand experience of living in China are going to have a great advantage in terms of employment.