Chinese full-time universities’ school year contains two semesters (except for a few ones that start trial implementation of 3-semester system). The first semester starts on autumn of each year; and the second semester starts on spring. Student studies 5 days a week, each semester lasts about 20 weeks.
Chinese full-time universities’ school year contains two semesters (except for a few ones that start trial implementation of 3-semester system). The first semester starts on autumn of each year; and the second semester starts on spring. Student studies 5 days a week, each semester lasts about 20 weeks.
Spring semester
Courses offered in spring semester usually are Chinese language training, short-term cultural, medical training, and the like. Spring semester starts on early March of each year; the application usually starts on Sept. or Oct. of the previous year and closes in mid-January of current year. The application deadline of some universities is at the end of December of previous year.
Autumn semester
Courses offered in autumn semester are usually degree programs, Chinese foundation program, short-term Chinese language training, and other short-term training programs (Cultural, Medical trainings and so on). Autumn semester starts on Sept. of each year; Application usually starts at the beginning of March and closes before mid-Jul. The deadline of some universities is at the end of June, nevertheless in some universities, the deadline is extended to the end of August.
In addition, most Chinese universities’ Chinese language courses accepts application throughout the year, the foreign students can apply at any time.
That the specific date to apply, especially the application date of short-term training programs, please refers to each university’s official website.
Time Arrangement for Study in China (Our suggestions)
Application for course offered in Spring Semester
Sept. to Oct. of the current year: Submitting the Application
Nov. to Dec. of the current year: Waiting for admission result and JW202 form issuing
Jan of the next year: Waiting for receiving the Admission materials mailed
Feb. of the next year: Applying for visa and preparing for going to university (Luggage, Air Tickets, Accommodation, etc.)
For short-term(less than 6 months) Chinese language or other training program students, the university usually will not issue JW202 form, and will not mail original admission notice, instead, most universities will send student canned copy of admission notice, so student can apply for tourist (L) visa or visitor’s （F） visa to come to the university. The student should contact the university in time when scanned copies of admission notice, letter of invitation are required for applying for atourist (L) visa or visitor’s (F) visa.
Application for course offered in Autumn Semester
March to April: Submitting the Application
May to June: Waiting for admission result and form JW202 issuing
July: Waiting for receiving the Admission materials mailed
August: Applying for visa and preparing for going to university (Luggage, Air Tickets, Accommodation, etc.)
September: Going to university
When applying for a Chinese university, the earlier, the better, so that, on one hand, there will be enough time for you to prepare for materials that are required for your application; on the other hand, there will be more time left for you to deal with emergency cases that may happen during the application. For example, the correspondence address that some students provide are not specific enough so that admission documents cannot arrive at the right place to be collected, thus impacting the registration time of the university in which they are enrolled, as well as missing other universities’ application time, especially for those who applied for only one university, much more time should be guaranteed for the application so as to make a considerable plan.