The China Scholarship Council and the University of Adelaide are jointly offering postgraduate research scholarships to applicants from the People's Republic of China who intend to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Adelaide.  Selected Chinese students who successfully complete the requirements of the program will be conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy degree by the University of Adelaide.

This partnership between the University of Adelaide and the China Scholarship Council is aimed at promoting long-term international research collaboration.  Where possible, co-supervision between The University of Adelaide and the Chinese universities from which the candidate comes will be encouraged.

Benefits:

The China Scholarship Council will provide successful candidates with a living stipend and support as prescribed from time to time by the Chinese Government.  Please refer to the China Scholarship Council website  for detailed information.

The University of Adelaide will provide an Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship. This consists of a 100% Tuition Fee Waiver for up to 48 months (subject to satisfactory academic progress), corresponding to the duration of support provided by the China Scholarship Council. The University of Adelaide may offer a top up scholarship to exceptional candidates under certain circumstances.

Eligibility:

Adelaide University China Fee Scholarships (AUCFS) will only be available to those applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for both the China Scholarship Council and the University of Adelaide.

The China Scholarship Council requires that applicants:

• Are citizens and permanent residents of the People's Republic of China at the time of application;
• Are aged 18 to 40 years at the time of application;
• Are a university student completing a master's degree, or enrolled as a first year PhD student, or new graduates from their university at the time of application;
• Agree to return to China upon completion of their studies and/or research; and
• Satisfy any other selection criteria set out by China Scholarship Council. A detailed list is available online: http://apply.csc.edu.cn/ .

The University of Adelaide requires that applicants:

• Hold an unconditional offer of enrolment* at the University of Adelaide, which is subject to the applicant also being successful in applying for a China Scholarship Council award.

*This requires that applicants meet the university's minimum English Language Proficiency requirements for direct entry into the chosen academic program by the University of Adelaide’s application deadline. Applicants for this award are not permitted to undertake Pre-Enrolment English programs.

Applications:

The 2025 round (for applicants commencing July 2025 - June 2026) will be open from 1st October 2024. Applications to the University of Adelaide must be submitted by 2 February 2025 to be considered.

1. Check Eligibility for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

To gain admission into a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Adelaide, you’ll need one of the following:

• a relevant University of Adelaide Honours degree (or equivalent), with at least a second-class Honours (upper division)
• a postgraduate coursework degree which contains a significant research component and meets the minimum GPA requirements
• a relevant University of Adelaide Master of Philosophy (or equivalent)

English language proficiency requirements also apply for both degree types.

For more detailed information regarding eligibility criteria, including specific GPA requirements, program structure and a direct link to the Academic Program Rules, search for your desired degree on Degree Finder.

2. Review Scholarship Eligibility

Please check the eligibility criteria provided on the CSC website (http://apply.csc.edu.cn/  ) to ensure that you are eligible to apply for CSC Scholarships.

The University of Adelaide requires that applicants for an Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship hold an unconditional offer of enrolment at the University of Adelaide, which is subject to the applicant also being successful in applying for a CSC award.

3. Find a Supervisor

Before applying for admission and/or scholarship, you will need to find a supervisor for your PhD Program. When you apply you must provide written confirmation (such as a letter or email) from an eligible principal supervisor that they are willing to supervise your PhD.

If you need assistance to find a supervisor, please email research_degrees@adelaide.edu.au and request assistance.  Our team will provide further information about our pre-application process.

If you do not have confirmation of supervisory support from an eligible supervisor, you are not ready to submit an application.

4. University of Adelaide Application

To apply for admission and an Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship, you need to submit an application via the University of Adelaide’s online application system. 

You will need to provide a number of documents to complete your application. Information about what these documents are can be found on the home page for our online application system.

As an Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship applicant, when you reach the ‘Financial Support’ section of the application, you need to select ‘Seeking sponsorship from China Scholarship Council’ as your source of financial support. This will ensure your application is considered for the Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship.

As your application moves through the assessment process, you will receive an automated email with the subject line "Your University of Adelaide HDR Application “Declaration of Interest” question". All HDR candidates are required to respond to the "Declaration of Interest" question to ensure that the University meets Australian government legislation and expectations. A prompt response will be required to finalise the outcome of your application.

5. China Scholarship Council Application

Once you have received an offer of admission and an Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship, you can then submit an application to the China Scholarship Council for stipend and living support  

*Applicants must have received both an offer of admission and an offer for an Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship before applying to the CSC.

The University of Adelaide nominates a shortlist of successful Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship applicants to the China Scholarship Council. If an applicant successfully applies to the China Scholarship Council without an offer for an Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship, they will be permitted to hold the stipend but will be personally responsible for covering 100% of their tuition fees.  

Further Enquiries:

Contact Adelaide Graduate Research School at graduate.research@adelaide.edu.au