SUSTech International Graduate Scholarship 2027 — Fully Funded in China
Fully funded Master scholarship in China for All nationalities students 2027
SUSTech's 2027 graduate round waives tuition and provides a room, insurance and a research assistantship in Shenzhen. Round 1 closes 14 February 2027.
Eligibility
- Non-Chinese national with a valid passport
- Bachelor's degree for master's entry, master's degree for PhD entry
- Aged 35 or under (master's) or 40 or under (PhD)
- IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 80, or Duolingo 110, or a medium-of-instruction letter
- Research proposal of 1,000+ words signed by a SUSTech supervisor
- Two academic reference letters and a clean police record
Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen has opened its 2027 international graduate round, and the funding structure is unusual enough to be worth reading carefully. There are two tiers. The top tier is the Chinese Government Scholarship route, which is competitive and routed through a national system. The second tier is SUSTech's own first-class scholarship, which waives tuition, provides a room and pays a research assistantship to students the university admits without government funding. Round 1 closes on 14 February 2027, and the government scholarship route is only available in that round.
What it covers
The first-class scholarship, which applies to admitted students who do not receive the government award, covers full tuition, a place in a shared room, medical insurance and a research assistantship. For a master's student that means tuition of RMB 35,000 a year waived, a double room worth RMB 9,600 a year, insurance of RMB 800 a year, and an assistantship of RMB 2,500 a month made up of a basic and a reward component. Doctoral students receive a tuition waiver on RMB 40,000, the same accommodation and insurance, and a higher assistantship that rises after the proposal defence.
The top tier, for students who secure the Chinese Government Scholarship through SUSTech, adds a monthly living allowance on top of the waived fees and room: RMB 3,000 a month for master's students and RMB 3,500 for doctoral students, plus insurance and the assistantship. Neither tier is a cash payout you can redirect; the fees and room are paid directly and the allowance is monthly.
Two conditions are buried in the detail. Funding runs for the standard duration of the programme only, so a master's student is funded for up to three academic years and a doctoral student for four, with the assistantship's basic component running longer. And every scholarship holder is reviewed annually; failing the review suspends the award.
Who can apply
Non-Chinese nationals with a valid passport, in good health, holding a bachelor's degree for master's entry or a master's degree for doctoral entry. Master's applicants should be 35 or younger and doctoral applicants 40 or younger. The programmes listed in the 2027 call are taught entirely in English, across mathematics, physics, chemistry, geophysics, biology, mechanics, intelligent manufacturing and robotics, materials, control engineering, computer science, environmental engineering, biomedical engineering, integrated circuits and clinical medicine, plus management science for master's applicants.
English is the language of instruction, and the requirement is modest: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 80 under the older scoring or 4.5 under the revised scale, or Duolingo 110, all within two years. Applicants whose previous degree was taught in English can submit an official medium-of-instruction letter instead, subject to the university's acceptance. There is no Chinese language requirement for these programmes.
Eligibility: run this self-check before you start
Do you hold the right degree for the level you are applying to? Are you inside the age limit? Can you produce a research proposal of at least 1,000 words that a SUSTech supervisor has read and signed? Do you have two academic references from professors or associate professors? Can you obtain a police record certificate and a medical examination on the official form? Is your passport valid beyond September 2027? The signed proposal is the item most applicants underestimate: without a supervisor's signature the application is treated as invalid.
Deadline and what the calendar really means
Round 1 runs from 3 November 2026 to 14 February 2027. Round 2 runs from 1 March to 18 April 2027. The Chinese Government Scholarship high-level graduate programme can only be applied for in Round 1, which means the later round is effectively the self-funded and first-class scholarship route. Applicants who are not selected for the government award are still considered for the first-class scholarship, so a Round 1 application keeps both doors open.
How to apply
Identify a supervisor from the 2027 English programme list and contact them before you write anything formal. Draft the research proposal, get it signed, and assemble the documents. Then apply through the SUSTech online application system, choosing either the government scholarship or the university scholarship category. Applicants who are shortlisted for the government route also complete a second application on the national study-in-China portal with SUSTech's agency number, after receiving a pre-admission notice.
Documents checklist
Passport photo page, valid beyond September 2027. Degree certificates and transcripts for every previous degree, in Chinese or English or with notarised translations. English test result or a medium-of-instruction letter. A research proposal of at least 1,000 words, signed by the supervisor. Two academic recommendation letters. A CV. The foreigner physical examination form, completed and stamped, valid six months. A police record certificate issued within the last six months. Any publications or awards.
Common mistakes
Sending a proposal without the supervisor's signature, which invalidates the application. Applying to Round 2 for the government scholarship, which is not possible. Submitting phone photographs of documents instead of scans; the call states that unclear or photographed files are not accepted. Leaving the medical examination until January, when hospitals in many cities slow down. And assuming the first-class scholarship includes a living allowance: it does not, which is why the assistantship and the Shenzhen cost of living need to be checked before you accept.
Tips to win
Contact the supervisor early and make the proposal technical. SUSTech is a research university with a young faculty, and a supervisor who wants your skills will say so in the review. Mention any publication, dataset or laboratory technique you bring. If you are applying from Afghanistan or Pakistan and your transcripts are hard to verify, include the verification route in your first email rather than waiting to be asked. And treat the police certificate and medical form as long-lead items, because they cannot be rushed.
Related scholarships on OEAC
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=17
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=118
https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=1
Official programme page
https://cse.sustech.edu.cn/notices/3795.html
If you are not sure whether your profile fits, or you want a second pair of eyes on the project description before the December cut-off, contact an OEAC advisor and we will review your documents with you.
Last updated: 5 November 2026.
Always confirm the deadline and eligibility on the official page before you apply. Scholarship dates change between rounds, and this listing is a summary — the provider's own page is the authoritative source. OEAC Network lists scholarships for free and is not an agent for any university or funding body.
