Beihang University Admission Guide for International Students

Beihang's aerospace identity — and what that means for you

Beihang University (北京航空航天大学, commonly abbreviated BUAA) is a research university in Beijing whose academic identity is built around aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Over time its teaching and research have broadened well beyond those founding disciplines into mechanical engineering, materials science, automation, instrumentation, computer science and management.

For an international applicant, that identity is the practical point. Beihang is worth a close look if your interests sit in aerospace or aeronautics, in mechanical or materials engineering, or in computing — and you want to be based in Beijing. If your subject sits far outside that engineering core, a broader comprehensive university may serve you better.

This guide stays at a stable, factual level. Programme lists, fees and deadlines change every cycle, so confirm the current year's rules on Beihang's official international admissions site before you apply.

What the International School actually runs

Beihang channels its international students through a dedicated International School, which is a genuine convenience: admissions, scholarships and the application portal sit in one place rather than being scattered across departments.

Its official site advertises a wider set of routes than a simple 'bachelor or master' split — including a foundation-plus-bachelor pathway for applicants who need a preparatory year, alongside postgraduate study, exchange and visiting-scholar places, Chinese language training and short summer or winter programmes. If your grades or Chinese are not yet where a direct-entry bachelor needs them, the foundation route is the option to read about first.

• One-stop International School: admissions, scholarships and the portal in one place
• Routes include foundation + bachelor, direct bachelor, master's, doctoral, exchange, language and short programmes
• Check which route fits you before assuming direct entry is the only option

New for bachelor applicants: the CSCA test

This is the single biggest recent change and it is easy to miss. Official Chinese government notices state that, starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, applicants for bachelor's degree study in China must take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) before submitting an application. It is organised by the China Scholarship Council together with experts from Chinese universities, and registration is at csca.cn.

The assessment covers Chinese (in a Humanities or a STEM stream) plus fundamental subjects — mathematics, physics and chemistry. Mathematics, physics and chemistry are offered in both Chinese and English, and you choose the test language according to what your intended university requires.

Because the exact subject combination, test dates and registration windows depend on your target programme and change between cycles, confirm on csca.cn and on Beihang's own admissions pages which subjects and which test language apply to you — and how the requirement affects the route you are taking. Postgraduate applicants should check whether it applies to them at all rather than assuming either way.

• From 2026/2027, bachelor applicants must sit the CSCA before applying — register at csca.cn
• Subjects: Chinese (Humanities or STEM stream) + maths, physics, chemistry
• Maths/physics/chemistry available in Chinese or English — pick per your university's requirement
• Confirm the subjects, dates and whether it applies to your level on csca.cn and Beihang's official pages

Language: HSK for Chinese-taught, IELTS or TOEFL for English-taught

Chinese-taught degrees normally require a Chinese proficiency certificate — the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) — at a level the programme sets. English-taught programmes instead ask for evidence of English proficiency, commonly IELTS or TOEFL.

Beihang's official English admissions pages describe postgraduate programmes taught in English for international students; which specific subjects run in English varies by year and by school. The exact HSK band and English-score threshold are set per programme and can be revised each cycle, so treat any figure quoted by an agent or forum as unverified and confirm the current requirement on the official Beihang pages.

Money: three funding channels, not one

Beihang's official site points to more than the usual single scholarship route. The Chinese Government Scholarship, administered by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), supports degree study and is applied for through the CSC system and/or the university depending on the route you use. Beihang also lists a Beijing municipal government scholarship for international students — a channel tied to studying in the capital that applicants at non-Beijing universities simply do not have — alongside its own university awards.

Coverage, stipend levels, the number of awards and eligibility all vary by year and programme. Confirm what is currently offered on the CSC portal and Beihang's official scholarship pages, and disregard specific amounts quoted by third parties.

Costs, the student visa and applying safely

Tuition, accommodation and living costs, plus the main intakes and deadlines, are published on Beihang's official international admissions site — verify the current figures there rather than relying on estimates.

Once you have an admission notice and the accompanying visa documents, you apply for a Chinese student visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate. This is general information, not immigration advice — always verify current visa requirements and procedures on the official embassy or consulate website before you act on them.

Finally, no agent, coaching centre or website can guarantee you admission or a scholarship. Any promise of a 'guaranteed seat' or a 'guaranteed CSC scholarship' in exchange for a fee should be treated as a scam. Apply through the official channels above, and be equally wary of unofficial 'CSC scholarship' sites — several commercial lookalike domains imitate the China Scholarship Council. The official portals are campuschina.org and the CSC's own application system.