Fudan University Admission Guide for International Students

What this guide covers

Fudan University in Shanghai is one of China's comprehensive research universities, with recognised strengths in areas such as medicine, economics and management, journalism, and the humanities. This guide walks through how an international student actually applies to Fudan — through the university's own International Students Office (ISO) — rather than through a generic "study in China" process.

Everything here points you back to Fudan's official pages. Programme lists, tuition, deadlines and required documents change with each intake, so treat numbers on any third-party page as unofficial and verify every detail on Fudan's official ISO site before you apply.

The International Students Office and its portal

International admissions at Fudan are handled by the International Students Office (ISO), whose English site lists degree programmes, entry requirements and the online application system. Degree applications are submitted through Fudan's official online application portal, and some documents may also need to be mailed.

Applying directly through the ISO portal — not a paid agent — keeps you in control of your file and your fees. No agent or website can "guarantee" a Fudan place; treat any such promise, or a demand to pay for guaranteed admission, as a warning sign of a scam.

• Read the programme catalogue on the ISO site first, then match your qualification to a specific programme.
• Create your account and apply on the official online application system.
• Note the programme's application window — late or incomplete files are usually not considered.

English-taught vs Chinese-taught degrees

Fudan offers both Chinese-taught programmes and a set of English-taught (English-medium) programmes, especially at master's level in fields like business, economics and public health. The language a programme uses determines the proficiency evidence you must submit.

Chinese-taught programmes typically ask you to show Chinese proficiency through an HSK result; English-taught programmes typically ask for English proficiency through IELTS or TOEFL, unless you are exempt (for example, a prior degree taught in English). The exact test and minimum level are set per programme — confirm them on that programme's official Fudan page rather than assuming a single site-wide cut-off.

Fudan scholarships and how they sit alongside CSC

Funding at Fudan usually comes from two directions. Fudan runs its own university and freshman/entrance scholarships for strong international applicants, and it is also a host institution for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) under the Chinese University Program.

In practice, a CSC applicant to Fudan applies to the university and to CSC in parallel, and Fudan may nominate suitable candidates. Coverage, the number of awards and the application windows differ between the Fudan scholarships and CSC, and they change year to year — check the current terms on both Fudan's ISO scholarship pages and the official China Scholarship Council portal, and never pay anyone who promises a "guaranteed" scholarship.

Documents, deadlines and fees

A typical Fudan international application asks for your passport, academic transcripts and certificates, a study plan or personal statement, recommendation letters (for graduate programmes), and language-proficiency evidence. Some documents may need notarised translations.

Application deadlines, tuition and any application fee vary by programme and intake, and Fudan publishes the authoritative figures on its official ISO pages. Because these change every cycle, verify the current amounts and dates on Fudan's official website before relying on them — do not budget from an old or third-party figure.

Applying step by step

The core sequence is consistent across Fudan's programmes. Follow the specific programme's official instructions at each step, since details differ between undergraduate and graduate routes.

• Choose a specific programme on the ISO site and check its exact eligibility and language requirement.
• Prepare and, where required, notarise and translate your documents.
• Register and submit on Fudan's official online application system, then mail any hard-copy documents if asked.
• Track your file and respond promptly to any request for extra documents.
• On admission, Fudan issues the paperwork you use to apply for a student visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate — this is general information, not immigration advice, so verify current visa steps on the official sources.