About
About South China Normal University
South China Normal University (华南师范大学, SCNU) was founded in August 1933, when the educator Lin Liru established Guangdong Provincial Xiangqin Normal College; SCNU’s history page traces the line further back, stating that "its history can be traced back to 1888 with the establishment of the Gezhi Academy". After several renamings the college merged into South China Teachers College in 1951, absorbed other institutions between 1952 and 1953, and moved to the Shipai site in Guangzhou it still occupies. It took its present name in 1982, entered Project 211 in 1996 and joined the national Double First-Class Construction initiative in 2017.
SCNU is not a single-site university, and which campus admits you changes your city as well as your commute. Four campuses in three cities cover "a total area of over 355 hectares": Shipai in Tianhe District, Guangzhou; University Town in Panyu District, Guangzhou; Nanhai in Foshan; and Binhai in Shanwei. The split follows your school — psychology, education, mathematics, life sciences and the School of International Culture at Shipai; Chinese literature, economics, law, music, physics, chemistry and optoelectronics at University Town; engineering, electronics and artificial intelligence at Nanhai; education, data science, materials and business at Binhai.
Two official pages count the university differently. Facts and Figures, updated November 2025, gives 52,269 students (49,456 full-time) — 31,496 undergraduates and 18,423 postgraduates including 2,040 doctoral students, plus 284 international degree-seeking students — and more than 5,400 faculty and staff. The older SCNU Introduction page instead describes "over 30,000 full-time undergraduates, 13,000 master students, and 1,500 PhD students" and "about 5,500 faculty and staff", with six academicians; neither says which supersedes the other. Look closely at that international figure: SCNU’s mobility page records "over 15,000 international students from around 110 countries" since 1988, but the current degree-seeking count is 284 — a large Chinese university with a small international degree population, taught in Chinese, which is why the prospectuses are built around Chinese-language study.
The QS profile labels this figure 2025. SCNU carries no QS World University Rankings position there.
Printed without a year label; Eastern Asia is shown separately at #=246.
SCNU’s single discipline in the national initiative, per Facts and Figures (November 2025)
Facts and Figures (November 2025), which also puts 8 disciplines in the top 5‰; the Key Disciplines page counts seventeen
Guangdong’s teacher-education flagship
A key comprehensive university jointly supported by Guangdong province and the Ministry of Education, which states it has trained "more than 900,000 teachers and talents in other industries".
Physics is the Double First-Class discipline
Psychology is graded A+ nationally, and education, psychology, mathematics, physics and materials science are Guangdong top key disciplines of the first grade.
Four campuses, three cities
Your campus follows your school, so check where your major is taught before budgeting for rent or travel.
Taught in Chinese
The degree prospectuses set instruction in Chinese and an HSK score as an entry condition, not a graduation target. SCNU publishes no English-taught degree list for international students.
Admission
Admission, programs & tuition
SCNU admits international students to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, to a non-degree Chinese language program and to exchange study, all through the same system at istudy.scnu.edu.cn with a RMB 420 registration fee that is "non-refundable and non-transferable". The decisive point is language: the degree programs are taught in Chinese and HSK is an entry requirement, not something you build up after arrival — Level 5 with 180 or above for the general degree majors, Level 4 with 180 for the Chinese Language bachelor’s, Level 6 with 180 for the doctorate in International Chinese Language Education. One requirement is new this cycle: the 2026 undergraduate prospectus adds the "College Entrance Achievement Test for International Students (CSCA Test), Mathematics is required". Note a publishing gap too. SCNU’s English admissions index carries 2026 prospectuses only for the School of International Culture programs; for the wider degree list — eight undergraduate, 23 master’s and 12 doctoral disciplines open to international students — the most recent is the 2025 edition, so its figures appear below as the latest SCNU has published in English. Confirm them with the admissions office, and ask for the current major list: SCNU publishes those lists as images rather than text.
Degree programs
Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.
Bachelor’s degreeUndergraduate
Four-year undergraduate study taught in Chinese. The prospectus states SCNU "has eight undergraduate disciplines majors for international students" and publishes that list as an image. The School of International Culture separately runs a four-year Chinese Language bachelor’s — the undergraduate route with a published 2026 calendar.
- Liberal arts & social science
- RMB 21,000 / year
- Science & engineering
- RMB 22,000 / year
- Music & fine arts
- RMB 24,000 / year
- Chinese Language (School of International Culture)
- RMB 21,000 / year (2026 prospectus)
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, aged 18 to 35, in good health and meeting the health standards for a student visa. Applicants of Chinese origin who have taken foreign nationality face extra conditions on when that nationality was acquired and how long they have resided abroad; those cut-off dates move each cycle.
- High-school diploma or pre-graduating certificate and full transcripts, original or notarized, in notarized Chinese or English translation.
- HSK Level 5 with 180 or above for the general undergraduate majors; the Chinese Language bachelor’s asks instead for HSK Level 4 with 180 or above.
- CSCA — the 2026 undergraduate prospectus requires the College Entrance Achievement Test for International Students, with mathematics, examined in Chinese. It applies only at undergraduate level.
- A study plan of around 400 words, recommendation letters, the passport information page, a recent photograph and proof you can meet the cost of study.
Master’s degreeGraduate
Master’s study taught in Chinese. The general prospectus states SCNU "has 23 master’s majors for international students", with the length set per major; the School of International Culture’s master’s in International Chinese Language Education is a fixed two years.
- Liberal arts & social science
- RMB 29,000 / year
- Science & engineering
- RMB 30,000 / year
- Music & fine arts
- RMB 30,000 / year
- International Chinese Language Education
- RMB 29,000 / year (2026 prospectus)
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, holding a bachelor’s degree or a qualification "equal to a bachelor’s degree (or above) in China", in good health.
- Age — the prospectuses differ. The general master’s prospectus requires "at least 18 years old and not more than 35 years old"; the 2026 International Chinese Language Education prospectus gives 18 to 55.
- Valid HSK Level 5 report with 180 or above; the general prospectus also wants a certificate obtained after February 2023, a rolling window, so confirm the date for your cycle.
- Notarized diploma or pre-graduating certificate and full transcripts, a study plan of around 800 words (in Chinese for the International Chinese Language Education master’s), two recommendation letters from professors, the passport information page and a recent photograph.
Doctoral degreeGraduate
Four-year doctoral study taught in Chinese. The general prospectus states SCNU "has 12 doctorate majors for international students"; the doctorate in International Chinese Language Education sets the highest language bar of any SCNU program.
- Liberal arts & social science
- RMB 34,000 / year
- Science & engineering
- RMB 40,000 / year
- Music & fine arts
- RMB 40,000 / year
- International Chinese Language Education
- RMB 34,000 / year (2026 prospectus)
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, holding a master’s degree or equivalent, in good health and with no criminal or disciplinary record.
- Age — the general doctoral prospectus sets 18 to 45; the 2026 International Chinese Language Education prospectus sets 18 to 55. Scholarship limits are tighter and override both.
- Language — where the routes diverge most. The general prospectus asks for HSK Level 5 with 180 or above, obtained after February 2023; the 2026 International Chinese Language Education doctorate requires HSK Level 6 with 180 or above plus a master’s in a related field.
- A research proposal and a personal statement (around 1,000 words on the general prospectus, 800 in Chinese on the 2026 one), two academic recommendation letters, notarized diploma and transcripts, passport copies, a photograph, and evidence you can fund four years of study.
Non-degree programs
Non-degree Chinese language program
Practical Chinese taught by the School of International Culture. The 2026 prospectus states that after one semester of intensive study students can reach HSK levels 3 to 4, and HSK level 5 after two semesters. Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens aged 18 to 40 with a high-school-equivalent qualification; anyone who has already studied Chinese in China for more than two years is ineligible, and total study here is capped at two years. The prospectus warns that "Enrollment is limited. Applications will close once capacity is reached". Insurance is RMB 400–600 per semester.
Fee · RMB 17,000 / year, RMB 8,900 / semester or RMB 3,200 / month for the general program; RMB 16,500 / semester intensive; RMB 3,000 per vocational elective; plus RMB 420 registration
Exchange students
Open to a "full-time student recommended by the partner university, based on the agreement between the university and SCNU". Apply through your home institution’s international office first, then register on the SCNU platform with a personal statement and study plan, a recommendation letter from the sending university, transcripts and your passport information page. The windows are earlier and shorter than the degree ones: 10 March to 30 May for autumn, 10 September to 10 November for spring.
Fee · Tuition per the agreement between your home university and SCNU; Ping An comprehensive insurance RMB 600 / year (RMB 300 / half year)
Documents to prepare
- Passport information page — a valid ordinary foreign passport — with copies of any Chinese visa, residence permit or entry–exit stamps if you are already in China.
- Highest diploma or pre-graduating certificate and full transcripts: high-school graduation for undergraduate entry, a bachelor’s for master’s, a master’s for doctoral. Original or notarized, in notarized Chinese or English translation.
- Valid HSK score report — Level 5 with 180 for the general degree majors, Level 4 with 180 for the Chinese Language bachelor’s, Level 6 with 180 for the doctorate in International Chinese Language Education, obtained after February 2023 on the general prospectuses.
- CSCA test result — undergraduate applicants only, with mathematics, examined in Chinese.
- A study plan (400 words undergraduate, 800 master’s, 1,000 doctoral, plus a research proposal at doctoral level), two recommendation letters for postgraduate applicants, a photograph taken within six months, evidence of good health for a student visa, and proof of funds.
Application timeline
These are the dates South China Normal University published for the 2026 intake. That cycle has closed. Use them as a guide to when each step falls in the year, and check the official pages for the 2027 dates before you plan around them.
- 1
Applications open
1 Jan 2026The three 2026 prospectuses published by the School of International Culture on 7 January 2026 give an application duration of 1 January to 10 June 2026.
- 2
Non-degree Chinese language deadlines
15 Jan & 15 Jul 2026Fixed annual dates — 15 January for spring entry, 15 July for autumn — and earlier if the intake fills.
- 3
Exchange application windows
Mar–May & Sep–Nov 2026Exchange students are nominated by a partner university first, then apply between 10 March and 30 May for autumn entry, or between 10 September and 10 November for spring.
- 4
Degree application deadline
By 10 Jun 2026The closing date on all three 2026 School of International Culture prospectuses. SCNU has published no 2026 edition of the general degree prospectus in English, so confirm the date for a general major with the admissions office.
- 5
Registration & start of the academic year
7 Sep 2026The enrollment date printed on all three 2026 degree prospectuses.
- 6
Guangdong provincial scholarship nominations
By 8 Sep 2026SCNU’s internal deadline for submitting candidates for the 2026 round. SCNU nominates; the provincial education department decides.
SCNU prices tuition by discipline group rather than by program, and the bands keep the same shape at every level: liberal arts and social science cheapest, science and engineering next, music and fine arts at the top. Undergraduate study runs RMB 21,000–24,000 per year, master’s RMB 29,000–30,000 and doctoral RMB 34,000–40,000 — figures from the 2025 edition of the general degree prospectus, so confirm them before you budget. On top of tuition, budget for the RMB 420 registration fee, charged on every route and non-refundable; compulsory insurance at RMB 800, RMB 1,000 or RMB 1,200 per year (exchange students pay RMB 600 on the Ping An scheme); and accommodation at about RMB 1,050 per person per month in a two-bed room or RMB 2,000 in a single. The non-degree Chinese program sits outside the degree bands, at RMB 17,000 a year, RMB 8,900 a semester or RMB 3,200 a month.
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Scholarships
Almost all the scholarship money open to an international student at SCNU comes from outside the university. Three schemes appear on its English admissions pages — the Chinese Government Scholarship, the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship and the Guangdong provincial government scholarship — and none is funded or finally decided by SCNU. The 2026 provincial notice is explicit that "College recommendations do not constitute final selection; candidates must pass institutional review and provincial education department approval". SCNU publishes no university-funded scholarship for international students on its English pages, so do not budget for one. Two traps: scholarship age limits are tighter than admission limits — SCNU admits undergraduates up to 35, but the Chinese Government Scholarship undergraduate channel stops at 25 — and the language bar rises, with the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship asking for HSK scores 30 points above SCNU’s own minimum plus an HSKK result. The admissions index still carries the 2025 edition of those guidelines, so check the current year’s dates on the scholarship’s own system.
Chinese Government Scholarship — Bilateral Program
Tuition fees, a free university dormitory place or an accommodation subsidy, comprehensive medical insurance, and a monthly living allowance of CNY 2,500 for undergraduates, CNY 3,000 for master’s students and general scholars and CNY 3,500 for doctoral students and senior scholars.
Eligibility: Non-Chinese citizens in good health, applying through the dispatching authority of their own country. Age limits by level: under 25 for undergraduate, under 35 for master’s, under 40 for doctoral, under 45 for a general scholar, under 50 for a senior scholar. The CSC language floor is HSK Level 3 for Chinese-taught undergraduate and general scholar programs and Level 4 for postgraduate ones — but SCNU’s own requirement of HSK Level 5 with 180 is higher, and you must clear both.
Chinese Government Scholarship — other channels
The same coverage terms as the bilateral channel; funding is set by the China Scholarship Council, not by SCNU.
Eligibility: SCNU’s guide describes three further channels: the Chinese University Program, under which designated universities recruit directly; designated programs run with international organisations (the Great Wall, EU, AUN, PIF and WMO programs); and the Student Exchange Program, for general and senior scholars for up to 12 months. You first secure admission documents from SCNU, then apply through your country’s receiving agency and the CSC system.
International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship
A full scholarship, applied for at cis.chinese.cn with SCNU as host institution. SCNU’s guidelines set out four lengths: degree programs at doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s level; a one-year program of 11 months; a one-semester program of five months; and a four-week group study experience.
Eligibility: Non-Chinese citizens aged 16 to 35 (in-service Chinese-language teachers up to 45; bachelor’s applicants generally under 25), in good health. The language bar is the highest of any SCNU route: HSK Level 6 with 200 plus HSKK Advanced 60 for doctoral study, Level 5 with 210 plus HSKK Intermediate 60 for master’s, Level 4 with 210 plus HSKK Intermediate 60 for bachelor’s; the one-year and one-semester tracks sit at HSK Level 3 to 4.
Guangdong Provincial Government Scholarship for International Students
A one-off cash award rather than a fee waiver: RMB 10,000 for undergraduates, RMB 20,000 for master’s students and RMB 30,000 for doctoral students, as listed on SCNU’s prospectuses. It does not cover accommodation or insurance.
Eligibility: International students at a university in Guangdong, nominated by that university. For the 2026 round SCNU’s international college held 49 places — 20 for new undergraduates, 4 for new master’s and 2 for new doctoral students, plus 14, 5 and 4 respectively for continuing students. SCNU’s internal deadline for the 2026 round was 8 September 2026, with files sent to gw_gjjy@scnu.edu.cn; the provincial education department decides.
Research
Research at the university
SCNU is a research university built around a teacher-education core, sharpest in physics and optoelectronics, psychology and educational technology, chemistry and energy materials, and the life and environmental sciences. Physics is the discipline in the national Double First-Class initiative, psychology is graded A+ nationally, and four disciplines hold state-level key status — educational technology, developmental and educational psychology, optics, and sports humanities and sociology as a key cultivation discipline. Two official pages count the research platforms differently: Research Highlights describes "70 key science and technology platforms, including three national-level platforms and 67 research platforms at the provincial and ministerial level", while Facts and Figures (November 2025) counts 3 national platforms and 132 provincial ones.
Physics, optics & optoelectronics
SCNU’s Double First-Class discipline, supported by the National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, the MOE National "111" Project for Optical Information, the MOE International Laboratory of Optical Information Technology, and provincial key laboratories in nanophotonic functional materials and in quantum engineering.
Psychology, education & brain science
Psychology is an A+ discipline and developmental and educational psychology a state-level key discipline, with the Research Center for Brain Cognition and Human Development and the Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science alongside educational technology.
Energy materials, chemistry & life sciences
The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for High Energy Lithium Ion Batteries and the MOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage, with the MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment; alongside them the MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science and provincial key laboratories for plant development biotechnology and for healthy and safe aquaculture.
- Three national-level science and technology platforms: the co-constructed State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, the National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for High Energy Lithium Ion Batteries, and the National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics.
- 519 national-level research projects secured since 2021, with SCNU stating that both the project total and the number of key projects rank among the top for normal universities nationwide.
- In 2024 SCNU teams published in both Nature and Science in the same year — the university calls this a first in its history. Nine key laboratories sit at national and provincial level, alongside a Ministry of Education key research base in the humanities and social sciences and 13 key research bases for Guangdong Province.
Global engagement
Global engagement
SCNU has taught international students since 1988, began hosting Chinese Government Scholarship students in 2008 and Confucius Institute scholarship students in 2009, and runs three Confucius Institutes of its own. Its partner network leans towards Asia and North America: the Partnerships page lists roughly 50 partners across Asia, 33 in the Americas, 27 in Europe, seven in Oceania and one in Africa. Two official pages give different totals — the SCNU Introduction says "partnerships with over 100 higher education institutions worldwide", while the Partnerships list runs to about 120 — so treat "more than 100" as the safe figure.
Three Confucius Institutes
With School District No. 43 in Coquitlam, British Columbia (founded 2011 from a classroom established in 2008; a Global Model Confucius Institute in 2014), the University of La Réunion, France (November 2010; Global Model in 2017), and the University of Latvia (2011, the only one in Latvia). Fourteen Confucius Classrooms are attached to the three.
Partner universities across five continents
The Partnerships page names The Ohio State University, the University of Technology Sydney, the University of Huddersfield and Nanyang Technological University among others, with the largest blocks in the United States (29), Asia (around 50) and Europe (27).
Joint programs, mobility and exchange
One Sino-foreign cooperative institution and one joint program, plus joint programs with institutions in the UK, France, Belgium and Australia. Over the past decade around 6,000 SCNU students and 600 faculty have gone abroad, and the university runs postgraduate centres in Hong Kong, Macao and Malaysia.
Career
Career & alumni
SCNU is first and foremost a teacher-training university, and its published record reflects that: it states it has trained "more than 900,000 teachers and talents in other industries", and it runs 60 affiliated schools and 20 affiliated kindergartens that give its education students a practical route into Guangdong’s school system. The School of International Culture’s programs in International Chinese Language Education are explicitly vocational — they train Chinese-language teachers, which is what the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship funds. What SCNU does not publish anywhere on its English pages is a careers service for international students, or any placement, employment-rate or salary figure for its international graduates; the site’s "Careers at SCNU" page recruits academic staff. Ask the admissions office about post-graduation support and work-visa rules before you enrol.
Career support
- A network of 60 affiliated schools and 20 affiliated kindergartens, the practical base for the university’s teacher-education programs.
- Degree programs in International Chinese Language Education at master’s and doctoral level, aimed at qualifying Chinese-language teachers, plus volunteer teaching posts at SCNU’s Confucius Institutes in Canada, France and Latvia.
- SCNU publishes no careers office or placement statistics for international students on its English site — ask the admissions office what exists in practice.
Notable alumni
Jao Tsung-I
Named on SCNU’s introduction page among the figures of significance in the history of China educated at the university. Jao (1917–2018) was a sinologist whose work spanned history, archaeology, epigraphy, religion, art history and literature.
Gao Juefu
Named by SCNU among the notable figures educated at the university. The page does not state what each named figure is known for.
Guo Dali
Named by SCNU in the same list, which also includes Wu Sanli, Wang Heqing, Sheng Xugong, Ruan Jingqing, Li Jingchi, Kang Baiqing and Sun Ruyong.
Campus life
Campus life
SCNU spreads over four campuses in three cities — Shipai and University Town in Guangzhou, Nanhai in Foshan and Binhai in Shanwei — totalling more than 355 hectares, and international students are based where their school is. Shipai, in Tianhe District, is the historic main campus and home of the School of International Culture, which runs the Chinese-language programs; it is also the easiest to reach, sitting on Metro Line 3 at the station named after the university. WiFi is available in all dormitories, with wired dormitory internet and campus wireless from about RMB 30 a month. In 2024–2025 SCNU had 98 registered student clubs across the four campuses, running close to 700 activities between them.
Accommodation
International student dormitory — two-bed room
About RMB 1,050 per person per month
Air conditioning, hot water, desk, private bathroom and WiFi. This rate is published on SCNU’s exchange programs page; the degree prospectuses do not restate it, so confirm the figure and what it includes when you accept your place.
International student dormitory — single room
About RMB 2,000 per person per month
With shared washing machines and a shared kitchen. As with the twin rooms, the figure comes from the exchange programs page rather than the degree prospectuses.
Dining
Each campus has its own canteens — Shipai alone lists eight dining halls, the first open 6:30–9:00, 11:00–13:00, 17:00–19:00 and 19:30–22:00. SCNU publishes no meal prices for international students on its English pages, so budget for food separately.
Facilities
Libraries
Four campus libraries holding 3.96 million printed volumes and 11.32 million e-books, with study and seminar space, reference librarians and subject services.
Health care & insurance
Each campus has a clinic with weekday outpatient hours and a 24-hour emergency line: 020-85211120 at Shipai, 020-39310120 at University Town, 0757-86687291 at Nanhai and 0660-3808120 at Binhai. Insurance is compulsory — RMB 800, RMB 1,000 or RMB 1,200 per year for degree students depending on the plan, or RMB 600 a year on the Ping An scheme for exchange students — and claims are reimbursed through the campus clinic within the same calendar year.
Getting around
Shipai sits on Metro Line 3 at South China Normal University station, Exit E; University Town is reached via Metro Line 4 to Higher Education Mega Center North, Exit C, then about 1.3 km; Nanhai via the Guangzhou–Foshan metro to Daoxi station then bus 275; Binhai by bus from Shanwei’s terminals. On campus there are bank branches and ATMs, Cainiao parcel stations, and scheduled hot water — typically 17:30–23:00, 24 hours at Binhai.
Campus
South China Normal University in photos
Photos of South China Normal University
Photos will appear here once they are uploaded from the Qiao admin panel. In the meantime, Qiao is on it.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at South China Normal University for international students?+
SCNU prices by discipline group, not by program. Undergraduate study is RMB 21,000 a year for liberal arts and social science, RMB 22,000 for science and engineering and RMB 24,000 for music and fine arts; master’s study is RMB 29,000 and RMB 30,000 on the same split, doctoral study RMB 34,000 and RMB 40,000. Those bands come from the 2025 edition of the general degree prospectus, the most recent SCNU has published in English. The 2026 School of International Culture prospectuses quote RMB 21,000 for the Chinese Language bachelor’s, RMB 29,000 for the master’s in International Chinese Language Education and RMB 34,000 for the doctorate. Add the RMB 420 registration fee, insurance at RMB 800–1,200 a year, and accommodation from about RMB 1,050 a month.
What language are SCNU’s international programs taught in, and what HSK do I need?+
Chinese. SCNU publishes no English-taught degree list for international students on its English admissions pages, and HSK is an entry requirement rather than something you work towards after arrival. The general degree majors ask for HSK Level 5 with 180 or above at every level; the Chinese Language bachelor’s asks only for HSK Level 4 with 180, while the doctorate in International Chinese Language Education asks for HSK Level 6 with 180. The general prospectuses also want a certificate obtained after February 2023 — a rolling window, so check the date for your cycle. Scholarship applicants face higher bars again: the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship wants HSK 4 with 210, HSK 5 with 210 or HSK 6 with 200 depending on level, plus an HSKK speaking result.
Do I need to take the CSCA test to apply to SCNU?+
If you are applying for undergraduate study, yes. The 2026 undergraduate prospectus adds the "College Entrance Achievement Test for International Students (CSCA Test), Mathematics is required (Examination language is Chinese)" to its required documents, so the test comes before you apply and the paper is examined in Chinese. It is new for this cycle and applies only at undergraduate level — neither the master’s nor the doctoral prospectus mentions CSCA.
When is the application deadline for South China Normal University?+
For the 2026 intake the three degree prospectuses published by the School of International Culture give an application window of 1 January to 10 June 2026, with enrollment on 7 September 2026. SCNU has published no 2026 edition of the general degree prospectus in English, so if you are applying for one of the wider degree majors, confirm the closing date with the admissions office. Three other sets of dates run on their own calendar: the non-degree Chinese language program closes 15 January for spring and 15 July for autumn every year, and earlier if the intake fills; exchange applications run 10 March to 30 May for autumn and 10 September to 10 November for spring; and the Guangdong provincial scholarship had an internal SCNU deadline of 8 September 2026.
Does SCNU offer scholarships for international students?+
Three schemes appear on SCNU’s English admissions pages, but none of them is SCNU’s own money. The Chinese Government Scholarship is a full award — tuition, a free dormitory place or accommodation subsidy, comprehensive medical insurance and a monthly stipend of CNY 2,500, 3,000 or 3,500 by level. The International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship is also full, applied for at cis.chinese.cn with SCNU as host, covering degree study as well as one-year, one-semester and four-week options. The Guangdong provincial government scholarship is a one-off cash award of RMB 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 by level for which SCNU nominates candidates — it held 49 places for the 2026 round, and the provincial education department decides.
Contact
Contact the admissions offices
Reach the School of International Culture (SIC), SCNU — international student admissions; International Student Division, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation — exchange students and scholarship nominations for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Guangzhou.
- Office
- School of International Culture (SIC), SCNU — international student admissions; International Student Division, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation — exchange students and scholarship nominations
- Address
- School of International Culture, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, P.R. China
- 20161043@m.scnu.edu.cn — degree program admissions (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral)hscic7@scnu.edu.cn — degree program admissions (second address on the prospectuses)20210435@m.scnu.edu.cn — non-degree Chinese language programsic7@scnu.edu.cn — non-degree Chinese language program (second address)wsh9@scnu.edu.cn — International Student Division, exchange studentswsh10@scnu.edu.cn — International Student Division, exchange studentsgw_gjjy@scnu.edu.cn — International Education Division, Guangdong provincial scholarship nominations
- Phone
- +86-20-85215350 — international student admissions+86-20-85210012 — international student admissions+86-20-85210057 — exchange students, International Student Division+86-20-85212131 — fax, International Student Division+86-20-85215052 — International Education Division (scholarships)+86-20-85211065 — outbound study abroad, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation
Verified from official sources · last checked 2026-09-17
Tuition, fees and deadlines change every intake. Always confirm the current figures on the official South China Normal University pages before applying.
- Study@SCNU — admissions index
- 2026 prospectus — Chinese Language bachelor’s (SIC)
- 2026 prospectus — master’s, Int’l Chinese Language Education
- 2026 prospectus — doctorate, Int’l Chinese Language Education
- 2026 prospectus — non-degree Chinese language program
- Undergraduate admission information (2025 edition)
- Master’s admission information (2025 edition)
- Doctorate admission information (2025 edition)
- Application guide for the Chinese Government Scholarship
- Int’l Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship guidelines
- Exchange programs
- SCNU introduction
- Facts and figures (updated November 2025)
- Key disciplines
- Research highlights
- Key laboratories
- Confucius Institutes
- Student mobility
- Global partners and alliances
- 2026 Guangdong provincial scholarship — nomination notice
- Schools and colleges
- Libraries
- Housing and dining
- Health and safety
- Transportation to the four campuses
- SCNU history
- Student organizations
- Communities and services
- Careers at SCNU (staff recruitment)
- QS profile — SCNU
- Wikipedia — SCNU
- Wikipedia — Jao Tsung-I