About
About Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (北京中医药大学) began in 1956 as the Beijing College of Chinese Medicine — per the university’s own profile, the earliest institution of higher Chinese-medicine education established with State Council approval. It was designated a national key university in 1960, took its present name in 1993, entered Project 211 in 1996, merged with the Beijing College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Orthopaedics-Traumatology in 2000, and in 2011 joined the Project 985 platform for innovation in advantaged disciplines. In 2017 three of its disciplines — Chinese medicine, integrated Chinese and Western medicine, and Chinese materia medica — were selected for the national Double First-Class initiative.
BUCM has three campuses: Liangxiang (in the Liangxiang university town, Fangshan District), Hepingjie (No. 11 North Third Ring Road East, Chaoyang District) and Wangjing. Where you study matters for daily life: the International School’s undergraduate admissions office is on the Liangxiang campus, in the far south-west of Beijing, while the Graduate School and the historic address used on most English pages are at Hepingjie in Chaoyang.
According to the university profile (figures as of March 2023), BUCM has 15,474 full-time students — 8,937 undergraduates, 6,029 postgraduates (1,590 doctoral and 4,439 master’s) and 508 international students — plus 20,813 online-education students, and 6,184 staff of whom 1,727 are full-time teachers. The university says it has trained more than 20,000 Chinese-medicine professionals from 94 countries and regions. Figures on the International School’s older English "Why BUCM?" page (5,233 staff, 1,478 faculty) predate these and should not be quoted as current.
Chinese medicine, integrated Chinese and Western medicine, and Chinese materia medica (selected 2017)
University profile, data as of March 2023
Project 211 in 1996; Project 985 Innovation Platform for Advantaged Disciplines in 2011
The flagship of Chinese medicine
The earliest State Council-approved college of Chinese medicine, a national key university since 1960, with Chinese medicine, integrated Chinese and Western medicine, and Chinese materia medica all in the Double First-Class initiative.
Hospital-based clinical training
Four directly affiliated hospitals in Beijing — Dongzhimen, Dongfang, the Third Affiliated Hospital and Fangshan — plus 19 clinical teaching bases, including China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Guang’anmen Hospital.
Everything is taught in Chinese
All ten undergraduate majors in the 2026 guide and all master’s and doctoral programs are Chinese-taught. English-taught study exists only in short programs such as the summer school and the advanced study program.
TCM centres abroad
BUCM runs Chinese-medicine centres in Germany (the Kötzting hospital, founded 1991), Australia, Russia and the United States, and a China–Germany Chinese medicine centre.
Admission
Admission, programs & tuition
BUCM admits international students to Chinese-taught bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, and runs a preparatory Chinese course and several short programs. Undergraduate and graduate admission are handled by different offices with different systems and very different calendars. Undergraduates apply to the International School through bucm.chiwest.cn between late January and 30 June 2026, must hold HSK Level 4 with at least 180 points, and must pass the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA); admission letters go out on a rolling basis from April 2026, and the International School published self-funded admission lists in batches (the second on 6 July 2026, the third on 16 July 2026). Master’s and doctoral applicants apply to the Graduate School through yanjiusheng.bucm.edu.cn, need HSK Level 5, and face early deadlines — 20 February 2026 for the CSC High-level Graduate (Type B) route, 20 March 2026 for Chinese Government Scholarship applicants and just 1–10 April 2026 for self-funded students — followed by a written test or interview set by the admitting school. There is no English-taught degree route: the 2026 graduate guide states that its courses are Chinese-taught programs. Age: the undergraduate guide requires applicants to be, in principle, at least 18, and neither guide sets an upper age limit; the International School’s undated FAQ says there is no age restriction as long as your health allows you to complete the program.
Degree programs
Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.
Bachelor’s degreeUndergraduate
Ten Chinese-taught majors in the 2026 guide. Five-year Bachelor of Medicine programs: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Orthopedics and Traumatology of TCM, and Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina. Four-year programs: Chinese Materia Medica, Pharmaceutical Science of Chinese Medicine, Pharmacy, Bioengineering, Pharmaceutical Management, Nursing, and Public Service Administration (Health Administration). The five-year medicine majors and Public Service Administration require the liberal-arts CSCA papers (Chinese and mathematics); the other six majors require the science papers (Chinese and mathematics).
- Five-year medicine majors (TCM, Orthopedics & Traumatology of TCM, Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina)
- RMB 35,000 / year
- Four-year majors (pharmacy, bioengineering, nursing, management, etc.)
- RMB 30,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen holding a valid foreign passport, in line with the Ministry of Education’s rules on nationality; applicants with one or both parents who were Chinese citizens must document the parents’ nationality status (renunciation or foreign permanent residence).
- In principle at least 18 years old, with a senior high-school diploma or above, of good character and in good physical and mental health.
- HSK Level 4 with a score of at least 180, taken within the past two years.
- A pass in the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) — liberal-arts Chinese and mathematics for the medicine majors and Public Service Administration, science Chinese and mathematics for the rest — with results submitted by 30 June 2026.
- Applicants under 18 must provide a notarized guardianship document naming an adult Chinese citizen resident in Beijing as guardian.
- Proof of funds sufficient for tuition and living costs in China; the guide recommends a balance of at least RMB 30,000, valid until October 2026 or later.
Master’s degreeGraduate
Three-year master’s degrees (maximum five years of study) in both academic and professional-degree categories across Chinese medicine, integrated medicine, Chinese materia medica and related fields; the Graduate School publishes the full list as an attachment to the 2026 guide. Applicants to clinical professional degrees need a relevant medical background. All courses are taught in Chinese.
- All master’s programs
- RMB 38,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, holding a bachelor’s degree (final-year students submit proof of expected graduation).
- Chinese proficiency of at least HSK Level 5, with the certificate delivered to the Graduate Admissions Office by 30 June 2026 at the latest; applicants who earned a degree at a Chinese university with Chinese as the language of instruction do not need to provide HSK.
- A personal statement in Chinese of at least 1,000 characters and two recommendation letters from professors.
- Degrees earned outside China need a credential verification report.
- A written test or interview organised by the admitting school, expected in mid-April 2026.
- Clinical professional-degree programs require a relevant medical background.
Doctoral degreeGraduate
Four-year doctoral study (maximum six years) in academic and professional-degree categories, with the program list published as an attachment to the 2026 graduate guide. All courses are taught in Chinese, and assessment by the admitting school’s experts is expected in mid-May 2026.
- All doctoral programs
- RMB 47,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, holding a master’s degree (final-year students submit proof of expected graduation).
- Chinese proficiency of at least HSK Level 5, certificate due by 30 June 2026; waived for holders of a Chinese-taught degree from a Chinese university.
- A personal statement in Chinese of at least 1,000 characters and two professors’ recommendation letters; papers or research output may be added.
- A written test or interview organised by the admitting school, expected in mid-May 2026.
- Clinical professional-degree programs require a relevant medical background.
Non-degree programs
Preparatory Chinese Language Training Program (2026)
The International School (National Center for International Communication of Chinese Medicine) runs a preparatory Chinese course; the 2026 notice was posted on 3 March 2026, but its terms are published only as images on that notice. Contact the Preparatory Affairs Office (+86-10-64286318, bucmtraining@bucm.edu.cn) for dates, fees and whether completion leads to degree admission.
Fee · Not published in text on the notice — ask the Preparatory Office
Qihuang Messenger Summer School — TCM Discovery Journey
Open to participants aged 13–65 — students, teachers or professionals in related fields interested in Chinese culture, TCM or complementary and alternative medicine. Lectures on Chinese language, medical history and TCM theory; workshops such as Baduanjin and herbal sachet making; visits to hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and cultivation bases; and Beijing sightseeing. The fee covers tuition, itinerary visits, local transport and the campus card; flights, visa, meals and accommodation are extra (campus dorms quoted at RMB 40–80 a night, nearby hotels about RMB 250 a night). The 2026 deadline was 31 May 2026.
Fee · RMB 8,000 per participant
International Advanced Study Program in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Aimed primarily at students of TCM, acupuncture, complementary/alternative medicine and related health sciences at Canadian universities, and also open to teachers, young scholars and professionals. Clinical observation at affiliated hospitals, themed lectures (TCM history, materia medica, acupuncture research, Tuina, food as medicine), practical training and industry visits, based at the Hepingjie campus and the Third Affiliated Hospital. The fee covers tuition, clinical observation, translation, visits, local transport and the campus card; insurance, meals and accommodation are extra. The 2026 deadline was 30 June 2026.
Fee · RMB 8,000 per participant
Documents to prepare
- Passport information page (undergraduate and graduate). The International School’s undated FAQ says only foreign citizens holding a passport valid for at least four years may apply; the 2026 undergraduate guide itself asks for a valid foreign passport — confirm the validity you need with the office.
- Nationality documents for applicants with a parent who is or was a Chinese citizen (undergraduate).
- High-school diploma and transcripts (undergraduate), or bachelor’s/master’s diploma, degree certificate and notarized transcripts (graduate); degrees from outside China need a credential verification report.
- HSK certificate — Level 4 with 180+ for undergraduates, Level 5 for master’s and doctoral applicants.
- CSCA results (undergraduate only).
- Study plan — at least 300 characters for undergraduates; a Chinese personal statement of at least 1,000 characters for graduate applicants.
- Two recommendation letters (graduate applicants; undergraduates applying for scholarships).
- Foreigner Physical Examination Form, and a certificate of no criminal record.
- Financial guarantee — the undergraduate guide recommends at least RMB 30,000, valid until October 2026 or later.
- A three-minute self-introduction video in Mandarin and a recent photo (undergraduate).
- Undergraduates must bring the originals of all application materials and the medical report at registration for re-checking.
Application timeline
These are the dates Beijing University of Chinese Medicine 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
22–23 Jan 2026The English undergraduate guide gives 22 January 2026 and the Chinese version 23 January 2026; the graduate guide opens on 23 January 2026.
- 2
CSC High-level Graduate (Type B) deadline
By 20 Feb 2026Register in the BUCM system and on campuschina.org (agency number 10026); supplementary materials in the CSC system by 15 March 2026.
- 3
Chinese Government Scholarship deadline (graduate)
By 20 Mar 2026 - 4
Self-funded master’s and doctoral applications
1–10 Apr 2026A ten-day window only.
- 5
Undergraduate admission letters
From Apr 2026Sent out on a rolling basis; self-funded admission lists appeared in batches — the second on 6 July and the third on 16 July 2026.
- 6
Graduate assessments
Mid-Apr / mid-May 2026Master’s assessments expected in mid-April, doctoral in mid-May; admission letters expected by the end of June.
- 7
Undergraduate deadline and CSCA results
30 Jun 2026Undergraduate applications close and CSCA results are due; graduate HSK certificates must also reach the Graduate Admissions Office by this date.
- 8
Registration and start of the academic year
Sep 2026
For 2026, undergraduate tuition is RMB 35,000 a year for the five-year medicine majors and RMB 30,000 for the four-year majors; master’s tuition is RMB 38,000 and doctoral tuition RMB 47,000 a year. Every level charges an RMB 800 application fee. Undergraduates also pay RMB 800 a year for insurance and RMB 40 per person per day for an on-campus double room, paid by semester. The International School’s FAQ adds that tuition excludes textbooks, accommodation and living costs, is due in the first week of each semester (for one semester or the full year), and can be paid in cash or by China UnionPay card — remittance is not accepted. The graduate guide does not list accommodation or insurance fees; ask the Graduate Admissions Office.
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Funding
Scholarships
BUCM’s scholarship menu is short and, at undergraduate level, modest. Undergraduates can seek a Chinese Government Scholarship (Type A, via a Chinese embassy, naming BUCM as first choice), the Beijing Government Scholarship, or a BUCM university scholarship worth a one-time RMB 6,000 — and the 2026 guide makes a CSCA pass a condition for every one of them. Graduate applicants can use the two Chinese Government Scholarship routes (Type A and the Type B High-level Graduate Program) or, if self-funded, be considered for the Beijing Government Scholarship. The deadlines for the graduate scholarship routes are the earliest in the whole cycle.
Chinese Government Scholarship — Type A (Bilateral / special programs)
Terms set by the China Scholarship Council; see campuschina.org.
Eligibility: Undergraduates apply through the Chinese embassy in their country with BUCM as first choice and may contact the admissions office for a pre-admission letter. Graduate applicants apply between 23 January and 20 March 2026 in the BUCM Graduate School system. CSCA pass required for undergraduates.
Chinese Government Scholarship — Type B (High-level Graduate Program)
Terms set by the China Scholarship Council.
Eligibility: Master’s and doctoral applicants: complete the BUCM application by 20 February 2026 and apply on campuschina.org under agency number 10026; BUCM emails a pre-admission letter and applicants add materials in the CSC system by 15 March 2026, after which the CSC review decides.
Beijing Government Scholarship for International Students
Implemented under Beijing’s latest policy; the 2026 guides do not state the amount.
Eligibility: Undergraduates tick the option in the online system; applications usually run from May to October each year, per the university’s notice. Self-funded graduate students who meet the application requirements may also apply, with awards going to those with excellent overall evaluations. CSCA pass required for undergraduates.
BUCM University Scholarship (undergraduate)
One-time award of RMB 6,000.
Eligibility: Undergraduate applicants who pass the CSCA; applied for on the same schedule as the Beijing Government Scholarship.
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Research at the university
Research at BUCM centres on Chinese medicine, Chinese materia medica and integrated medicine, carried out through the university’s research institutes and its affiliated hospitals. The university profile (data as of March 2023) counts 62 provincial- or ministerial-level research bases or higher, including a national international science and technology cooperation base, Ministry of Education key laboratories and engineering research centres, and national clinical research bases for Chinese medicine. Degree-granting capacity is broad for a specialised university: 3 first-level doctoral disciplines, 42 second-level doctoral programs and 3 postdoctoral research stations.
Chinese medicine theory and clinical practice
Clinical research across the four directly affiliated Beijing hospitals, with 17 national clinical key specialties and 44 key specialties of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Chinese materia medica and pharmacy
A Double First-Class discipline, backed by undergraduate programs in Chinese materia medica, pharmaceutical science of Chinese medicine and pharmacy.
Integrated Chinese and Western medicine
The third Double First-Class discipline, bridging TCM and biomedicine.
Acupuncture, Tuina and orthopedics
Inherited from the 2000 merger with the Beijing College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Orthopaedics-Traumatology.
- Three disciplines in the Double First-Class initiative: Chinese medicine, integrated Chinese and Western medicine, and Chinese materia medica.
- 2 first-level and 15 second-level national key disciplines (university profile, March 2023).
- The International School’s English page lists 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 6 TCM Grand Masters and 4 chief scientists of the 973 Program on the faculty (undated).
Global engagement
Global engagement
BUCM has partnerships with 118 universities and research institutions in 31 countries and regions and has trained more than 20,000 Chinese-medicine professionals from 94 countries and regions. Its overseas presence is unusually concrete: Chinese-medicine centres and hospitals in Germany, Australia, Russia and the United States. Short English-taught programs — the summer school and the advanced study program — are run by the International School’s international communication centre.
Kötzting Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Germany
Founded in 1991 and described by the International School as the first Chinese-medicine hospital in Europe.
Middlesex University, UK
Collaboration dating from 1996, listed in the university profile among its key international programs.
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
A Chinese medicine–biology double-degree program.
University of Barcelona, Spain
Cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine, listed in the university profile.
Career
Career & alumni
BUCM does not publish employment statistics for its international graduates on its English or International School pages. What the pages do show is where training happens: clinical majors rotate through Dongzhimen, Dongfang, the Third Affiliated Hospital and Fangshan Hospital and 19 clinical teaching bases. The International School also advertises a training program for China’s Chinese Medicine Practitioner Qualification Examination (2026 edition), which matters if you hope to practise in China, and maintains an alumni section with an international alumni network.
Career support
- Clinical training at BUCM’s four directly affiliated Beijing hospitals and 19 clinical teaching bases.
- A training program for the Chinese Medicine Practitioner Qualification Examination, announced for 2026.
- The International School’s alumni section, with an Outstanding Alumni page and an international alumni network.
Notable alumni
Campus life
Campus life
International undergraduates are handled by the International School on the Liangxiang campus in Fangshan District, where the admissions office sits (Room 441, Comprehensive Building, East Campus). The 2026 undergraduate guide prices on-campus housing at RMB 40 per person per day in a double room, paid by semester; students may instead arrange off-campus housing at their own cost. The graduate guide does not state housing terms — graduate students are told their room at registration by their school. Insurance is compulsory in China and can be bought on registration day; undergraduates pay RMB 800 a year.
Accommodation
On-campus double room (undergraduate)
RMB 40 per person per day, paid by semester
Per the 2026 undergraduate guide. After admission, contact the office about a dormitory place.
Off-campus housing
At the student’s own expense
Permitted by the 2026 undergraduate guide.
Dining
The International School’s facilities page lists two canteens open to students, including Chinese, Korean and halal (qingzhen) sections. Meal prices are not published — budget for food separately.
Facilities
Library
Founded in 1956 with east and west sections, 15,811 square metres of floor space, over 880,000 print volumes and 410,000 e-books.
Sports
Sports ground, basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton courts, a gate-ball court, a gymnasium and a fitness area; 32,082 square metres of sports venues across the east and west campus areas.
Affiliated hospitals
Dongzhimen, Dongfang, the Third Affiliated Hospital and Fangshan Hospital — the teaching hospitals where clinical students train.
HSK test centre
The International School runs its own HSK examination section, useful for students who need to raise their level for the Level 4 (undergraduate) or Level 5 (graduate) requirement.
Campus
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in photos
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine?+
For 2026: RMB 35,000 a year for the five-year medicine majors (Traditional Chinese Medicine, Orthopedics and Traumatology of TCM, Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina), RMB 30,000 a year for the other undergraduate majors, RMB 38,000 a year for a master’s and RMB 47,000 a year for a doctorate. Add an RMB 800 application fee, RMB 800 a year insurance and, for undergraduates on campus, RMB 40 a day for a bed in a double room.
Can I study TCM at BUCM in English?+
Not for a degree. All ten undergraduate majors are Chinese-taught, and the 2026 graduate guide describes its programs as Chinese-taught. English is used only on short programs such as the two-week summer school and the International Advanced Study Program in TCM, each RMB 8,000.
What HSK level do I need?+
Undergraduates need HSK Level 4 with at least 180 points, taken within the past two years. Master’s and doctoral applicants need at least HSK Level 5, delivered by 30 June 2026 — unless they earned a Chinese-taught degree at a Chinese university. If you are short of the level, ask about the preparatory Chinese program.
Do I need the CSCA test?+
Yes, for undergraduate admission: the 2026 guide requires a pass in the China Scholastic Competency Assessment, submitted by 30 June 2026. Medicine majors and Public Service Administration take the liberal-arts Chinese and mathematics papers; the pharmacy, bioengineering and nursing majors take the science papers. Every undergraduate scholarship also requires a CSCA pass. Graduate applicants do not take it.
When are the deadlines?+
Undergraduate applications run from 22/23 January to 30 June 2026. Graduate deadlines are much earlier: 20 February 2026 for the CSC Type B High-level Graduate route, 20 March 2026 for other Chinese Government Scholarship applicants, and 1–10 April 2026 for self-funded master’s and doctoral applicants.
Is there an age limit?+
Undergraduates should in principle be at least 18; under-18s need a notarized guardianship from an adult Chinese citizen living in Beijing. Neither 2026 guide sets an upper age limit, and the International School’s FAQ says there is no age restriction as long as your health allows you to complete your studies.
What scholarships are available?+
Chinese Government Scholarships (Type A through an embassy; Type B High-level Graduate Program for postgraduates), the Beijing Government Scholarship, and for undergraduates a one-time RMB 6,000 BUCM award. Undergraduate scholarships all require a CSCA pass, and Beijing Government applications usually run May to October.
Contact
Contact the admissions offices
Reach the Admissions Office, International School (National Center for International Communication of Chinese Medicine), Beijing University of Chinese Medicine — undergraduate; Graduate Admissions Office, Graduate School — master’s and doctoral for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Beijing.
- Office
- Admissions Office, International School (National Center for International Communication of Chinese Medicine), Beijing University of Chinese Medicine — undergraduate; Graduate Admissions Office, Graduate School — master’s and doctoral
- Address
- Room 441, Comprehensive Building, East Campus, Liangxiang Campus, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Liangxiang University Town, Fangshan District, Beijing 102488 (undergraduate); Graduate School: No. 11 North Third Ring Road East, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029
- iec@bucm.edu.cn — undergraduate admissions, International Schoolbucmwjzs@126.com — Graduate Admissions Office (international master’s and doctoral applicants)bucmtraining@bucm.edu.cn — Preparatory Affairs Office (preparatory Chinese program)nctic@bucm.edu.cn — short programs (summer school, advanced study program)bucmjingwai@163.com — student affairsgjxyjb@sina.com — undergraduate teaching officeisbucm@bucm.edu.cn — International School address on the older English undergraduate page
- Phone
- +86-10-53912360 — undergraduate admissions+86-10-53912370 — undergraduate admissions+86-10-64286502 — Graduate Admissions Office+86-10-64286318 — Preparatory Affairs Office+86-10-64286190 — short-term programs+86-10-53912367 / +86-10-53912368 — student affairs+86-10-64286293 — undergraduate teaching office+86-10-64286303 — number given on the English FAQ for dormitory arrangements and on the older English undergraduate page
Verified from official sources · last checked 2026-09-28
Tuition, fees and deadlines change every intake. Always confirm the current figures on the official Beijing University of Chinese Medicine pages before applying.
- 2026 International Undergraduate Admissions Brochure (English)
- 北京中医药大学2026年国际学生本科招生简章
- 北京中医药大学2026年外国来华研究生招生简章
- International School admissions brochures index
- International School home (Chinese)
- International School undergraduate page (English)
- Preparatory Chinese Language Training Program (2026)
- 2026 International Advanced Study Program in TCM
- 2026 Qihuang Messenger Summer School
- 2026 self-funded undergraduate admission list, batch 3
- International School FAQ (English)
- Why BUCM? (English)
- International School contact (Chinese)
- International School contact (English)
- International School introduction
- School facilities
- New student matters
- 学校简介 (university profile)