About
About Donghua University
Donghua University (东华大学, DHU) was founded in June 1951 as the East China Institute of Textile Technology (华东纺织工学院). It became China Textile University (中国纺织大学) in September 1985 and took its present name — Donghua, meaning "East China" — in August 1999. Its Chinese profile page traces the teaching lineage further back, to a textile dyeing training school (纺织染传习所) opened in 1912 by the industrialist Zhang Jian. DHU is a national key university directly under the Ministry of Education, entered Project 211 in 1995, and has been selected for the national Double First-Class initiative in every round.
There are three sites in Shanghai: Songjiang at 2999 North Renmin Road in the far south-west, Yan’an Road at 1882 West Yan’an Road in Changning District, and the smaller Xinhua Road campus — close to 2,000 mu in all, about 1,333,000 square metres, with more than 860,000 square metres of floor space per the Chinese profile page (the English About Us page still carries an older figure of over 830,000). Which campus you land on matters: international students live on both Songjiang and Yan’an Road, the dormitory rates differ, and Yan’an Road is inside the city while Songjiang sits beside Songjiang University Town, roughly an hour out by metro.
The university enrols more than 15,000 undergraduates, over 9,700 master’s students, over 2,300 doctoral students and more than 500 degree-seeking international students, taught by a staff of over 2,200 including nearly 1,500 full-time teachers — among them three full-time academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one senior academician and more than 80 national high-level talent appointments. Sixteen schools and departments run 61 undergraduate majors, 28 first-level master’s disciplines and 14 first-level doctoral disciplines.
Textile science and engineering and materials science and engineering are the two national Double First-Class construction disciplines, and materials science, chemistry and engineering all sit in the global ESI top 1‰. That concentration is the most useful thing to understand about DHU: its strength, its research funding and its industry connections run through fibres, textiles, dyeing and finishing, functional materials and fashion design, and the English-taught degree lists mirror it almost exactly.
The 2027 edition places DHU at 851–900; QS also lists 851–900 for 2025 and 901–950 for 2024, so the band moves year to year.
Textile science and engineering, and materials science and engineering.
Materials science, chemistry and engineering.
China’s textile university
Founded in 1951 as the East China Institute of Textile Technology and called China Textile University from 1985 to 1999. Textile science and engineering is one of two national Double First-Class disciplines, and the English-taught master’s list is built around it.
Fashion and design in the city
The Shanghai College of Fashion and Innovation (上海国际时尚创意学院), run with the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art, sits on the Yan’an Road campus. Both English-taught bachelor’s degrees are design degrees from that college.
Two campuses for international students
Yan’an Road has three international student apartment buildings with over 1,000 beds; Songjiang has the No. 5 International Student Dorm Building. Rates differ, and so does daily life — inner-city Changning versus a university town an hour out.
A wide gap in undergraduate fees
Chinese-taught bachelor’s degrees cost RMB 22,000–28,000 a year; the English-taught rate on the same official fee table is RMB 98,000. At doctoral level the gap runs the other way. Read the fees note before choosing a route.
Admission
Admission, programs & tuition
Donghua admits international students to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, to Chinese language programs and to incoming exchange places. Degree study goes through one system, the DHU Online Application System at admissions.dhu.edu.cn, and one application fee of RMB 800, non-refundable whatever the outcome. The 2026 intake is autumn only — September 2026 — and runs on two clocks: postgraduate applications, and Chinese Government Scholarship Category A applications at every level, opened on 1 December 2025, while undergraduate applications did not open until 1 March 2026. All scholarship channels closed at 18:00 on 15 April 2026 and all self-funded channels at 18:00 on 31 May 2026, with an earlier 31 January 2026 deadline for the CGS High-level Postgraduate Program. One requirement sets undergraduate admission apart: every bachelor’s applicant must sit the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA), registering at csca.cn, and DHU publishes its own list of which CSCA subjects each major requires. Postgraduate applicants face a different extra step — a Supervision Intention Letter signed by a DHU supervisor, required by most master’s and doctoral programs.
Degree programs
Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.
Bachelor’s degreeUndergraduate
Four-year degrees, the great majority taught in Chinese. DHU’s page on Chinese-taught programs says that except for a few of them, all the majors offered to Chinese students are open to international applicants — 61 majors across 16 schools, strongest in textiles, materials science, chemistry, mechanical engineering, information and computer science, environmental engineering, business and design. The English-taught list is short and specialised: two design degrees from the Shanghai College of Fashion and Innovation — Fashion and Accessory Design (Fashion Innovation) and Environmental Design (Fashion Interior Design) — plus business degrees from the Center of International Programs, named on the same page as International Trade, Business Administration and Marketing but detailed only in a PDF attachment. The International Education Center also runs a B.A. in Chinese Language.
- Programs taught in Chinese
- RMB 22,000–28,000 / year
- Programs taught in English
- RMB 98,000 / year
- Compulsory medical insurance
- RMB 800 / year (RMB 400 per semester)
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen holding a valid ordinary foreign passport, in good physical and mental health.
- Applicants who emigrated from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan, or who acquired foreign nationality at birth with Chinese-national parents, must have held the foreign passport for at least four years and lived abroad for at least two years between May 2022 and April 2026.
- Age: at least 16 and under 25 for entrance-scholarship applicants; at least 16 and under 35 for self-funded applicants.
- Chinese-taught programs: "at the application stage, Chinese proficiency must reach a level equivalent to HSK Level 4 (with a minimum score of 180) or above" — but the same guide states the requirement for undergraduate admission is HSK Level 5 with a minimum score of 180. Plan for Level 5; Level 4 only gets the application accepted.
- English-taught programs: IELTS (Academic) 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 72. Applicants whose entire higher secondary curriculum was conducted in English may be exempt from submitting a score report.
- Language test dates must be on or after 1 September 2024.
- CSCA test via csca.cn, mandatory for all undergraduate applicants: Chinese-taught applicants sit Professional Chinese (Humanities) or Professional Chinese (STEM) plus Mathematics; English-taught applicants sit Mathematics and must answer on the English paper. DHU publishes a separate list of the subjects required per major.
- Art and design applicants submit a portfolio and may be called by email to an art examination or interview — the guide says by June at the latest — whose result "will serve as an important reference for the university’s decision".
Master’s degreeGraduate
Two and a half to three years, taught in Chinese across 28 first-level disciplines or in English on a list of ten programs, all based on the Songjiang campus: Textile Engineering, Non-woven Materials & Engineering, Textile Materials & Textiles Design, Materials Processing Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Engineering), Computer Science and Technology, Electrical Engineering, and Information and Communication Engineering. Most programs require a Supervision Intention Letter (SIL-M): find a supervisor on the Research Directions & Faculties list, email them your CV, research proposal and transcripts, and have them sign the form — the signature must be dated after 1 November 2025 for the 2026 intake. The letter supports the application rather than granting admission, and DHU may reassign the supervisor later.
- Programs taught in Chinese
- RMB 26,000–32,000 / year
- Programs taught in English
- RMB 40,000 / year
- Compulsory medical insurance
- RMB 800 / year (RMB 400 per semester)
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid ordinary foreign passport, in good physical and mental health, holding a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- Age: under 35 for scholarship applicants; under 40 for self-funded applicants.
- Chinese-taught programs: HSK Level 5 certificate with a score of 210 or above, plus an HSKK (spoken) score.
- English-taught programs: IELTS (Academic) overall 6.0 or above, or TOEFL iBT 80 or above. Test dates on or after 1 September 2024.
- Language waivers exist at this level, unlike undergraduate: a previous degree conducted entirely in Chinese replaces the HSK certificate, and one conducted entirely in English replaces IELTS or TOEFL — in both cases on a certificate issued and officially stamped or signed by the home university.
- Supervision Intention Letter (SIL-M) signed by a DHU supervisor, dated after 1 November 2025, for most programs.
- Research proposal, curriculum vitae, two recommendation letters, and a passport valid beyond 1 February 2027.
- Design majors also submit an artwork portfolio.
Doctoral degreeGraduate
Four-year doctorates across 14 first-level disciplines, with the September 2026 autumn intake the only entry point. As at master’s level, most programs require a Supervision Intention Letter (SIL-D) obtained from a DHU supervisor before applying, and the full program list and research directions are published as PDF attachments on the doctoral admission page rather than as text. Note that the English-taught rate below is lower than the top of the Chinese-taught band.
- Programs taught in Chinese
- RMB 34,000–38,000 / year
- Programs taught in English
- RMB 37,000 / year
- Compulsory medical insurance
- RMB 800 / year (RMB 400 per semester)
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid ordinary foreign passport, in good physical and mental health, with sufficient finances, no criminal record and a master’s degree or equivalent.
- Age: under 40 for scholarship applicants; under 45 for self-funded applicants.
- Chinese-taught programs: HSK Level 5 with a score of 210 or above plus an HSKK score. English-taught programs: IELTS (Academic) 6.0 or above, or TOEFL iBT 80 or above. Test dates on or after 1 September 2024.
- The same language waiver applies as at master’s level, on a certificate from the previous institution.
- Supervision Intention Letter (SIL-D) from a DHU supervisor.
- Research proposal and two recommendation letters, one of them academic.
- Certificate of no criminal conviction dated 1 November 2025 or later, a passport valid beyond 1 February 2027, and a foreigner physical examination form.
- Design applicants also submit a portfolio.
Non-degree programs
General Chinese Program (semester)
Classes run 9:00–12:15 Beijing time, Monday to Friday. Placement is by online test before classes start, across beginner, elementary, intermediate and advanced streams and up to nine levels. Open to non-Chinese citizens aged 16 to 55 in good health. Students may live off campus or apply for a dormitory, subject to availability; review and admission take two to four weeks.
Fee · RMB 10,800 tuition per semester, RMB 600 application fee, RMB 400 insurance per semester (from the most recent published spring-semester notice; the older Chinese-language Fees & Scholarships page still shows RMB 10,200 for an 18-week in-person course with a RMB 400 application fee, so confirm the current rate with the Chinese Language Department before paying)
Vacation Chinese Program (winter or summer)
A short in-person course on the West Yan’an Road campus, classes 9:00–11:45 Beijing time, Monday to Friday, open to non-Chinese citizens aged 16 to 55; accommodation is optional. DHU has also offered Chinese online: the Chinese-language Fees & Scholarships page lists a 15-week online course at RMB 5,500 with a RMB 400 application fee, but it is not on the current semester notices, so ask the department whether it still runs.
Fee · RMB 3,600 tuition for the three-week winter course, RMB 600 application fee, plus compulsory insurance for the duration
Incoming exchange program
Open only to students nominated by a home university holding an institutional-level Student Exchange Agreement with Donghua; the online application is opened only to nominated students, so start with your own international office. DHU publishes an exchange package for each intake — fact sheet, course list and course descriptions — which is where the available coursework is set out.
Fee · Not published on the exchange page — terms are set by the agreement with your home university, so ask your own international office
Documents to prepare
- Passport information page — an ordinary foreign passport, valid beyond 1 February 2027 for master’s and doctoral applicants.
- Academic credentials: high-school diploma and full transcripts (bachelor’s); bachelor’s diploma, certificate and complete transcripts (master’s); both master’s and bachelor’s diplomas with transcripts (doctoral).
- Language evidence — HSK, plus HSKK at postgraduate level, for Chinese-taught study; IELTS or TOEFL for English-taught study; or the home-university certificate that replaces them where the waiver applies. Test dates on or after 1 September 2024.
- CSCA score report from csca.cn — undergraduate applicants only, in the subjects DHU lists for the chosen major.
- Personal statement of about 1,000 words (undergraduate) or a research proposal (master’s and doctoral).
- Curriculum vitae or resume; master’s and doctoral applicants add two recommendation letters, one of them academic at doctoral level.
- Supervision Intention Letter (SIL-M or SIL-D) signed by a DHU supervisor — required by most postgraduate programs, signed after 1 November 2025.
- Certificate of no criminal conviction — for doctoral applicants dated 1 November 2025 or later.
- Statement of financial support, and a foreigner physical examination form — on the doctoral list, and required of all enrolling students at registration in any case.
- Portfolio of artwork — compulsory for design applicants at every level.
- Scholarship application forms where CGS or SGS funding is being sought.
Application timeline
These are the dates Donghua 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
Prepare
Nov 2025Read the admission information for your level, line up a supervisor if applying for a master’s or doctorate, and book HSK, IELTS, TOEFL or the CSCA.
- 2
Postgraduate and CGS Category A applications open
1 Dec 2025The system opens at 00:00. Self-funded master’s and doctoral applicants register and pay the RMB 800 fee; CGS Category A applicants at every level can also start here. Review takes three to four weeks, and longer through the February winter break, when applications stay open but move slowly.
- 3
CGS High-level Postgraduate Program (Category B) deadline
By 31 Jan 2026Applying in this window is what puts you in the running for the channel DHU nominates for directly.
- 4
Undergraduate applications open
1 Mar 2026The system opens at 00:00 for both self-funded and scholarship undergraduate applicants; the RMB 800 fee applies.
- 5
Postgraduate scholarship pre-admission letters
Around 20 Mar 2026Approved applicants receive a Pre-admission Letter by email; CGS Category B candidates then complete the CSC application using DHU’s agency code 10255.
- 6
All scholarship applications close
By 15 Apr 2026, 18:00One deadline for every level and every category — undergraduate, master’s and doctoral — on the DHU Online Application System.
- 7
Self-funded applications close
By 31 May 2026, 18:00Again one deadline across all three levels. First-round admission results are released by email from late May.
- 8
Art examinations and CSC review
Apr–Jun 2026Design applicants called by email sit an art examination or interview by June at the latest, and second-round results follow. For CGS Category B nominations, CSC expert review runs April to May and award results are announced May to June.
- 9
Admission documents issued
Jul–Aug 2026Admission notices and visa forms are sent out; use them to apply for an X1 or X2 visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate.
- 10
Registration and enrolment
Late Aug – early Sep 2026New students register on campus, buy the compulsory insurance and move into the dormitories; classes start in September.
Tuition is set as a band for Chinese-taught study and a single figure for English-taught study: bachelor’s RMB 22,000–28,000 a year in Chinese or RMB 98,000 in English; master’s RMB 26,000–32,000 in Chinese or RMB 40,000 in English; doctoral RMB 34,000–38,000 in Chinese or RMB 37,000 in English. The English-taught undergraduate figure is the one to check carefully — at RMB 98,000 it is roughly four times the Chinese-taught rate, covering the cooperative design programs — while at doctoral level the English-taught rate is actually below the top of the Chinese-taught band. DHU does not publish a rate per individual major on its English fee pages, so ask the International Education Center for the exact figure for your program. On top of tuition, budget for the RMB 800 application fee, which is never refunded, compulsory medical insurance at RMB 400 per semester, and accommodation, which is priced per night but billed a full semester at a time. The university warns that tuition may be adjusted on the instruction of higher authorities, and that once a semester’s classes begin neither tuition nor insurance is refundable, whether or not the student enrolled. Chinese language programs are priced separately and sit outside these bands.
Planning to study at Donghua University?
Tell us your level, budget and start date — a Qiao adviser checks whether Donghua University fits, prepares the application with you and tracks every deadline through to the offer letter and your first weeks in Shanghai.
Apply via QiaoFunding
Scholarships
Donghua runs two funding routes for degree students — the Shanghai Government Scholarship, which the university awards itself, and the Chinese Government Scholarship, some channels of which are awarded through your home country and others directly by DHU. Everything but CGS Category A is applied for through the DHU Online Application System by selecting the funding source during registration, and the RMB 800 application fee is payable even by scholarship applicants. The Shanghai Government Scholarship carries an exclusion worth reading before you apply elsewhere: recipients may not hold any other scholarship offered by a government, institute or organisation in China. DHU publishes no quotas for any of these schemes on its English pages, so treat competition as unknown and apply early.
Shanghai Government Scholarship — Type A (full)
A waiver of tuition, of the medical insurance fee and of the on-campus dormitory fee, plus a monthly stipend of RMB 2,500 for bachelor’s students, RMB 3,000 for master’s and RMB 3,500 for doctoral students, for the standard length of the program — four years for a bachelor’s, two and a half to three for a master’s, four for a doctorate.
Eligibility: Non-Chinese citizens in good health with an excellent academic record applying for a DHU degree. Age limits are tighter than the self-funded route: under 25 for bachelor’s, under 35 for master’s, under 40 for doctoral applicants, who must already hold a master’s degree. Recipients may not hold any other scholarship from a government, institute or organisation in China. Applications ran 1 December 2025 to 15 April 2026 at admissions.dhu.edu.cn with SGS selected as the funding source.
Shanghai Government Scholarship — Type B (partial)
A waiver of tuition and of the medical insurance fee. No dormitory waiver and no stipend — you pay your own accommodation and living costs.
Eligibility: Same application route, same age limits and the same 15 April 2026 deadline as Type A; the difference is the level of award, not a separate application.
Chinese Government Scholarship — Category Type A (Bilateral / Program)
Full or partial scholarship on terms set by the China Scholarship Council rather than by DHU; the university’s fee pages do not restate the CSC coverage figures.
Eligibility: Applied for through the designated dispatching authorities in your home country — typically the ministry of education or the Chinese embassy — and to their deadline, not DHU’s. You must also register on the DHU system, which opened for CGS Category A at every degree level on 1 December 2025, selecting CGS-Category Type A and paying the RMB 800 fee.
Chinese Government Scholarship — Category Type B (High-level Postgraduate Program)
Full scholarship: a waiver of tuition, of the medical insurance fee and of the on-campus dormitory fee, plus RMB 3,000 a month for a master’s student or RMB 3,500 for a doctoral student, for the standard length of the program.
Eligibility: International applicants with a strong academic record applying to a program on DHU’s 2026 master’s or doctoral list. The university nominates for this channel, so apply to DHU directly and not through an agent: the window ran 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2026. Successful candidates receive a Pre-admission Letter around 20 March, then complete the CSC application on the CGSIS portal using agency code 10255; review runs April to May, results May to June, enrolment August to September 2026.
Chinese Government Scholarship — China Link Program
Full scholarship for the whole stay: a waiver of tuition, the medical insurance fee and the on-campus dormitory fee, plus RMB 3,000 a month for general scholars or RMB 3,500 for senior scholars.
Eligibility: A research-visit scheme rather than a degree, for stays of one to twelve months. You must be a non-Chinese citizen currently enrolled at or employed by a CSC partner university, under 45 as a general scholar (undergraduate or master’s student) or under 50 as a senior scholar (doctoral student or faculty). All disciplines are open except Chinese language study, with supervision in English or Chinese. You need a DHU professor’s agreement first; materials go to iec@dhu.edu.cn at least three months before the intended start, and include a research proposal of 800 words or more, a study plan of 500 words or more, a CV, transcripts, a physical examination for stays over six months, and a non-criminal record certificate.
International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship (ICLT)
Full coverage of tuition, accommodation, comprehensive medical insurance and a living allowance of RMB 2,500 a month — the allowance is not paid on the four-week course.
Eligibility: For Chinese language study rather than a degree, in three formats: one academic year of 11 months from September, one semester of five months from September or March, and a four-week course from July or December. Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens aged 16 to 35 as of 1 September of the year of study, in good health, with a good academic record and a commitment to Chinese language education. HSK and HSKK thresholds vary by track — the one-year literature track asks for HSK 180 or above with HSKK 60 or above, the one-year language track for HSK 210 or above. Apply at chinese.cn; deadlines are 15 April for July starts, 15 May for September and 15 September for December.
Research
Research at the university
Research at Donghua is organised around fibres and what is made from them. The university hosts one national key laboratory — the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials (先进纤维材料全国重点实验室) — and one national engineering technology research centre, the National Engineering Research Center for Dyeing and Finishing of Textiles (国家染整工程技术研究中心), alongside 24 provincial and ministerial research platforms. Those include four Ministry of Education key laboratories — textile fabric technology, green low-carbon textile dyeing and printing, high-performance fibres and products, and modern apparel design and technology — five MOE engineering research centres covering digital textile and garment technology, industrial textiles, advanced glass manufacturing, textile equipment and AI for the textile industry, and a Ministry of Ecology and Environment centre for textile-industry pollution prevention. Materials science, chemistry and engineering all sit in the global ESI top 1‰. The English research news pages run to well over 200 items, and the work they highlight shows the range: electrospun catalysts for zinc–air batteries, membranes for alkaline water electrolysis and fuel cells, electrochromic smart windows, organic solar cells, firefighting textiles with bimodal sensing, and portable diagnostics for early kidney injury.
Fibre materials and textile science
The core of the university and one of its two Double First-Class disciplines, anchored by the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials and MOE key laboratories for textile fabric technology and for high-performance fibres and products.
Dyeing, finishing and green textile processing
The National Engineering Research Center for Dyeing and Finishing of Textiles, the MOE key laboratory for green low-carbon textile dyeing and printing, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment centre for textile-industry pollution prevention.
Energy materials, membranes and electrochemistry
A visible strand in recent research news: electrospun electrodes for zinc–air batteries, composite diaphragms for alkaline water electrolysis, proton exchange membrane fuel cells, electrochemical imaging, organic solar cells and electrochromic smart windows — alongside functional textiles such as firefighting fabrics with bimodal sensing.
Fashion, design and the fashion industry
The MOE key laboratory for modern apparel design and technology, the Shanghai International Fashion Innovation Center, and the engineering research centre for digital textile and garment technology.
Environment, biomedical and civil engineering
The disciplines behind much of the English-taught master’s list — environmental engineering, biomedical engineering and HVAC — plus the Civil Aviation Composites Center.
- Named centres on the English research pages include the Functional Materials Institute, the Textile Science & Technology Innovation Center, the Civil Aviation Composites Center and the Shanghai International Fashion Innovation Center.
- Three full-time academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one senior academician, and more than 80 national high-level talent appointments sit on the faculty.
- Fourteen first-level doctoral disciplines and 28 first-level master’s disciplines, so supervision is available well beyond the ten English-taught master’s programs.
Global engagement
Global engagement
Donghua’s partner list runs to roughly 200 universities — the published page is itself marked partial — across more than 40 countries and regions. In the United Kingdom the partners include the University of Edinburgh, Loughborough, Manchester Metropolitan, Oriel College at Oxford, Plymouth, Strathclyde and Westminster; in France, IDRAC, IPAG, Rennes School of Business and the universities of Burgundy and Strasbourg; in Japan around fifteen including Waseda, Meiji, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Kyoto Institute of Technology; in South Korea around twenty including Hanyang and Ewha Womans; and more than forty institutions in the United States. The most distinctive piece of DHU’s international work is the World Textile University Alliance, founded on 8 December 2018 with 33 member universities from 19 countries and run from Donghua, aimed particularly at exchange along the Belt and Road. The university also runs the Confucius Institute at Moi University in Kenya.
Shanghai College of Fashion and Innovation (上海国际时尚创意学院)
A cooperative college run by Donghua with the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art on the Yan’an Road campus. Its two programs are the university’s English-taught undergraduate design degrees, listed for international applicants as Fashion and Accessory Design (Fashion Innovation) and Environmental Design (Fashion Interior Design).
World Textile University Alliance
Founded on 8 December 2018 by a group of textile-focused universities, with 33 members from 19 countries at inception. Hosted by Donghua, it exists to strengthen educational exchange in textiles, fashion and design, with an emphasis on Belt and Road countries.
Student exchange
The International Cooperation Office organises exchange across six regional groupings — the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan and Europe — and administers the Confucius Institute at Moi University in Kenya, recruiting volunteer teachers for it annually. Incoming exchange places are open only to students nominated by a home university holding an institutional-level agreement with Donghua.
Career
Career & alumni
Donghua’s value to a graduate is its position in one industry: it is the university China’s textile, fibre, dyeing and fashion sectors were built around, and Shanghai puts it in the middle of the country’s fashion and design business. What DHU does not publish is employment outcomes for international graduates — there is no placement rate, no salary figure and no destination survey for international students on the International Education Center site, so treat any such number quoted elsewhere as unsourced. Two practical rules are published, and both matter while you study: holders of a residence permit for study may not take any paid job, with the single exception of an internship, and the International Student Affairs Department offers a limited number of on-campus work-study positions, which is the sanctioned way to earn anything during a degree. Plan your finances on the assumption that a scholarship or your own funds must cover the whole program.
Career support
- International Student Affairs Department (ICES Office 122/111) — academic management, visa and residence permit processing, housing, student activities, fee administration, and the limited on-campus work-study positions open to international students.
- Chinese Language Department (ICES Office 123) — teaching, registration, HSK and BCT examinations and transcripts; the HSK is administered on campus, which matters if you need to move from HSK 4 to HSK 5 after arrival.
- Supervisor-based postgraduate training — master’s and doctoral admission runs through a named supervisor from the application stage, so the research group you join is settled early.
- Industry proximity — the National Engineering Research Center for Dyeing and Finishing of Textiles, the Shanghai International Fashion Innovation Center and the World Textile University Alliance all sit inside the university.
Notable alumni
Campus life
Campus life
International students live on two of Donghua’s three campuses, and the choice shapes the whole experience. Yan’an Road, at 1882 West Yan’an Road in Changning District, is the inner-city campus: three international student apartment buildings with more than 1,000 beds, every room with a private bathroom, and the fashion and design college on site. Songjiang, at 2999 North Renmin Road, is the large teaching campus in Songjiang University Town about an hour south-west by metro, where the English-taught master’s programs are based; international students there are in the No. 5 International Student Dorm Building, which has shared bathrooms and kitchens on each floor. Dormitories are charged by the night but paid in a single lump sum per semester, with no refund for a late check-in or an early checkout. Only enrolled full-time international students may book, new students reserve through the online application after admission, and you need your passport at check-in. Compulsory medical insurance — the Comprehensive Medical Insurance & Protection Scheme for Foreigners Staying in China, underwritten by Guoren Property & Casualty Insurance — costs RMB 400 a semester, is bought at registration and must be held for the whole period of study by every student, language and exchange students included.
Accommodation
International Student Apartments, Yan’an Road Campus — single room
RMB 110 per night
Three apartment buildings, over 1,000 beds in total. All rooms have a private bathroom, furniture, air conditioning, a fridge and an internet jack. Internet service is not included — China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom all sell packages on campus — and utilities (hot water and electricity) are charged separately through an online portal.
International Student Apartments, Yan’an Road Campus — double room
RMB 60 per night per person (Type I) or RMB 75 per night per person (Type II)
Type II costs more because hot water is included in the rate; with Type I it is billed separately.
International Student Apartments, Yan’an Road Campus — multiple-bed room
RMB 45 per night per person
The cheapest option on the inner-city campus. Shared areas include washing machines, hot and cold water dispensers, a common room, a laundry service, a self-study lounge and an activity room.
No. 5 International Student Dorm Building, Songjiang Campus — double room
RMB 50 per night per person
Doctoral students are allocated double rooms; other categories are placed in multiple-bed rooms. Each room has a TV, a fridge and an internet jack, and students pay their own hot water and electricity.
No. 5 International Student Dorm Building, Songjiang Campus — multiple-bed room
RMB 35 per night per person
The cheapest bed at Donghua. A public bathroom and a public kitchen — washing machines, water dispenser, microwave and induction hobs — sit on each floor rather than in the room.
Dining
Both campuses run subsidised canteens on a food card, bought and topped up through the International Education Center’s financial office. On Yan’an Road, Canteen No. 1 serves stir-fried dishes, mini hot pot, earthenware pot soup, noodles, rice bowls and cold dishes across its first two floors; Canteen No. 2 does Chinese breakfast and Cantonese potted rice on the ground floor and fresh stir-fried dishes above, with a snack area open until 22:30. A Muslim canteen on the third floor of Canteen No. 2 serves halal dishes and noodles and is popular with international students; the DHU Restaurant on the third floor of Canteen No. 1 is the pricier sit-down option and the only one that also takes cash. Hours are roughly 6:30–10:30, 10:30–13:00 and 16:30–19:00, and the university estimates about RMB 35–50 a day for meals. Songjiang has two main canteens, also with halal options, and Songjiang University Town five minutes away adds many more restaurants.
Facilities
Sports centre, Yan’an Road
The campus stadium houses a rock-climbing room, table tennis room, dance room, gym, indoor football and handball court, badminton courts and a synthetic-rubber track, with outdoor football, basketball and tennis courts alongside. Indoor hours are Monday to Friday 6:00–11:30, 13:00–16:30 and 18:30–21:50, and Sunday 8:30–11:30 and 13:30–17:00; tennis costs RMB 5–30 an hour depending on the slot, with a student card needed for the student rate. Facilities close during PE classes and university events.
Student Service Center
In the middle of the Yan’an Road campus: the Shanghai Education Supermarket, a telecoms and electronics shop, a bedding and stationery store, a mobile phone shop, a repair counter for zips, shoes, umbrellas, bags and key-cutting, a discount cosmetics shop, a print shop and an art bookshop. The Songjiang equivalent is next to the Students Activity Center with a supermarket, post office and bookstore, taking cash or the University Pass Card.
Two very different neighbourhoods
Yan’an Road sits in Changning District in inner Shanghai, close to the metro and the fashion industry the design college works with. Songjiang is in Songjiang University Town in the far south-west, shared with several other Shanghai universities — cheaper, greener and considerably further from the centre. The library serves all campuses (library.dhu.edu.cn); the teaching buildings DHU highlights for international students are IECB and TRB.
Health cover and daily-life guidance
If you are treated at a hospital, the insurer must be notified within 24 hours — by you or by a friend or relative — for the claim to be processed. The International Education Center publishes a living guide on Chinese laws and regulations and runs briefings on road safety, fraud and theft prevention, drugs and Shanghai’s waste-sorting rules.
Campus
Donghua University in photos
Photos of Donghua 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 Donghua University for international students?+
For the 2026 intake, bachelor’s degrees taught in Chinese cost RMB 22,000–28,000 a year and those taught in English RMB 98,000 a year; master’s degrees are RMB 26,000–32,000 in Chinese or RMB 40,000 in English; doctoral degrees are RMB 34,000–38,000 in Chinese or RMB 37,000 in English. The English-taught undergraduate figure is not a typo: that list is made up of the two design degrees run by the Shanghai College of Fashion and Innovation, a cooperative college with the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art, plus business degrees from the Center of International Programs, and the fee table does not break the figure down further — so confirm the rate for your specific program with the college before applying. Add the RMB 800 application fee, which is never refunded, and compulsory insurance at RMB 400 a semester. Chinese language study is priced separately: the semester course is RMB 10,800 with a RMB 600 application fee on the most recent published notice.
What Chinese or English level do I need?+
For Chinese-taught bachelor’s study the 2026 guide asks for HSK Level 4 with at least 180 to apply, but states that the requirement for undergraduate admission is HSK Level 5 with at least 180 — so plan for Level 5. Chinese-taught master’s and doctoral study both require HSK Level 5 with 210 or above plus an HSKK spoken score. For English-taught study, undergraduate applicants need IELTS (Academic) 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 72, master’s and doctoral applicants IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 80. Every test must have been taken on or after 1 September 2024. Waivers exist: undergraduate applicants whose whole secondary curriculum was in English, and postgraduate applicants whose previous degree was taught entirely in Chinese or English, can substitute a stamped certificate from the previous institution.
Do I have to take the CSCA test?+
Yes, if you are applying for a bachelor’s degree — it is mandatory for all undergraduate applicants and is registered for at csca.cn. Chinese-taught applicants sit Professional Chinese (Humanities) or Professional Chinese (STEM) plus Mathematics; English-taught applicants sit Mathematics on the English paper. DHU publishes its own list of which subjects each major requires, so check it against your intended major. Master’s and doctoral applicants do not take the CSCA — their extra step is the Supervision Intention Letter from a DHU supervisor, signed after 1 November 2025.
When are the deadlines for the 2026 intake?+
Postgraduate applications and CGS Category A applications at all levels opened on 1 December 2025; undergraduate applications opened on 1 March 2026. The CGS High-level Postgraduate Program (Category B) closed on 31 January 2026. Every other scholarship channel, at every level, closed at 18:00 on 15 April 2026, and the self-funded channel at 18:00 on 31 May 2026. First-round results went out by email from late May, art examinations and interviews ran to June at the latest, admission documents were issued in July and August, and registration is late August to early September 2026. Entry is autumn only — there is no spring intake for degree programs.
What scholarships can I get, and what do they cover?+
The Shanghai Government Scholarship is the one DHU awards directly. Type A waives tuition, medical insurance and the dormitory fee and pays RMB 2,500 a month at bachelor’s level, RMB 3,000 at master’s and RMB 3,500 at doctoral level; Type B waives tuition and medical insurance only. Age limits are tighter than for self-funded study — under 25, 35 and 40 respectively — and holders may not take any other scholarship from a government, institute or organisation in China. On the CGS side, Category A is applied for through your home country’s dispatching authorities, while the Category B High-level Postgraduate Program is nominated by DHU itself and covers tuition, insurance, dormitory and RMB 3,000 (master’s) or RMB 3,500 (doctoral) a month. Chinese language students can apply for the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship at chinese.cn.
How much does a dormitory cost, and is it guaranteed?+
Rooms are priced per night and billed a full semester at a time. On Yan’an Road a single is RMB 110 a night, a Type I double RMB 60 per person, a Type II double RMB 75 per person with hot water included, and a multiple-bed room for three or four RMB 45 per person; all rooms there have a private bathroom, air conditioning and a fridge. On Songjiang the No. 5 International Student Dorm Building charges RMB 50 a night per person for a double and RMB 35 for a multiple-bed room, with shared bathrooms and kitchens on each floor. Only enrolled full-time international students may book, new students reserve through the online application after admission, and placement depends on availability rather than being guaranteed — DHU’s language-program pages say plainly that students may live off campus or apply for a dormitory. Utilities and internet are extra, and there are no refunds for a late arrival or an early departure.
Is there an age limit?+
Yes, and it differs by level and by funding. Self-funded applicants must be at least 16 and under 35 for a bachelor’s degree, under 40 for a master’s and under 45 for a doctorate. Scholarship applicants face tighter limits: at least 16 and under 25 for a bachelor’s degree, under 35 for a master’s and under 40 for a doctorate. Non-degree Chinese language programs are open to applicants aged 16 to 55, and the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship is limited to those aged 16 to 35 as of 1 September of the year of study.
Contact
Contact the admissions offices
Reach the International Education Center (IEC), Donghua University — International Student Admissions Department (ICES Office 121) and International Student Affairs Department (ICES Office 122/111) for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Shanghai.
- Office
- International Education Center (IEC), Donghua University — International Student Admissions Department (ICES Office 121) and International Student Affairs Department (ICES Office 122/111)
- Address
- International Education Center, Donghua University, 1882 West Yan’an Road, Changning District, Shanghai 200051, P.R. China (Songjiang Campus: 2999 North Renmin Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620)
- iec@dhu.edu.cn — International Education Center: the general contact for international admissions, programs and campus life, and the address for China Link Scholarship applicationscip@dhu.edu.cn — Center of International Programs, for the English-taught undergraduate business programs
- Phone
- +86-21-62378595 — International Student Admissions Department (also listed as a general IEC number)+86-21-62379336 — International Student Admissions Department (also listed as a general IEC number)+86-21-62373452 — International Student Admissions Department, ICES Office 121+86-21-62373066 — International Student Affairs Department (academic management, visas, housing, fees)+86-21-62379115 — International Student Affairs Department+86-21-62373502 — International Student Affairs Department+86-21-62373507 — Chinese Language Department, ICES Office 123 (teaching, registration, HSK and BCT exams, transcripts)+86-21-62373120 — Faculty of Chinese Language, IECB Office 103 (B.A. in Chinese Language)+86-21-62373578 — Faculty of Chinese Language, IECB Office 103+86-21-62373362 — Center of International Programs
Verified from official sources · last checked 2026-09-17
Tuition, fees and deadlines change every intake. Always confirm the current figures on the official Donghua University pages before applying.
- Donghua University — Brief Introduction (English)
- 东华大学 — 学校介绍 (students, faculty, disciplines, ESI, platforms)
- 2026 Degree Programs Application and Admission Process with Timeline
- 2026 Application Guide for Bachelor’s Degree Program
- Bachelor’s programs — Fees & Scholarships
- 2026 English-taught Bachelor’s Degree Programs
- 2026 DHU List of CSCA Test Subjects
- 2026 Application Guide for Master’s Degree Program
- Master’s programs — Fees & Scholarships
- 2026 English-taught Master’s Degree Programs
- 2026 Application Guide for Doctoral Degree Program
- Doctoral programs — Fees & Scholarships
- Shanghai Government Scholarships (SGS)
- CGS High-level Postgraduate Program (Category Type B)
- CGS 2026 China Link Scholarship Program
- International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship (ICLT)
- Chinese language programs — Fees & Scholarships
- General Chinese Program — spring semester notice
- Accommodation — Yan’an Road Campus
- Accommodation — Songjiang Campus
- University canteens
- Sports facilities
- Insurance and health
- Visa information
- Contacts & Social Media
- International Education Center — departments and phone numbers
- Partnership list
- World Textile University Alliance
- 东华大学 — 科研基地 (research platforms)
- Research centres, institutes and research news (English)
- Shanghai College of Fashion and Innovation (SCF)
- QS World University Rankings — Donghua University
- Wikipedia — Donghua University (history and name changes)