About
About Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (广州中医药大学) traces its roots to the Guangdong Specialized School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (广东中医药专门学校), founded in 1924. With State Council approval it was established in 1956 as Guangzhou College of Traditional Chinese Medicine — one of the first four higher-education institutions for Chinese medicine in the People’s Republic — and took its present name in 1995. The university itself dates its history from 1924 and marked its centenary in 2024.
GZUCM is among the first group of national Double First-Class universities, with Chinese medicine (中医学) as its Double First-Class discipline and a national first-level key discipline. It is also a key university in Guangdong’s high-level university programme and is jointly supported by the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Ministry of Education and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The university has two campuses in Guangzhou — University Town (大学城) in Panyu District, the main campus, and Sanyuanli (三元里) in Baiyun District — covering 1,205 mu in total. According to its Chinese introduction (updated November 2025) it has 24,502 students: 13,177 undergraduates, 10,039 postgraduates and 1,803 students from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, overseas Chinese communities and abroad. It is organised into 15 schools and 13 clinical medical schools, with 4 directly affiliated hospitals.
GZUCM has admitted foreign students since 1974 and says it has trained more than 20,000 Chinese-medicine professionals from over 110 countries and regions. Its English-language overview gives older figures (21,214 students, including 798 international students), so treat headcounts as approximate.
Also a national first-level key discipline, per the university’s introduction (November 2025)
One of 8 GZUCM subjects in the ESI global top 1%, per the university’s introduction
Top of the “China TCM Hospital Competitiveness 100” list for 11 consecutive years, per the university
A founding TCM university
One of the first four Chinese-medicine universities approved in 1956, with roots in a 1924 Guangdong TCM school.
Double First-Class in Chinese medicine
Chinese medicine is GZUCM’s national Double First-Class discipline; eight subjects sit in the ESI global top 1%.
Large hospital network
Four directly affiliated hospitals, plus 13 clinical medical schools and 276 off-campus practice bases.
Half a century of foreign students
Foreign students since 1974 — more than 20,000 graduates from over 110 countries and regions, by the university’s count.
Admission
Admission, programs & tuition
For the 2026 intake GZUCM admits international students to one bachelor’s degree — Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医学), five years, Bachelor of Medicine — and to academic master’s and doctoral degrees. Everything is taught in Chinese with Chinese textbooks: the guides do not list any English-taught degree, so HSK 5 with at least 180 points is the standard language requirement at every level (it can be waived for native Chinese speakers or applicants whose previous degree was taught in Chinese, on proof and at the university’s discretion). Undergraduate applicants must also sit the CSCA (China Scholastic Competency Assessment) in Professional Chinese (humanities or science version) and Mathematics, and have the score report before the deadline of the batch they apply in. Acupuncture: there is no separate acupuncture-and-tuina bachelor’s for international students — acupuncture is taught within the TCM degree, and the 2026 undergraduate guide lists TCM as the only major (earlier guides also offered Chinese Materia Medica and Nursing, which are no longer listed). The domestic 2026 master’s prospectus lists a professional master’s in acupuncture (针灸, code 105900), but the international graduate guides describe academic (学术型) degrees only, so ask the office before planning an acupuncture-specific postgraduate route. Admission is selective: materials are reviewed, applicants are interviewed, and the best are admitted; admitted students receive an admission letter and JW202 form and apply for an X1 study visa. Nationality rules are strict — applicants of Chinese origin must have held a foreign passport for at least four years and lived abroad for at least two years between 30 April 2022 and 30 April 2026; former mainland, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan residents must have acquired foreign nationality before 30 April 2022.
Degree programs
Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.
Bachelor’s degree — Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医学)Undergraduate
A five-year Bachelor of Medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine, studied at the University Town campus in the same Chinese-taught programme as Chinese students. Acupuncture, herbal medicine and clinical diagnosis are taught within the degree; the programme ends with a graduation clinical internship in the affiliated hospitals (the university does not publish separate internship arrangements for international students, so ask the office which hospital you would be placed in).
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医学)
- RMB 25,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, in good health and of good conduct, with no criminal record.
- High-school graduation or above, with good grades.
- HSK Level 5 with 180 points or more (waivable, on proof, for native Chinese speakers or those whose previous schooling was in Chinese).
- CSCA scores in Professional Chinese (humanities or science version) and Mathematics (any test language), obtained before the deadline of the batch you apply in.
- Applicants under 18 on 1 September 2026 must submit a notarized guardian guarantee letter.
- Proof of funds: a bank deposit certificate for about RMB 30,000 or more, valid until after October 2026.
- Applicants of Chinese origin: foreign passport held for 4+ years and 2+ years’ actual residence abroad between 30 April 2022 and 30 April 2026.
Master’s degree (academic)Graduate
Academic (学术型) master’s degrees in Chinese-medicine and related disciplines, taught in Chinese. The open majors are listed in a catalogue attached to each year’s guide; applicants are expected to hold a relevant medical bachelor’s (TCM clinical or Western clinical medicine). Figures here are from the 2025 guide — the 2026 guide was published on 23 March 2026, so confirm tuition and the deadline with the office.
- Master’s programmes (2025 guide)
- RMB 32,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a relevant bachelor’s degree (TCM clinical or Western clinical medicine majors).
- HSK Level 5 with 180 points or more (waivable for native Chinese speakers or Chinese-medium graduates).
- A research plan of at least 1,000 words and two recommendation letters.
- Scholarship applicants must meet the age limit of their scholarship scheme.
- Selection by document review and interview.
Doctoral degree (academic)Graduate
Academic doctorates in the university’s doctoral disciplines, taught in Chinese. GZUCM holds 3 first-level doctoral degree authorisations, including Chinese medicine. Figures are from the 2025 guide; confirm against the 2026 guide.
- Doctoral programmes (2025 guide)
- RMB 38,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen with a relevant master’s degree (TCM clinical or Western clinical medicine).
- HSK Level 5 with 180 points or more (waivable for native Chinese speakers or Chinese-medium graduates).
- A research plan of at least 1,000 words and two recommendation letters.
- Scholarship applicants must meet the age limit of their scholarship scheme.
- Selection by document review and interview.
Non-degree programs
Short-term TCM training courses
The international office runs short professional courses in Chinese medicine — for example a Chinese Medicine Oncology Training Course advertised in June 2026. Courses are announced individually on the office’s Short-term Training page; ask for dates, fees and teaching language.
Fee · By course
Documents to prepare
- Valid ordinary passport and a personal photo.
- Highest diploma (graduation certificate).
- Standardized test scores and a complete transcript from the school that awarded your highest diploma.
- Proof of Chinese proficiency (HSK certificate).
- CSCA score report (undergraduate applicants).
- Personal statement (undergraduate) or a research plan of 1,000+ words and two recommendation letters (postgraduate).
- Foreigner Physical Examination Form with blood test results.
- Certificate of no criminal record.
- Proof of finances (bank deposit of about RMB 30,000 or more for undergraduates).
- Scholarship application form, if applying for the Guangdong scholarship.
- Proof of nationality; notarized guardian guarantee letter for applicants under 18; supporting certificates.
- Signed Applicant Integrity Commitment Letter (form attached to the guide).
Application timeline
These are the dates Guangzhou 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
Chinese Government Scholarship — High-Level Graduate programme notice
22 Dec 2025GZUCM published its 2026 application procedure for this CSC postgraduate programme.
- 2
2026 undergraduate guide published — applications open
30 Dec 2025Undergraduate applications are accepted from publication.
- 3
2026 master’s and doctoral guide published
23 Mar 2026The 2025 cycle’s postgraduate deadline was 15 May 2025; check the 2026 guide for this year’s date.
- 4
Undergraduate first-batch deadline
15 Apr 2026CSCA score report must be in hand by the deadline of the batch you apply in.
- 5
Undergraduate second batch
16 Apr – 1 Jun 2026The final undergraduate deadline for the 2026 intake is 1 June 2026.
- 6
Silk Road CSC Scholarship deadline (TCM bachelor’s)
22 May 2026Applied for through the CSC online system; admission letters are sent in July–August 2026.
- 7
Self-funded undergraduate admission list published
30 Jun 2026GZUCM posted the proposed 2026–2027 admission list for self-funded international undergraduates.
- 8
Registration
Autumn 2026The exact day is given in the admission letter; the RMB 800 application fee is paid on registration day, and tuition and accommodation are paid one year at a time.
GZUCM charges a flat tuition per level rather than by major: RMB 25,000 per year for the TCM bachelor’s (2026 guide), and RMB 32,000 per year for master’s and RMB 38,000 per year for doctoral study (2025 guide; confirm the 2026 figures). Unusually, the RMB 800 application fee is paid on registration day rather than when you apply. Tuition and accommodation are paid one year at a time, in a lump sum. Budget separately for comprehensive insurance (RMB 800 per year) and accommodation — RMB 9,600 (double) or RMB 16,000 (single) per year at University Town for undergraduates; the 2025 postgraduate guide lists RMB 7,500–16,000 per year at Sanyuanli. The guides do not state a refund policy, so ask the office before paying. Always confirm the current figure with the office before applying.
Planning to study at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine?
Ask for turnkey admission to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine: a Qiao partner agency gets in touch, prepares the documents and applies with you. Asking is free; the agency names its price before any contract.
Funding
Scholarships
International students at GZUCM can apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship through several channels and for a Guangdong Provincial Government scholarship for new students. The Chinese Government Scholarship at undergraduate level is open only for the TCM bachelor’s (Chinese-taught, HSK 5 required). GZUCM does not advertise a university-funded scholarship of its own in its 2026 guides.
Chinese Government Scholarship — “Silk Road” programme (Type B)
Full: tuition waiver, free on-campus accommodation, a monthly living allowance at the CSC rate, and comprehensive medical insurance for international students.
Eligibility: Nationals of Belt and Road countries applying for the 5-year TCM bachelor’s; aged 25 or under (born after 1 September 2001); high-school graduate with excellent grades; HSK 5 (180+); CSCA scores. Apply through the CSC online system by 22 May 2026.
Chinese Government Scholarship — bilateral programme (Type A)
Full scholarship as set by the China Scholarship Council.
Eligibility: Applied for through the student-sending authority or Chinese embassy in your home country; ask them about quotas and deadlines.
Chinese Government Scholarship — High-Level Graduate programme
Full scholarship for master’s or doctoral study, as set by the China Scholarship Council.
Eligibility: Postgraduate applicants; GZUCM published its 2026 application procedure on 22 December 2025. Contact the office for the programme’s age limits and deadline.
Guangdong Provincial Government Scholarship for new international students
An award of generally RMB 10,000 for undergraduates; RMB 20,000 for master’s and RMB 30,000 for doctoral students (2025 postgraduate guide).
Eligibility: New international degree students; submit the Guangdong scholarship application form (attached to the guide) with your GZUCM application.
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Research at the university
GZUCM is one of China’s leading research centres for Chinese medicine, with strengths in TCM syndrome research, clinical research in its hospital network, and pharmacology and Chinese materia medica. It is known internationally for artemisinin-based antimalarial work: the university developed an artemisinin combination drug and malaria-control scheme used in more than ten countries, including Comoros and São Tomé and Príncipe.
TCM syndromes
Home of the State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome (中医证候全国重点实验室), one of GZUCM’s national-level platforms.
Pharmacology & materia medica
Pharmacology & toxicology is in the ESI global top 1‰; chemistry, biology & biochemistry and molecular biology are also in the top 1%.
Clinical Chinese medicine
Clinical medicine, neuroscience and immunology are ESI top-1% subjects, supported by the affiliated hospitals and 13 clinical medical schools.
Artemisinin & malaria control
A proprietary artemisinin combination and malaria-control programme applied in more than ten countries.
- Chinese medicine is a national Double First-Class discipline at GZUCM.
- Eight subjects are in the ESI global top 1%, and pharmacology & toxicology in the top 1‰.
- Leading figures include Liu Liang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Masters of Chinese Medicine (国医大师) Zhou Daihan and Lin Yi.
- The Second Affiliated Hospital has topped the China TCM Hospital Competitiveness 100 list for 11 consecutive years and ranked first nationally among TCM hospitals for science and technology output for 6 years.
Global engagement
Global engagement
Chinese medicine’s international spread is central to GZUCM’s identity: it has taught foreign students since 1974 and runs national-level TCM centres overseas. Its First Affiliated Hospital has received 12,890 overseas trainees over nearly 30 years (figure from a 2019 report on the university site).
Overseas TCM centres
Seven national-level Chinese-medicine overseas centres in Europe, Africa and elsewhere.
Belt and Road scholarships
GZUCM is a host university for the Chinese Government “Silk Road” scholarship, recruiting TCM undergraduates from Belt and Road countries.
Malaria control abroad
Its artemisinin-based malaria-control programme has been applied in Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe and more than ten countries in total.
Clinical training for foreign practitioners
The First Affiliated Hospital has hosted 12,890 overseas trainees over nearly three decades.
Career
Career & alumni
Most international graduates of GZUCM go on to practise or teach Chinese medicine at home or elsewhere abroad. A Chinese Bachelor of Medicine in TCM does not by itself license you to practise in another country, and the university does not publish career outcomes for international students — check your home country’s registration rules for TCM or acupuncture before you enrol.
Career support
- Clinical training in the affiliated hospitals as part of the degree.
- Graduate study at master’s and doctoral level within GZUCM.
- A worldwide network of 20,000+ international TCM alumni.
Notable alumni
Campus life
Campus life
International undergraduates study and live at the University Town campus in Panyu District, the university’s main campus. Postgraduate housing listed in the 2025 guide is at the older Sanyuanli campus in Baiyun District.
Accommodation
University Town campus dorms (undergraduates)
RMB 16,000 / year (single); RMB 9,600 / year (double)
Per person per year, paid a year at a time with tuition, per the 2026 undergraduate guide.
Sanyuanli campus dorms (postgraduates)
RMB 7,500–16,000 / year
Figure from the 2025 master’s and doctoral guide; confirm for 2026.
Dining
The university does not publish canteen details or meal costs on its international pages, so ask the office.
Facilities
Two campuses
University Town (232 Waihuan East Road, Panyu) and Sanyuanli (12 Airport Road, Baiyun), 1,205 mu in total.
Teaching hospitals
Four directly affiliated hospitals; the First Affiliated Hospital alone has 2,200 beds, 46 clinical departments and 2.8 million outpatient visits a year.
Practice bases
276 off-campus practice bases and hospitals cooperating with the university.
Health insurance
Comprehensive insurance for international students is compulsory at RMB 800 per year.
Campus
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in photos
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I study Traditional Chinese Medicine in English at GZUCM?+
No. The 2026 guides list only Chinese-taught degrees using Chinese textbooks. You need HSK 5 with at least 180 points (waivable only for native Chinese speakers or those previously educated in Chinese).
Is there an acupuncture degree for international students?+
Not as a separate bachelor’s. For 2026 the only undergraduate major open to international students is the five-year TCM degree, in which acupuncture is taught. A professional acupuncture master’s appears in the domestic prospectus, but the international graduate guides describe academic degrees only, so confirm with the office.
How much does it cost?+
TCM bachelor’s tuition is RMB 25,000 per year; the 2025 guide listed RMB 32,000 for master’s and RMB 38,000 for doctoral study. Add the RMB 800 application fee (paid at registration), RMB 800 a year insurance and RMB 9,600–16,000 a year for a dorm.
What are the undergraduate deadlines for 2026?+
First batch 15 April 2026; second batch 16 April–1 June 2026. The Silk Road scholarship closed on 22 May 2026. Your CSCA score must be ready before your batch deadline.
Do I need the CSCA test?+
Yes, for undergraduate entry: Professional Chinese (humanities or science version) and Mathematics. The guides do not require the CSCA for master’s or doctoral applicants.
Is there a clinical internship?+
Yes — the TCM bachelor’s ends with a graduation internship in the university’s affiliated hospitals, as for Chinese students on the same programme. The university does not publish internship details specific to international students, so ask the office where you would be placed.
What scholarships are available?+
The Chinese Government Scholarship (Silk Road Type B for TCM undergraduates, bilateral Type A, and the High-Level Graduate programme), and the Guangdong Government scholarship for new students — generally RMB 10,000 for undergraduates, RMB 20,000 for master’s and RMB 30,000 for doctoral students.
Contact
Contact the admissions offices
Reach the Admissions and Training Office, International School (国际学院招生培训办公室), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Guangzhou.
- Office
- Admissions and Training Office, International School (国际学院招生培训办公室), Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine
- Address
- International School Admissions and Training Office, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 232 Waihuan East Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, P.R. China
- 021528@gzucm.edu.cn — international admissions (2026 undergraduate and Silk Road scholarship guides); applications are sent here010427@gzucm.edu.cn — address given in the 2025 undergraduate and postgraduate guides; check which the 2026 postgraduate guide uses
Verified from official sources · last checked 2026-09-28
Tuition, fees and deadlines change every intake. Always confirm the current figures on the official Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine pages before applying.
- GZUCM international admissions notices
- 2026 international undergraduate guide — notice page
- 2026 international undergraduate guide — full text (copy of the university’s PDF)
- 2026 Silk Road Chinese Government Scholarship (undergraduate) guide (PDF)
- 2026 international master’s/doctoral guide — notice page
- 2026 CSC High-Level Graduate programme notice
- Notice adding the CSCA to undergraduate application materials
- 2026–2027 self-funded undergraduate admission list notice
- 2025 international master’s/doctoral guide (PDF)
- 2025 international undergraduate guide (PDF)
- 2022 international undergraduate guide (PDF)
- Short-term training listings
- University introduction (Chinese, Nov 2025)
- University overview (English)
- University homepage (campus addresses)
- 2026 domestic master’s admission regulations
- First Clinical Medical School — introduction
- First Clinical Medical School — graduation internship briefing (May 2025)
- Report on international TCM students at GZUCM (2019)