Xiamen University (XMU), founded in 1921 by renowned patriotic overseas Chinese leader Mr. Tan Kah Kee, was the first Chinese university established by an overseas Chinese person.  

Xiamen University currently comprises Siming Campus, Zhangzhou Campus, Xiang’an Campus and XMU Malaysia. XMU consists of a graduate school, six academic divisions, 34 schools and 17 research institutes. Its disciplinary system covers 12 disciplinary categories, including philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, history, science, engineering, medicine, management, art and cross-disciplines. XMU boasts five first-level and nine second-level national key disciplines. There are 32 postdoctoral programs. In 2022, six XMU disciplines – education, chemistry, marine science, biology, ecology and statistics – were included in the nation’s list of disciplines for achieving world-class status.

XMU currently has a faculty of over 3,000, of whom 75.1% are full or associate professors. There are 36 academicians (including 19 with dual appointments), four fellows of the World Academy of Sciences, two members of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and 41 heads of national key R&D programs, 28 “distinguished professors under the Chang Jiang Scholars Program”, two “specially appointed scholars”, 23 “national outstanding young scholars”, 62 recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 39 “leading scholars under the National Special Support Program for High-Level Talent”, 24 “top-notch young scholars”, and 67 recipients of the National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars. Moreover, XMU boasts 12 national innovative research groups, two central projects in fundamental disciplines under the National Natural Science Foundation, nine innovation teams under the Ministry of Education (MOE), and six faculty members who are “national renowned teachers”. 

XMU currently has an enrollment of more than 45,000 students, including over 21,000 students in bachelor’s degree programs, 19,000 in master’s degree programs, and 5,000 in doctoral degree programs. XMU’s internal quality assurance (IQA) system was included UNESCO’s Program of Exploring Good Principles and Innovative Practices in IQA Systems in Higher Education, becoming the only university in not only China and but also East Asia to be selected for the program. XMU received one first prize and 15 second prizes at the sixth, seventh and eighth National Awards for Teaching Achievements in Higher Education. Eight of its disciplines were included in MOE’s Exceptional Students Training Program 2.0 for Fundamental Sciences, and 11 programs (13 projects) were included in MOE’s Excellent Talent Cultivation Program. Moreover, 64 programs of study at XMU were selected for achieving national first-class status, and 44 courses were included the nation’s first group of first-class undergraduate courses. Additionally, XMU has been designated by MOE as a demonstration center for the teaching and research of ideological-political courses, two of its courses have been designated by MOE as model ideological-political course. At present, XMU has six national-level experimental teaching demonstration centers, three national-level virtual simulation experimental teaching centers, one national-level clinical teaching and training demonstration center, and three national-level field practice education centers for university students. In 2018-2022, 46 XMU professors served on the MOE Academic Steering Committee for Higher Education Institutions.

XMU has more than 300 research institutes, including six National Key Laboratories, two National-level Collaborative Innovation Centers, one National Engineering Technology Research Center, one National Engineering Laboratory, five National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Centers (Laboratories), two National Innovation Platform for Industry-Academia Integration, one National Field Scientific Observation Research Station, one National High-End Think Tanks, one MOE Integrated Tackling Major Projects Platform, six MOE Key Laboratories, three MOE Engineering Research Centers, one MOE Field Scientific Observation Research Station, five MOE Key Centers for Research in Humanities and Social Sciences, one Collaborative Innovation Center by MOE and Fujian Provincial Government, one Ministry of Culture and Tourism Key Laboratories, one National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Key Laboratories.

XMU implements a comprehensive global outreach strategy. The University has signed cooperation agreements with 265 overseas universities and is engaged in substantive exchanges and cooperation with 53 world-renowned universities. Actively involved in international Chinese education, XMU has built 14 Confucius Institutes, one Chinese Language and Culture Research Center, and 42 Confucius Classrooms in 12 countries on five continents, the highest numbers with the most extensive geographic coverage among Chinese universities on the List of “Double First-Class” Universities. Moreover, XMU is a leading center of Taiwan research and is on the forefront of cross-Strait academic and cultural exchanges. In July 2014, XMU Malaysia broke ground, making XMU the first Chinese university to open an international campus. Hailed as a jewel on the crown of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, XMU Malaysia offers 22 bachelor’s degree programs, seven master’s degree programs and four doctoral degree programs. It currently has an enrollment of more than 6,800 students and a faculty and staff of over 500. Most of the students come from the 38 countries and regions along the “Belt and Road”.

Academic requirements (may list the adopted subjects of each college)

• Unified Examination Certificate (UEC)  
• STPM
• A-level
• Diploma

Language Proficiency Certificate

(1) Chinese proficiency requirements for Chinese-medium programs

Applicants for programs in the humanities, economics, management and law need to have a Chinese proficiency certificate of HSK band 5 with a score of 210 or above; applicants for programs in sciences, engineering and medicine should have a certificate of HSK band 4 with a score of 210 or above. Applicants who have taken all courses in Chinese during their high school studies are exempt from the HSK certificate requirement, but a medium-of-instruction certificate from the high school should be furnished.

(2) English proficiency requirements for English-medium MBBS program

Applicants should present a TOEFL iBT certificate with a score of 80 or above, or an IELTS Academic certificate with an overall score of 6.0. XMU's DI Code for TOEFL is C310. Applicants who have taken all courses in English during their high school studies are exempt from the TOEFL iBT or IELTS certificate requirement, but a medium-of-instruction certificate from the high school should be furnished. Native English speakers are exempt from this requirement.

Tuition: 

本科Undergraduate programs：

中文授课Chinese mediumed: 24000-26000RMB

英文授课 English mediumed: 38000-90000RMB

Accommodation: 

The international student apartments offer 2-person rooms with daily accommodation fees per bed ranging from RMB 35 to RMB 65 on the Siming campus, a quadruple-room with accommodation fee ranging from from RMB 1,100 to 1,200 per academic year per person on Zhangzhou campus. Students on the Xiang’an campus will be accommodated in suites, each of which comprises 4 double-rooms. The accommodation fee is RMB 1600-4000 per academic year.

Accommodation Maximum Stay Duration:

During enrollment

Estimated Living Expenses:

RMB 1,500–2,000 per month

Application:

400 RMB

Insurance:

RMB 800 per year.

Scholarships：

(I) Chinese Government Scholarships - Bilateral Programs (CSC Type A)

Applicants who are eligible for the “Chinese Government Scholarship – Country-Specific Bilateral Program” can submit the applications to their home country’s international student dispatching department or the education office of the Chinese embassy (consulate) in their home country. In general, the application period is from January to early April every year. However, application deadlines may vary from country to country. Please follow the updates of the local Chinese embassy (consulate).

(II) Chinese Government Scholarship - University Programs (CSC Type B)

Xiamen University, as an enrolling institution under the Chinese Government Scholarship Programs, admits students from around the world who are recipients of such scholarships. XMU Agency No.: 10384. Eligible applicants should submit their applications for admission and scholarships through XMU Online Application System for international students (application.xmu.edu.cn) within the application period specified in the prospectus; they should also register on the “Chinese Government Scholarship Information System” (studyinchina.csc.edu.cn).

(III) International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship

The MOE’s Center for Language Education and Cooperation have launched this scholarship program with a view to encouraging students and Chinese language teachers from all over the world to study or conduct research on the Chinese language and culture. Applicants should contact Confucius Institutes, independently operated Confucius Classrooms, certain HSK test centers, Chinese language (education) departments of foreign universities, or Chinese embassies (consulates) in their home countries for recommendation. Eligible applicants should submit their applications on the “International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship Application System” (cis.chinese.cn) within the application period. The scholarship is offered to applicants for Undergraduate Program of Chinese Language (Education).

(IV) Fujian Provincial Government Scholarship

The scholarship is open to international students who wish to study in degree programs in Fujian Province. It is available only for one academic year and amounts to RMB 30,000 for undergraduates, RMB 40,000 for master’s students and RMB 50,000 for doctoral students. The University will select the best candidates from the pool of students who have passed the annual review. The shortlisted students will be recommended for the renewal of the scholarship in the subsequent year. Applicants should submit their applications for admission and the scholarship through XMU Online Application System for international students (application.xmu.edu.cn) within the application period specified in the admission prospectus.

(V) Xiamen Tan Kah Kee Scholarship (SUSPEND)

This scholarship was set up by Xiamen Tan Kah Kee Education Foundation in 2017 as part of its efforts to foster the Tan Kah Kee spirit in entrepreneurship and dedication to education. The scholarship is open to international students of Chinese descent from countries along the Maritime Silk Road who wish to study in undergraduate, Master’s or doctoral Programs. Applicants should submit their applications for admission and the scholarship through XMU Online Application System for international students (application.xmu.edu.cn) within the application period specified in the admission prospectus.

 (VI) Xiamen University Scholarship for New International Students

XMU offers scholarships to undergraduate candidates. Scholarship recipients will have their tuitions covered. Applicants should submit their applications for admission and the scholarship through XMU Online Application System for international students (application.xmu.edu.cn).

Notes:

1. This admission guide may be adjusted according to the latest notice of scholarship authorities and so please refer to the latest version under “Scholarships” section on https://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/.

2. According to the XMU’s Guidelines on Selecting Candidates for International Students Scholarships, the University will follow the principle of formality, equality and impartiality and select the best candidates from the pool of qualified and admitted students. The shortlisted candidates will be submitted to the university and the relevant scholarship authorities for final approval. The scholarship recipients will be assessed on an annual basis in accordance with the relevant scholarship regulations and only those meeting the required standards will have their scholarship renewed for the subsequent year. Those who fail in the review will no longer be eligible for the scholarship.