Peking University's Guanghua School of Management offers a full-time Research Master's Program (Pre-doctoral Program) for talented undergraduate students with strong analytical skills and an interest in academic research in Economics Finance and Management. The program is a prerequisite for undergraduates to apply for a Ph.D. position at Peking University Guanghua School of Management.

Pre-doctoral Program

Individuals who possess a Bachelor's degree but do not possess a Master's degree may seek admission to one of Guanghua's Ph.D. programs by applying to the Pre-doctoral Program. The program can be completed entirely with English serving as the medium of instruction for required coursework and the students' dissertations. In this integrated program students will first enroll in a Research Master Program (the normative study period is two years). Subject to satisfactory performance and passing an examination they will then be eligible to enroll in their respective 3-year Ph.D. program. Most of the coursework required for the Ph.D. program is expected to be completed in the Pre-doctoral Program so that students will be able to focus primarily on their research and dissertation while in the Ph.D. program. Students who do not meet the Ph.D. admissions requirements will still be eligible to complete their Research Master program requirements and receive their Master's degree.

Becoming a researcher at PKU Guanghua

China's vast market offers a wealth of data for researchers and as a long-trusted partner of China's largest and most influential companies Guanghua provides students with access to real difficult-to-obtain data that is useful in analyzing the business and economic environment.

Pioneering economic and business research in China for 40 years Guanghua has a group of world-class faculty whose cutting-edge and high-quality research are regularly published in top-tier economics and management journals such as American Economic Review Journal of Political Economy Management Science Journal of Finance Academic Management Journal etc. They have played an important role in China's policy-making and regulation drafting and are strong advocates of China's market-oriented reforms and innovative business practices; their work has been recognized with top national research awards for making contributions to China's development. Guanghua has also proactively engaged in research on the implications of applied technologies like Big Data A.I. and digitalization for business and economic growth creating a rigorous learning environment that will prepare students to conduct relevant research that addresses pressing needs.

The Pre-doctoral Program is designed for candidates with outstanding intellectual ability and a strong commitment to research who aim to work in a university setting or at another academic or research-focused institution. The program consists of doctoral coursework and research training which thoroughly prepares students for doing Ph.D. thesis research during the three-year Ph.D. phase. It allows students to explore many research groups at Guanghua fully develop their research interests and match up with one or more advisors that share their interests.

Program Areas

Programs leading to the degree of Master/Doctor of Economics:

National Economics*

Industrial Economics*

Statistics

Finance

Programs leading to the degree of Master/Doctor of Management Science:

Accounting

Enterprise Management (Marketing)

Enterprise Management (Management Science and Information Systems)

Enterprise Management (Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management)

Enterprise Management (Strategic Management and International Business)

The curriculums are available here:

https://iphd.gsm.pku.edu.cn/Research_Fields/Research_Fields.htm

* Students majoring in National Economics and Industrial Economics can choose from a broad range of research areas including Political Economics Organizational Economics Labor Economics Urban Economics Behavioral Economics Macroeconomics International and Monetary Economics etc.

Program Structure

Under normal circumstances applicants who hold a Bachelor's degree are required to complete the program in five years.

 * The above list is subject to further adjustment. 

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

Tuition Fees: Notification will be provided upon approval.

In recognition of admitted students' academic excellence and potential, the Guanghua School of Management will be offering full merit-based scholarships to all students admitted to the program covering many costs of attending Peking University for their first academic year, including tuition fees, accommodation, a living stipend, and health insurance. Guanghua will conduct an annual scholarship review based on students' academic performance in accordance with the regulations each academic year.

Admissions Requirements

1.To apply for this program as an international student applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a Bachelor's Degree from a college/university accredited by P.R. China's Ministry of Education. Residents of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Macau or Taiwan who have emigrated to other countries and are applying to Peking University as international students must present valid passport or citizenship documents dating from before April 30th 2020 along with proof of cancellation of Chinese nationality.

Note: The exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ of China reserves the right to judge whether an applicant still has Chinese nationality. If during the application period or even after the admission or registration the applicant is judged to be still holding Chinese nationality his/her application admission registration or even enrollment will be nullified.

2.Competitive applicants should have an outstanding undergraduate academic record strong references and a clear interest in pursuing an academic career at a university or another academic or research-oriented institution.

3.Students are welcome to submit GRE, GMAT or other standardized test scores in support of their application.

4. Applicants whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate or postgraduate programs were not taught in English must demonstrate English language proficiency. This can be done by providing one of the following: a TOEFL score of at least 100, an overall IELTS score of 6.5 (with no individual band score below 5.5), GRE scores of 315 or above, or other recognized certificates of English proficiency.

Note: At most prospective students can apply for two Peking University master programs, with only one permitted within Guanghua School of Management. Application fees are assessed on a per-program basis and will not be refunded so please carefully consider whether to apply for a second program. You will be responsible for ensuring that there are no conflicts between interview times and will ultimately only be admitted to a single program.

Application Materials

1.Online Application: Prospective students are required to submit an online application through Peking University's International Student Service System portal at www.studyatpku.com. (GSM English-taught Research Master)

2.Diplomas/Certificates of Graduation: Graduation and degree diplomas in Chinese or English and the degree authentication issued by Ministry of Education of China. For degree diplomas in other languages, applicants are required to upload both the original copy and a notarized copy in Chinese or English.

• Degree diplomas awarded by universities outside the Chinese mainland must be authenticated by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, Ministry of Education, P. R. China (CSCSE).
• Degree diplomas awarded by universities within the Chinese mainland must be authenticated by the Center for Student Services and Development, Ministry of Education, P. R. China (CSSD).

Note: Applicants who have graduated must upload their degree authentication report during the application period. Applicants expected to graduate in 2026 must provide an official letter from their current university stating their expected graduation date submit their certificate of graduation upon pre-admission and present their original degree diploma and authentication report during registration.

3.Official Transcripts: Submit official transcripts showing your academic achievements to date, including courses taken and standards achieved. These must be original documents or notarized copies, either in Chinese or English.

4.Passport Front Page: Applicants must upload the front page of any ordinary passport(s) he/she has used continuously since April 30, 2020, and the current passport must be valid for at least three months after enrollment. Please note that special passport types such as diplomatic passports are not accepted.

5.Personal Statement: Submit a personal statement. A template is available here.

6.Research Proposal: Submit a research proposal of approximately 1500 words. A template is available here.

7.Curriculum Vitae (CV): Submit an updated CV.

8.Recommendation Letters: Submit two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors in your field of study (or equivalent professionals with relevant academic titles). At least one letter should be from someone familiar with your recent academic work.

• The recommendation letters must be written in either Chinese or English and a template is available here.
• The letters should discuss the candidate's personality academic knowledge and research capabilities.

• Once applicants submit a request the system will generate a link that will be sent to the recommenders. Recommenders may complete the recommendation by filling out the online form or uploading a scanned copy of the signed letter.
• If a recommender prefers to send the letter directly to Peking University they can email it to admission@gsm.pku.edu.cn.

9.Commitment for Peking University Graduate Application: Submit a signed copy of the Commitment for Application. The template can be downloaded here.

10.English Proficiency Test Results: Submit results of English proficiency tests as required.

11.GMAT/GRE or Other Standardized Test Scores (Optional): Provide a copy of GMAT, GRE or other standardized test scores if available.

12.Research Publications (Optional): Provide the table of contents and abstracts of any academic research you have published along with any other relevant achievements in your field.

Note: Applicants should scan the original or notarized application documents in color using a scanner. Images captured by mobile phone or camera are NOT acceptable.

The applicant's passport details (including name, nationality, gender, date of birth, and uploaded photo) submitted during the application phase, once confirmed, cannot be modified prior to enrollment.

Applicants must thoroughly review and ensure that all required documents (including two letters of recommendation) are complete and meet the specified standards before submission. Consequences resulting from incomplete or non-compliant materials will be borne solely by the applicant.

Admission Evaluation

1.Initial Screening: The Guanghua School of Management will first conduct a preliminary review of the submitted application materials. Applications that pass this initial review will then be forwarded to Peking University’s International Students Office for verification of the applicants’ fulfillment of the basic application criteria. 

2.Application Review: The Guanghua admissions committee will evaluate the applications to identify the most qualified candidates. Key factors considered during this review include the strength of recommendation letters, past academic performance and the alignment of the applicant’s research goals with the research interests of Guanghua’s faculty.

3.Evaluation Interview: Applicants who pass the screening and application review will be invited to an interview with Guanghua faculty, tentatively scheduled for March.

4.Admissions Decisions: The Graduate Admissions Office will finalize the list of candidates for pre-admission based on interview results and a comprehensive evaluation of qualifications. The list of pre-admitted candidates will be published by the end of May.

Pre-admitted candidates are required to mail their application materials to UG&PG Programs Office of Guanghua School of Management, Peking University. The International Student Division will issue an admission notice, a “Confirmation Form for Study in China”(JW201/JW202) and other documents to the admitted students in late June.

5.Enrollment: The admitted students are expected to register and enroll in early September 2026. The specific registration date will be provided in the admission notice. Admitted students must register at Peking University with their valid passport, valid visa and admission letter at the designated time. All students should present their original degree diplomas as required upon registration for the enrollment qualification review. Students with degree diplomas awarded by overseas universities should, in addition, submit the authentication report issued by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange. Students who do not pass the enrollment qualification review will be disqualified from enrollment at Peking University. 

Application Fee

Peking University assesses an application fee of 800 RMB per program to which a prospective student applies. Applicants must pay the application fee online before the application deadline (following the instructions provided by the International Students Online Application System). Payments are accepted only in RMB; other currencies and traveler’s checks are not accepted. Applications with incomplete documentation or those whose fees have not been successfully paid will not be processed. The application fee is non-refundable.

Application Period (Beijing time)

Round 1: October 23, 2025–January 20, 2026

Round 2: January 25, 2026–March 25,2026 

Note: If you intend to apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC), it is strongly recommended that you submit your application during the first round of admissions.

Visa and Medical Insurance

Admitted students must apply for a study visa (X1 visa) to China to be eligible for the program. In accordance with regulations set by the Ministry of Education of China international students are required to purchase the designated medical insurance that is valid within mainland China. Students who do not obtain the required medical insurance will not be able to complete their registration.

Additional Note

If there are any changes to the admission policies we will duly update the information in line with the latest 2026 admission policies. Applicants must also comply with Peking University’s admissions guidelines. For more detailed information please refer to the “2026 Application Information for International Students (Master's and Ph.D. Degrees) ”.

Contact Information

UG&PG Programs Office

Guanghua School of Management Peking University

Address: Rm K07 Bldg. 2 Guanghua School of Management Peking University Beijing 100871 P.R. China

Tel: (86-10) 6274-7018

Email: admission@gsm.pku.edu.cn

Website: iphd.gsm.pku.edu.cn