The Chinese Scholarship Council - Chinese Government Scholarship

What you get

You will receive a full scholarship to study in China, worth one academic year. It covers your studies at Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD or professional development level (General Scholar or Senior Scholar) at a recognised Chinese higher education institution. You can choose from more than 300 degree programmes in fields such as natural sciences, engineering, agricultural sciences, medicine, economics, law, management, education, history, the humanities and philosophy. Funding is provided by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) in China. The Irish Department for Further Education, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science administers the programme and provides one Irish student per year.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are an Irish citizen, not a Chinese national, and are in good physical and mental health.
• Field of study: Any course offered by the participating Chinese universities.
• Bachelor: You have finished secondary school and are under 25.
• Master: You hold a Bachelor's degree and are under 35.
• Doctorate: You hold a Master's degree and are under 40.
• General Scholar (non-degree study): You have at least a secondary school leaving certificate and are under 45.
• Senior Scholar: You hold a Master's degree or are an associate professor or higher, and are under 50.
• Admissions test (Bachelor only): You are taking part in the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) and are submitting a valid results report.
• Language: For degree programmes taught in Chinese, you will need HSK level 3 (general and senior scholarship holders) or HSK level 4 (Master’s and PhD students); The HSK is the standard test of Chinese language proficiency. For English-taught degree programmes, please submit the IELTS or TOEFL results required by your university.

How to apply

You apply online through the 'Study in China' portal (studyinchina.csc.edu.cn) and choose the scholarship application for students. The deadline is 15 February 2026. You then email a copy of your completed application and all documents to the Irish department by 5 p.m. on 25 February 2026. An Irish committee selects the candidate and nominates them to the CSC, which gives the final confirmation.

How realistic are your chances?

Each year, only one Irish student receives funding through this scheme.

You can find more scholarships in our guide Scholarships in Ireland.