The China Scholarship Council (CSC), in partnership with The University of Wollongong (UOW) offers a limited number of PhD Research Scholarships each year for outstanding applicants from the People’s Republic of China who wish to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at UOW.
Important dates
- Applications open: 1 October 2026
- Applications close: 31 January 2027
- CSC IPTA offers issued: Mid-late February 2027
- Commencement: Spring Session (July) 2027 only
Please note that CSC scholarship applications will be accepted for Spring session commencement only.
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Faculty of Arts, Society and Business
Study area: Accounting Finance & Economics, Business, Chemistry, Communications & Media, Computer Science & Information Technology, Creative & Performing Arts, Education, Engineering, Environmental & Biological Science, Health, Humanities & Social Inquiry, Law, Literature & Language, Management, Marketing, Maths, Medical Science, Nursing, Physics, Psychology & Human Behaviour, Social Sciences & Advocacy
Student type: International students
Student status: Future Students
Scholarship amount
UOW will provide an CSC International Postgraduate Tuition Award (IPTA) to each student selected under this program. This IPTA will pay the full tuition fees. CSC will provide each student under this program with a living allowance for the term of the scholarship, a return airfare to Australia and the cost of Australian Government approved Overseas Student Health Cover.
For the current CSC recruitment round, UOW will also provide a top-up living allowance stipend for up to 3.5 years.
Duration
Successful applicants will be awarded a CSC International Postgraduate Tuition Award (IPTA) for up to four years for PhD studies, which will cover tuition fees for the approved duration. For the current CSC recruitment round, UOW will also provide a top-up living allowance stipend for up to 3.5 years.
Application process
Step 1: Check Eligibility
- Review the admission requirements and course rules in the Postgraduate Research Course Finder.
- Ensure you meet the eligibility and English language requirements for your chosen program.
Step 2: Secure Academic Supervision
Supervisors provide expert guidance and monitor your research progress. Alignment between your proposed research and the supervisor’s expertise is essential.
- Identify potential supervisors by reviewing UOW academic staff research profiles.
- Contact potential supervisors with your CV, research proposal, and academic transcripts.
- You may be invited to attend an interview.
- Obtain written confirmation (e.g. email) from a supervisor agreeing to supervise your project. Applications without confirmed supervision will not be considered. Please note that supervision is not guaranteed, and not all applicants will be successful in securing a supervisor.
- Then apply for admission and CSC scholarship via Future Students - Online Application @ UOW.
Step 3: CSC Application
- Candidates must also apply to CSC for funding by completing an application, once a conditional CSC scholarship offer is issued by UOW. Forms are available on the CSC website.
- CSC will evaluate the candidates according to CSC requirements and priorities and inform the successful candidates. The chosen candidates must then supply their CSC funding certificate to UOW, validate their offer of admission and enrol as a UOW doctoral student upon arrival in Australia.
Eligibility requirements
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must:
- be of Chinese citizenship only;
- meet the PhD course admission requirements;
- meet the English language requirement by the scholarship application deadline, including submitting official test results;
- have completed, or on track to complete by end of June, a Masters degree in China with a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 85, and that includes a substantial research thesis component;
- obtain support from a UOW academic staff member registered and willing to supervise their research.
Note:
- other qualifying degrees may be considered, for example: an Australian Honours degree
- a bachelor’s degree completed in China does not meet the PhD admission requirement at UOW.
- applications received after the closing date and those applications that are incomplete and missing required supporting documentation, will not be accepted.
Selection Criteria
The UOW HDR Scholarships Committee awards scholarships based on:
- academic achievement;
- research potential demonstrated by relevant research experience, publications and related accomplishments; and
- availability of appropriate supervisors, research facilities, equipment, funding and resources.
Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate that their proposed research aligns with academic priority areas identified by both CSC and UOW.
Other Considerations
The availability of any top-up living allowance stipend in future CSC recruitment rounds will be determined by the University and may be subject to funding availability.
For Joint PhD candidates, UOW will provide the CSC IPTA in accordance with the agreed enrolment and fee arrangements for the Joint PhD program. Where a top-up living allowance stipend is offered, it will be provided only for periods during which the candidate is undertaking their PhD on campus in Australia, in accordance with the Joint PhD Agreement.
Contact information
Graduate Research School