Zijing College is Tsinghua University’s first undergraduate residential college, offering fully English-taught programs. It is developed to enhance the university’s international outreach and expand horizons in open education. Leveraging Tsinghua’s strengths in engineering, Zijing College creates an eco-system of global readiness that embraces an international cast of faculties, diverse peer-learning experiences, an immersive English-speaking environment, and global exposure opportunities.
Zijing College pioneers a new pathway of STEAM education that integrates AI, Art and Architecture into STEM and emphasises AI fundamentals, design thinking, and aesthetic literacy. By encouraging internships with international organisations and corporations through Tsinghua’s fast-expanding international connections, Zijing College aims to cultivate top engineering talents with strong global competency.
Our cities are increasingly shaped and reshaped by an enormous amount of data that has emerged as a result of technological, social, and institutional innovations. This new situation poses several unprecedented challenges and has a significant impact on how we interact with both the physical and virtual worlds. How do architects and urban professionals respond to this disruptive change? How can we reinvent ourselves, embracing new knowledge and methodologies and harnessing new technologies and tools to stay relevant and regenerate our cities towards a resilient, equitable, and liveable future?
Tsinghua University's Urban Regeneration and Design Program is developed to address these questions. Fully taught in English, this program aims to equip graduates with strategic vision, cutting-edge knowledge, technological competence, innovative creativity, social responsibility, and all necessary skills to become future leaders and create better cities in and beyond Asia.
1. Program Highlights
Students can personalise their learning based on the multi-disciplinary curriculum that integrates information science technology (IST), mechanical engineering (ME), civil engineering (CE) and design science (DS). Through rich cultural experiences and interdisciplinary learning, the program focuses on enhancing students' abilities to solve complex engineering problems. Students will develop exceptional skills in design, communication, teamwork, scientific experimentation, as well as lifelong learning, enabling them to play critical roles in global science and engineering fields.
1.1 Design education augmented by computing.
Architectural and urban design in the new era will have to engage with the opportunities opened by computer science and AI technologies. Understanding and applying the latest technologies and tools through the lens of design thinking is a core ability for students to grasp complex urban problems and generate innovative solutions.
1.2 Multi-disciplinary learning based on personalized projects.
Leveraging Tsinghua University’s comprehensive set of disciplines, the specially crafted curriculum provides students with ample room to customize and pursue multi-disciplinary projects under the collaborative supervision of tutors from different schools and departments.
1.3 Embedded learning in urban regeneration practice.
China’s urbanization provides a fertile soil for innovative ideas of urban regeneration. To study in China is to live and relive China’s urban development experiences, be involved in real-world urban regeneration practice as part of the study, and reflect on how contemporary challenges are dealt with.
1.4 An Asian perspective on urban challenges beyond Asia.
The teaching faculty is drawn from an international cast of experts with rich experiences in Asian cities. This Asia-focused perspective helps students become future-ready urban professionals to deal with urban challenges in and beyond Asian cities.
1.5 Independent thinkers and leaders with excellent career prospects
Tsinghua graduates are always highly sought after by employers. With visionary insights, technological competency, and real-world experiences, graduates from this program are anticipated to excel as designers, consultants, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and civil servants, among many others, in various sectors of urban development around the world.
2. Language of Instruction, Program Structure, and Degree Conferment
2.1 All instructions of this program are in English.
2.2 Those who have completed the required courses and passed all assessments and final thesis defense will be awarded bachelor's degrees by Tsinghua University.
2.3 Students may choose to graduate with a Bachelor of Engineering (Architecture, Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture) after four years of study or continue one more year to complete the full training of the program with a professional degree, Bachelor of Architecture.
3. Eligibility
3.1 Applicants must be foreign nationals who do not hold Chinese nationality in accordance with the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China. At the time of application, applicants must hold a valid foreign passport or other valid proof of foreign nationality (Please see: Eligibility Instructions for Tsinghua University International Undergraduate Applicants (Nationality Status) 2027).
3.2 Applicants should be in good physical and mental health, demonstrate goodwill toward China, and hold a valid high school graduation certificate. The high school educational qualification must have been obtained through full-time, in-person education.
3.3 Academic performance
Outstanding academic performance. Proof should be provided by (but not limited to) the following document(s):
3.3.1 High school/University (if applicable) transcripts (in Chinese or English).
3.3.2 Certificate of National/Regional Graduation Examination/Matriculation Examination (e.g. ATAR/Abitur/BAC/CSAT/UEC/STPM/others).
3.3.3 Results of international standardized tests (e.g. CSCA/SAT/ACT/A-Level/AP/IB/ others).
3.3.4 Award Certificate(s) from international- or national-level Olympiads in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, informatics, etc. (if applicable).
3.3.5 Other Supporting Materials.
3.4 Language proficiency
Applicants must have a high level of English language proficiency. For those with a native language other than English, a test report of English language proficiency will need to be provided (e.g. TOEFL/IELTS/others).
3.5 Aged 18 or above (by September 1, 2027). Applicants under 18 must present Guarantee Statement of Guardian in China and relevant supporting documents at the time of registration..
3.6 Applicants must meet the requirements outlined in Document No. 12 (2020) of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, as well as Eligibility Instructions for Tsinghua University International Undergraduate Applicants (Nationality Status) 2027. Applicants who do not meet the above requirements or fail to submit all required materials to the application system in accordance with the Submission Requirements for Tsinghua University International Undergraduate Applicants Regarding Nationality Status Documentation 2027 will be deemed ineligible to apply.
4. Application Procedures
4.1 Online Application
4.1.1 Create your account in the Online Application System.
4.1.2 Complete the application form during the application period.
4.1.3 Upload the documents as required (see List of Documents to be uploaded in the Online Application System for more details).
4.1.4 Pay the application fee (800 RMB) online and submit the application.
4.2 Comprehensive Evaluation
4.2.1 Document Screening
Applications submitted with all the information correct and completed will be evaluated by Tsinghua University.
4.2.2 Comprehensive Assessment
Applicants who have passed the document screening will be invited to participate in the Comprehensive Assessment. The method and schedule of the integrative test will be informed in advance.
4.2.3 Original Documents Verification and Foreign Affairs Verification
Throughout the entire admissions process, Tsinghua University will conduct multiple rounds of review to verify whether the original application materials submitted by applicants are authentic and meet the eligibility requirements, and whether the applicants’ foreign nationality status complies with the relevant regulations of the Chinese government and the university. If, at any time during the admissions process, an applicant’s original application materials or foreign nationality status are found and determined not to meet the requirements, the applicant will be deemed ineligible, and the admissions process will be terminated.
4.3 Admission Decision and Offer
The admission decision is based on a comprehensive evaluation of academic performance, language ability, supporting materials as well as integrative tests.
5. Schedule
5.1 First Round – Application and Admission
Online Application Period (Beijing Time): 8:00 AM September 30, 2026 – 5:00 PM November 20, 2026
Results will be issued by: January, 2027
5.2 Second Round – Application and Admission
Online Application Period (Beijing Time): 8:00 AM November 21, 2026—5:00 PM February 28, 2027
Results will be issued by: Early May, 2027
Note: The method and time of each round’s comprehensive assessment will be informed in advance.
6. Fees
6.1 Application Fee, Tuition, and Medical Insurance (RMB)
Tuition Fee (Per Year) |
Application Fee (one time) |
Medical Insurance (Per Year) |
100,000.00 |
800.00 |
800.00 |
Notes:
a. The application fee is not refundable.
b. The medical insurance of Tsinghua University covers basic accidental injury and medical expenses for hospitalization.
6.2 Accommodation
Zijing College is a residential college where students will be accommodated in designated buildings on campus. Online reservations must be made within the designated time (availability of rooms is subject to the booking system). For accommodation fees and other details, please refer to the Tsinghua University International Student and Scholar Center website.
7. Tsinghua University International Undergraduate Freshman Scholarship
Tsinghua University actively seeks donations from overseas alumni and corporations to support the academic development and personal growth of international students. The university has established Tsinghua University International Undergraduate Freshman Scholarship to further this goal. Outstanding international freshmen who apply for and are awarded the scholarship through the application system will receive financial support for their first academic year, including full-tuition, half-tuition, and partial-tuition scholarships. During their second, third, and fourth academic years, students may continue to apply for other types of scholarships, including the Beijing Government Scholarship, in accordance with Tsinghua University’s scholarship management regulations for international students and based on their overall performance. The freshmen scholarship is exclusive; recipients may not apply for and receive any other scholarships of the same type.
8. Admission
Applicants who are granted admission will receive their admission documents from Tsinghua University in June 2027.
9. Contact Information
Admissions Office, Tsinghua University
Address: Haidian District, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
Tel: +86-10-62783100
Email: admissions@tsinghua.edu.cn
Website: http://international.join-tsinghua.edu.cn/
International Students and Scholars Center (For foreign nationality eligibility review and verification)
Email: iso-undergrad@tsinghua.edu.cn
Zijing College, Tsinghua University:
Main Building of Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, P.R.China
Tel: +86-10-62787275
Email: zijsy@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
Website: https://zijingcollege.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/
