Closing Date: 20 May / 9 September 2026
Applications are now open for the 2026 Schwarzman Scholars Program fully funded to study in China
Shape the future.
Schwarzman Scholars is a prestigious one-year, fully funded master’s program in global affairs at Tsinghua University, one of the world’s top universities. Designed to build a global community of future leaders, this program offers an immersive learning experience dedicated to leadership development.
Shaping the Future of Global Affairs
Schwarzman Scholars is the first scholarship created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century. In any sector, the success of future leaders around the world depends upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends.
Schwarzman Scholars is designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. It was inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship, which was founded in 1902 in an effort to promote international understanding and peace.
Schwarzman Scholars supports up to 200 Scholars annually from the U.S., China, and around the world for a one-year master’s in global affairs at Beijing’s Tsinghua University — ranked first in Asia as an indispensable base for China’s political, business, and technological leadership.
Scholars chosen for this highly selective program will live in Beijing for a year of study and cultural immersion — attending lectures, traveling around the region, and developing a better understanding of China. Admissions opened in the fall of 2015 with outstanding success, immediately making Schwarzman Scholars one of the world’s most selective graduate and fellowship programs.
10 Years of Impact
The 2026 Schwarzman Scholars is celebrating a decade of impactful work empowering global leaders and bridging cultures. To mark this milestone, 2026 Schwarzman Scholars is reflecting on the program’s achievements and celebrating the many ways our Scholars are shaping the world.
Program Experience
The Schwarzman Scholars experience is anchored in a rigorous and immersive Master of Global Affairs degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
World-Class Curriculum
Its curriculum has been designed by leading academics and faculty to build students’ leadership abilities and deepen their knowledge of China’s role in global affairs.
Immersive Leadership Experience
Schwarzman Scholars offers one-of-a-kind perspectives that you can’t get from a book. A year spent in China provides Scholars with a number of experiences that create lifelong friendships and a valuable set of cross-cultural leadership skills.
Global Network
Schwarzman Scholars provides an international network of high-caliber global leaders, academics and innovators who will together serve as a bridge between China and the rest of the world.
How To Apply
The online application must be completed in English using Roman script. All requirements must be submitted electronically; Schwarzman scholars does not accept materials through email. You do not have to complete your application in one sitting; you may access and continue your work as frequently as needed before submitting the application. To save your work, click on the ‘Continue’ button.
Once you are ready to submit your application, acknowledge that all written work in this application was composed by you, and that any type of AI generator (such as ChatGPT) was not used to create materials submitted as part of your application.
Please note that the email address provided to create your account will be used for all future correspondence about your admissions status. It is important to not use an email address that may expire. Keep your login information in a safe place as you will need it to access your application in the future.
The Application Deadline is September 9, 2026 – 3 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Late applications, even due to latency issues or last minute emergencies, will not be accepted.
Click here to view the full Application Instructions.
For Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan applicants please refer to the Schwarzman Scholars China application. The deadline for the China application is May 20, 2026 – 12:00 p.m. (Beijing time).
