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University application guide

How to apply to The Central Academy of Drama

中央戏剧学院

Beijing, Beijing, China

This guide brings together the application routes, published timing, submission methods, scholarship steps, documents, and source links recorded for The Central Academy of Drama. Requirements can differ by degree, program, teaching language, and funding route. The university’s current notice controls the application.

Funding route on this profile

The profile includes CSC-related application guidance for The Central Academy of Drama. Type B participation, eligible programs, and deadlines must be confirmed in the current university call.

Application fee

The recorded application fee is CNY 480. The application fee is CNY 480, charged as a registration fee (报名费) and published in two places on the academy's own sites. The 2026 bachelor's international admissions guide states 报名费标准:人民币 480 元/人 — a registration fee of RMB 480 per person, payable by WeChat Pay or by transfer/remittance — and adds that the fee is not refunded once registration succeeds whether or not the applicant sits the examination. The 2026 master's notice for international applicants and the 2026 doctoral notice for international and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan applicants each state that applicants who pass the online review must remit 480 元报名费 to the academy's account (中央戏剧学院, account 332456018721, Bank of China Beijing Dongcheng Sub-branch) within three days of receiving the payment notice. The English International Admissions 'Fees & Payment' page states the same figure under the heading 'Application fee' as 480 RMB, set out in a row separate from the 'Tuition fee (1 academic year)' row that carries 36,000 RMB for bachelor's, 42,000 RMB for master's and 46,000 RMB for doctoral degrees. That separation confirms the CNY 480 is the one-off application charge; the annual tuition figures and the accommodation, insurance and medical examination charges listed on the same page are recorded separately under tuition and otherCosts.

Source-linked admission details

Dated 2026 intake application windows for bachelor's, master's and doctoral entry for international applicants, the RMB 480 application fee, annual tuition for all three degree levels, accommodation and insurance charges, eligibility rules and application materials. · recorded source check: September 17, 2026

Verified fact
The Central Academy of Drama (中央戏剧学院) is China's national drama academy, with campuses at 39 Dongmianhua Hutong, Dongcheng District and 4 Hongfu Middle Road, Changping District, Beijing.
Contact
International admissions are handled by the International Students Office and the Foreign Affairs Office; the international admissions email is lxs@zhongxi.cn and the telephone numbers are +86-10-56620499 and +86-10-56620503.
Programmes
2026 bachelor's entry for international applicants: online application materials from 09:00 on 2 March 2026 to 09:00 on 6 March 2026; material review closed 17:00 on 12 March 2026; major selection and fee payment closed 17:00 on 16 March 2026; academic documents due 15 April 2026; examination expected mid-to-late April 2026; results by mid-May 2026.
Application deadline
2026 master's entry for international applicants: materials submitted by email between 10 March and 14 March 2026, closing 17:00 Beijing time on 14 March 2026.
Application deadline
2026 doctoral entry for international and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan applicants: materials submitted 2 March to 6 March 2026, closing 17:00 Beijing time on 6 March 2026.
Application fee
The registration (application) fee is RMB 480 per person, payable by WeChat Pay, transfer or remittance, and is non-refundable once registration succeeds.
Entry requirements
Applicants must hold a valid ordinary foreign passport as non-Chinese citizens, be of good character and health with no criminal record, and have completed senior secondary education.
Verified fact
Applicants who acquired foreign nationality at birth to Chinese-citizen parents must hold a valid foreign passport for four years or more and have lived abroad for at least two of the last four years.
Tuition
Annual tuition is 36,000 RMB for bachelor's, 42,000 RMB for master's and 46,000 RMB for doctoral programmes, taught full-time.
Accommodation
Accommodation in a twin room costs 60 RMB per bed per day, or 6,660 RMB per semester; comprehensive insurance is 400 RMB per half year or 800 RMB per year; a residence-permit physical examination costs 450 RMB.
Programmes
Bachelor's applicants sit a professional examination in their chosen major, may select up to three major directions within limits, and must also sit the CSCA Chinese and mathematics papers.
Entry requirements
Bachelor's applicants must submit their academic documents by 15 April 2026 and are registered at the International Students Office (Room 104) with passport, photographs, admission notice, JW202 form, senior secondary graduation certificate, transcript and no-criminal-record certificate.
Tuition notes
Tuition and other charges are published on the English International Admissions 'Fees & Payment' page (dated 28 December 2022) and repeated in the 2026 intake notices. Annual tuition is 36,000 RMB for a bachelor's degree, 42,000 RMB for a master's degree and 46,000 RMB for a doctoral degree; the 2026 master's notice states 学费 42000 元/学年 and the 2026 doctoral notice states 留学生学费 46000元/学年. Accommodation in a twin room is 60 RMB per bed per day, 6,660 RMB per semester on either the Changping or Dongcheng campus, a standard applied from 3 July 2023. Comprehensive insurance is 400 RMB per person for half a year or 800 RMB per person for one year with Ping An Annuity Insurance. A physical examination for a residence permit costs 450 RMB. Master's study lasts three years full-time and doctoral study generally three or four years full-time.
Read Central Academy of Drama 2026 bachelor's international admissions professional examination guide (中央戏剧学院2026年本科招生留学生、华侨、港澳台地区考生专业考试简章), official admissions site chntheatre.edu.cn

Published dates and unconfirmed windows

Application timing and source scope

The Central Academy of Drama scopes its international admissions to named 2026 intakes in four dated official notices. For 2026 bachelor's entry the 专业考试简章 (professional examination guide) for international, overseas-Chinese and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan applicants, published 11 February 2026, sets online submission of application materials from 09:00 Beijing time on 2 March 2026 to 09:00 on 6 March 2026, with material review closing at 17:00 on 12 March 2026, choice of major and payment of the registration fee closing at 17:00 on 16 March 2026, supporting academic documents due by 15 April 2026, the professional examination expected in mid-to-late April 2026, and results published in the application system by mid-May 2026. For 2026 master's entry the 留学生考生报考硕士研究生须知, published 17 December 2025, requires international applicants to email their materials between 10 March and 14 March 2026, closing at 17:00 Beijing time on 14 March 2026, with the entrance examination in April 2026. For 2026 doctoral entry the 留学生、港澳台地区考生报考博士研究生须知, published 9 January 2026, gives international and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan applicants a materials window of 2 March to 6 March 2026 closing at 17:00 on 6 March 2026. All three 2026 windows have closed as of this check. No 2027 intake notice had been published, so the next cycle is expected in the same February-to-March pattern in 2027. No Chinese Government Scholarship deadline, university-scholarship deadline or municipal scholarship deadline is published on the academy's international admissions pages. Confidence is verified: each window is taken from a dated official notice naming its 2026 intake.

Guide scope reviewed 3 October 2026. Dates apply only to the intake and route named in each notice.

Funding options

Scholarships listed for The Central Academy of Drama

These awards are listed on the university profile. Eligibility, eligible degree levels, coverage, deadlines and whether new applicants can apply vary by award and intake. Open the dated call before selecting an award or paying an application fee.

  • CSC / Chinese Government Scholarship
  • Beijing Government Scholarship / Beijing International Students Scholarship

How to apply to The Central Academy of Drama

Choose your funding route to see where to start, which systems to use and what to submit.

Historical reference: Start with the university application

Self-funded admission

Opens:
Not confirmed for this university and route
Closes:
Not confirmed for this university and route

2027 dates unconfirmed · Autumn degree intake; program-dependent

An exact 2027 admission window is not established by the reviewed university sources. Check the prospectus for your degree and teaching language before scheduling submission.

University website — locate the current admission notice

Historical international admission described in the cited notice

International doctoral applicants do not use the online registration system reserved for Hong Kong/Macao/Taiwan candidates. Email one compressed package of PDF documents and JPG photo to lxs@zhongxi.cn during 2–6 March 2026, ending 17:00 Beijing time. Subject: 博研报考 plus passport number; body identifies programme, research direction, supervisor, location and telephone. Include passport/nationality evidence where relevant, HSK 5 at 240 or above or HSK 6, master/bachelor qualifications, master's transcripts and thesis, two professor references, police certificate and valid public-hospital medical form. After document approval, pay CNY 480 within three days of the payment notice and email the receipt. Originals are checked before examinations.

Reference: 2026 doctoral. Confirm the latest notice for the same course and route before applying.

Read the university's procedure
  1. 1

    Choose your program and intake

    Check The Central Academy of Drama's current prospectus for your degree, teaching language, eligibility and deadline. Arrange supervisor contact or pre-admission first when the program requires it.

    Read official admission instructions
  2. 2

    Prepare your documents

    Use the checklist below, then compare it with your program's required documents. Prepare any signed forms, translations and referee submissions before starting the final application.

  3. 3

    Complete the university application

    Follow the current notice's email or paper submission instructions. Use its official address, subject line and document format; keep a copy and request acknowledgement if the notice advises it.

    Read official admission instructions
  4. 4

    Review your offer and costs

    Check tuition, accommodation, insurance, payment deadlines and any financial-guarantee requirement. Accept the offer through the university's stated process. A CSC application is not part of a purely self-funded route.

  5. 5

    Track decisions and respond to requests

    Check your portal and email for missing-document requests, interviews and results. If a form is returned, correct it and resubmit. Keep admission and scholarship decisions separate; follow the final offer for acceptance, registration and original-document checks.

See annotated portal walkthroughs

Document checklist and upload instructions

Use the document list for your exact program. Prepare these common items, then add any scholarship-specific forms:

  • Identity: passport information page and photograph. Copy your name, birth date and passport number exactly into each application.
  • Education: diploma or official expected-graduation certificate, transcripts and any required degree authentication. Include the original language and certified translations where requested.
  • Language: the required HSK, IELTS, TOEFL or accepted alternative. A medium-of-instruction letter replaces a test only if the program allows it.
  • Academic materials: study plan or research proposal; graduate recommendation letters; supervisor or pre-admission letter when required. Some systems send referees a private submission link.
  • Additional requirements: CSCA results for applicable undergraduate routes; portfolio for relevant arts programs; medical form, police clearance, financial guarantee or guardian documents when listed. Check validity periods before arranging time-sensitive documents.

Scan each complete document clearly. Use the file type and size limit shown beside its upload field; combine multi-page documents only where the system permits. Open every uploaded file to check legibility, page order, signatures and stamps. Keep a copy of everything you submit.

Application templates
How to fill the university application

Follow the submission method in your programme's notice. The steps below apply when it requires an online form; email and paper applications follow their separate source-linked instructions above.

  1. Open the university link for your degree level. On an admissions website, find the international-student application entry, then register or sign in. Button names vary between systems.
  2. Choose the correct entry year, degree, teaching language and program. Read its requirements before selecting your funding option.
  3. Enter personal information as it appears in your passport. List education and employment dates accurately, and enter a reliable email address.
  4. Complete the study plan and referee fields. Upload each document to its matching slot; enter a CSC application number only if your route asks for one.
  5. Preview the whole application. Follow the fee instructions, submit the form and check that the system acknowledges submission. Saving a draft does not submit it.
How to fill the CSC application
  1. Open the CSC portal below and register or sign in. Complete your personal details before starting the scholarship application.
  2. Select the application category specified in the current scholarship call. Type A commonly uses a dispatching authority and Type B a university; confirm the exact category and agency number in that route's current notice and check the receiving institution displayed by the system.
  3. Select the degree category, teaching language, major and study period specified by the eligible program. Keep these consistent with your university application.
  4. Upload the requested documents, review all fields and submit. Download the completed application form; sign and upload it to the university or dispatching-authority system when instructed.
  5. Save your application number and a copy of the submitted form. If you withdraw to edit, submit again before the deadline and tell the receiving office if it already began reviewing your application.
Open CSC application systemCSC scholarship application system

Official sources for this guide

The links below support the dates, route sequence, and program details shown above. Some are planning references rather than a current university deadline; each item on the admissions calendar states its source and evidence basis.

Dates and funding rules change by intake. Recheck the current official notice before paying, submitting, or arranging documents.