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Study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine: English Routes

Universities
Oct 5, 2026
Red-brown archway east gate of the Tuanbo campus of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine with a road leading to campus buildings

To study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to train at the one TCM school that China’s old State Education Commission named an “international college” of traditional medicine. That label raises a fair doubt, though. Does “international” mean you can study here in English? Partly. Founded in 1958, TJUTCM holds Double First-Class status for Chinese materia medica (中药学), the science of medicinal herbs. Its English-taught degrees, however, sit at master’s and PhD level, in acupuncture and in that same herbal science. Everything else runs in Chinese. Below: which door fits you, the 2026 fees and deadlines, scholarships, and what life looks like on a lakeside campus outside Tianjin.

Quick Links Before You Study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Why Study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Double First-Class status, not 211

TJUTCM was never a 985 or 211 university. Still, the 2022 Double First-Class list names it for Chinese materia medica (Ministry of Education et al., 2022). It also holds two national key disciplines: acupuncture and tuina, and TCM internal medicine. So the herbal lab and the needle clinic are both strong here, which is less common than you might think. Our guide to China’s 985 and 211 universities explains why a specialist school can sit outside 211 and still lead its field.

Built to teach the world

Here is the real hook. TJUTCM chairs the education committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. In that role it drafted the first international standard for TCM undergraduate education. It also edited 13 core textbooks for the federation’s world series. Abroad, it runs the first TCM Confucius Classroom, in Kobe, Japan, and Thailand’s first TCM Confucius Institute (TJUTCM International Education College, 2025a). In other words, teaching foreigners is part of its identity, not a side project.

Hospitals and a herb garden on campus

The university lists 10 affiliated hospitals and 41 teaching hospitals. Meanwhile, the main campus holds the Tianjin Botanical Garden of Chinese Medicinal Herbs and the Tianjin Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine. For a pharmacy student, that garden is a living textbook. For a clinical student, the hospitals matter more, since internships make or break a TCM degree.

Programmes: Which Door Is Yours?

Bachelor’s degrees, taught in Chinese

The current international admissions guide lists four five-year degrees: Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and tuina, integrated Chinese and Western clinical medicine, and clinical medicine. Four-year options include Chinese materia medica, pharmacy, TCM pharmaceutics, rehabilitation, nursing and Chinese language, among others. No bachelor’s is marked as English-taught on that list. So, in practice, plan on Chinese. Applicants for Chinese materia medica should also bring a solid chemistry background, the guide notes.

English-taught master’s and PhD

Now the English side. Two fields carry the English mark at master’s and doctoral level: acupuncture and tuina, and Chinese materia medica. Both run for three years. Acupuncture applicants need a degree in medicine or a related subject. Materia medica applicants need a background in pharmacy, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology or something close. The other clinical majors — internal medicine, paediatrics, orthopaedics — are taught in Chinese only.

The one-year English acupuncture course

Not ready for a degree? Then this is the low-risk option. A non-degree acupuncture course runs in English from September to June. It covers TCM basics, diagnosis, meridians and points, tuina, needling technique and a clinical placement. You leave with a certificate, not a degree. Even so, it is a sensible way to test the school, and the field, before a longer commitment.

Admissions: How to Study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2026

Language requirements

  • Chinese-taught degrees: HSK 4, at every level from bachelor’s to PhD.
  • English-taught degrees: fluent English. For the scholarship route, an IELTS, TOEFL or similar certificate is required, unless English is your native or official language.

HSK 4 is a lower formal bar than some rivals set. However, five years of clinical Chinese is hard work, so a stronger level helps a lot. The college runs beginner and intermediate Chinese classes, starting in September or March. Our guide on what HSK level you need for university explains the gap between levels.

Bachelor’s: the new CSCA test

From the 2026/2027 year onward, bachelor’s applicants must sit the China Scholastic Competency Assessment before they apply, and submit the score. Mathematics is compulsory for everyone. Professional Chinese (science) is required too, except for English-taught programmes. The test runs five times a year, and one subject costs 450 CNY, two cost 700 CNY (TJUTCM International Education College, 2025a). Our CSCA exam guide has the details. Applicants under 18 also need a notarised guardian in Tianjin.

Documents and deadlines

  • Self-funded window: applications close on 30 June each year; entry is in September.
  • Papers: highest diploma, transcripts, passport, health check, photo, a police certificate (or a signed commitment) and, for graduate applicants, published papers.
  • How: online only. The college does not accept applications by email or post.
  • Next: pay the 500 CNY fee once your file passes review, then receive the admission letter and JW202 form for an X1 visa. Our China student visa guide walks through that step.

Tuition and Scholarships at TJUTCM

Fees

ProgrammeTaught in Chinese (CNY/year)Taught in English (CNY/year)
Bachelor’s25,00037,000
Master’s31,00041,000
PhD43,00053,000
Chinese language course14,000 (7,000 a semester)—
One-year acupuncture course—29,000 tuition + 12,000 translation fee
Application fee (once)500

All figures come from the current admissions guide, which the college posted in December 2025 for the 2026 intake (TJUTCM International Education College, 2025a). The English bachelor’s rate is listed even though no bachelor’s carries the English mark this cycle. The guide does not list dorm fees either, so ask the college before you budget. Clinical placements are also open to visiting students, at 1,200 CNY a week with Chinese supervision or 1,750 CNY in English. Compared with Nanjing’s 24,000 CNY, the Chinese-taught bachelor’s fee is slightly higher; it matches Guangzhou’s.

Scholarship options

  • CSC graduate scholarship, English-taught (Type B): for acupuncture and Chinese materia medica master’s and PhD. It covers tuition, a living allowance, campus housing and insurance. The 2026 deadline was 1 March on the CSC portal, agency number 10063 (TJUTCM International Education College, 2025b).
  • CSC graduate scholarship, Chinese-taught (Type B): 15 majors, from internal medicine to nursing. It needs HSK 4 taken after January 2024; the 2026 deadline was also 1 March (TJUTCM International Education College, 2025c).
  • Age limits: 35 for master’s and 40 for PhD applicants.

One detail is easy to miss. For the English-taught scholarship, you also email your documents to the college before 1 March to request a pre-admission letter. The college calls it essential; without it, the online application is incomplete. Allowance amounts follow the Ministry of Education’s current standard. Our guide to scholarships in China covers other routes.

Student Life in Tianjin

A lakeside campus, far from downtown

The main campus, pictured at the top of this page, sits beside Tuanbo Lake in Jinghai District. That is well outside central Tianjin, so the campus feels like a town of its own — quiet, green and spread out. It covers about 1.4 square kilometres. The second campus, on Yuquan Road in Nankai District, is far more urban. If you want city buzz on your doorstep, Tuanbo may feel remote at first.

City life and costs

Tianjin usually costs less than Beijing, yet the high-speed train reaches the capital in about half an hour. The city mixes old European concession streets with modern towers; our Tianjin city guide covers the sights. Winters are cold and dry, summers hot. For other options in the same city, compare Tianjin University for engineering, or Tianjin Medical University’s English MBBS for Western medicine.

Practical Tips Before You Apply

  • Pick your door first. Clinic at bachelor’s level means Chinese; acupuncture or herbal science at graduate level can mean English.
  • Book the CSCA early. Bachelor’s applicants need the score before they apply, and sittings are limited.
  • Request the pre-admission letter in time. For CSC, the email deadline and the portal deadline fall on the same day.
  • Ask about housing. The guide is silent on dorm prices, so get them in writing.
  • Check licensing at home. A Chinese TCM or acupuncture qualification helps only if your own regulator accepts it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in English?

Yes, at master’s and PhD level in acupuncture and tuina or Chinese materia medica, and in the one-year acupuncture course. The current bachelor’s list is taught in Chinese.

What HSK level does TJUTCM require?

HSK 4 for Chinese-taught degrees, including the Chinese-taught CSC graduate scholarship.

How much is tuition?

25,000 CNY a year for a Chinese-taught bachelor’s; 41,000 CNY for an English-taught master’s and 53,000 CNY for an English-taught PhD.

Is TJUTCM a Double First-Class university?

Yes, for Chinese materia medica. It is not a 985 or 211 school.

When should I apply?

By 1 March for the CSC scholarship and by 30 June for self-funded places, judging by the 2026 cycle. New notices for 2027 will probably appear around December 2026.

Conclusion: Should You Study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine?

If you already hold a medical or pharmacy degree, the case to study at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is unusually clear. Acupuncture and herbal science, its two strongest fields, are exactly the ones taught in English. For a school leaver, by contrast, the path runs through Chinese, the CSCA and five demanding years. Either way, few TCM universities have spent so long shaping how the world learns this medicine. Start with the language question, then the March deadline. And if Tianjin does not fit, the other TCM schools linked above make a useful shortlist.

References

  • Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, & National Development and Reform Commission. (2022). 关于公布第二轮”双一流”建设高校及建设学科名单的通知 [Notice on the second-round Double First-Class universities and disciplines]. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A22/s7065/202202/t20220211_598710.html
  • TJUTCM International Education College. (2025a). 天津中医药大学国际学生招生简章 [Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine admissions for international students]. Retrieved from http://iec.tjutcm.edu.cn/info/1038/4590.htm
  • TJUTCM International Education College. (2025b). Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Chinese Government Scholarship for postgraduates: Application introduction for English program, 2026. Retrieved from http://iec.tjutcm.edu.cn/info/1042/4597.htm
  • TJUTCM International Education College. (2025c). 2026年天津中医药大学中国政府奖学金研究生招生简章（中文授课） [2026 CSC graduate scholarship guide, Chinese-taught programmes]. Retrieved from http://iec.tjutcm.edu.cn/info/1042/4595.htm