Schwarzman Scholarship

Who Should Apply?: 

Rising seniors, recent graduates

What It's For: 

One-year master's degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China; master's in global affairs

Fields of Study: 

Any field

Scholarship Website: 

Schwarzman Scholarship

The Schwarzman Scholarship provides a year of study leading to a Master's degree in Public Policy, Economics and Business, or International Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. All courses are taught in English.

This award does not require UMass endorsement; however, if you wish to receive comprehensive advising support, including feedback on your application essays from ONSA staff, you will need to contact us approximately two months before the external deadline, and send us your draft no later than two weeks before submitting your application.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Seniors, graduate or professional students, and alumni not yet 29 years of age.
  • U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
  • Note: Applicants who hold passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macao have a separate deadline at the end of May (check their website).

Candidate Profile:

Candidates are evaluated based on their potential to be future leaders in their professional fields and broadly in society, who seek a better understanding of China's role in the world. Students from any major can apply and Mandarin classes are included in the coursework. The program expects to fully fund 200 students annually (90 from the U.S., 40 from China, and 70 from the rest of the world). The Schwarzman Foundation endeavors to mix practical and theoretical knowledge to train those who aspire to make the world a more peaceful and prosperous place. Applicants with a strong profile possess:

  • Academic excellence
  • Outstanding leadership or leadership potential
  • Entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take risks
  • Exemplary character as demonstrated in letters of recommendation
  • Desire to better understand China’s role in the world
  • Desire to find innovative solutions to problems and effect change
  • Experiences beyond undergraduate academics through internships, community service, work experience, and/or graduate coursework

DEADLINE for students from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao: MAY

Applicants who hold passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao must officially apply online through the China application system prior to the deadline in May. Finalists will be invited to interview at Tsinghua University in Beijing in early July. The Schwarzman Scholarship does not formally require a university endorsement process for Chinese applicants. Thus, Chinese applicants may choose to independently submit application materials to the Schwarzman. However, if you are interested in obtaining feedback on your application from ONSA, please provide a complete PDF of your Schwarzman Scholars application and a current résumé for our review at least two weeks before deadline.

DEADLINE for non-Chinese, including American students: SEPTEMBER

Unlike other prestigious scholarship processes, the Schwarzman Scholarship does not formally require university endorsement. An applicant may independently submit application materials to the Schwarzman Scholarship. However, if you are interested in obtaining feedback on your Schwarzman Scholarship application please send your essays to ONSA at least two weeks before deadline.

Application Components:

Your application must include:

  1. Three letters of recommendation addressing specifically your qualifications as a Schwarzman Scholar. Two letters should be from academics or professionals in your field. The third recommender should focus on leadership and ideally also be aware of the leadership example you used for your essay. Please see Schwarzman criteria for more specific guidelines.
  2. Schwarzman Scholars application.
  3. Transcripts/academic records from every degree-granting college or university attended (undergraduate or graduate – must be combined into one PDF and then uploaded). If transcripts are not in English, official translations must be included.
  4. Essay One: Statement of Purpose and Leadership (750 words).
  5. Essay Two: Current Affairs Essay (500 words).
  6. Current resume/CV (no longer than 2 pages).
  7. 1-minute video introducing yourself (not required but strongly recommended).  The video can be up to one minute in length, and candidates are invited to introduce themselves in any style or setting they think best conveys their interests and personality. Note: the file must be less than 20MB in order for you to upload it to the application.

Application Procedure

While students and alumni can apply directly to the Schwarzman Program, it is in the best interest of applicants to work through ONSA's review process. This involves support throughout preparation of the application materials and feedback to help applicants craft the strongest application possible. Contact us for advising approximately 2 months before the external deadline and send us your draft no later than 2 weeks before submitting it.