The department of Philosophy at East China Normal University was established in 1986, and since then has maintained national and international recognition as one of the most acclaimed philosophy departments in China. The department now accepts applications from prospective international students for a 2-year MA program or 4- year PhD program in Chinese Philosophy.

The graduate program in Chinese Philosophy at ECNU offers general courses in Chinese language, culture, and history with courses more specifically focusing on Classical, medieval, and modern Chinese philosophy, Chinese intellectual history, and reading classical Chinese.

The graduate program is centered around the foundational texts of Chinese philosophy, the intellectual and political debates of pre-Qin China, and their influence in Chinese intellectual and socio-political history. A further emphasis is placed on engaging these topics through the language native to the texts in which they are recorded, classical Chinese. Core courses include Readings in Confucianism, including the Analects of Confucius and the Mencius; Readings in Daoism, including the Laozi and the Zhuangzi, as well as courses on Philosophical Chinese. Major elective courses include Neo-Confucianism, Neo-Daoism, The Five Classics, and Non-Canonical Chinese Philosophy amongst others. University requirements include Chinese language courses, Chinese Culture and Civilization, as well as interdepartmental electives.

Program Requirements

Degree Requirements

1. Requirements for the M.A. Program

The MA program at ECNU is a two-year program. The degree requirement has two components: 

（1）Completion of 30 credit hours of course work. The course work is comprised of 2 common-core courses (Chinese Language, Chinese Culture/Civilization, 7 credits), 4 required courses in philosophy (12 credits), 3 elective courses in philosophy (9 credits), and 1 outside course from any of the following departments: Chinese Language and Literature, History, Anthropology, Political Science, and other MA programs at ECNU (at least 2 credits). In addition, students are required to participate in at least 4 academic lectures, and submit a written report for each lecture attended (1 credit). Students MUST pass HSK Level 3 (≥180) or pass the “International Chinese Proficiency Standard Test” arranged by the university before graduation.

（2）Successful defense of an MA thesis of at least 10,000 words in length. Successful defense of the M.A. thesis research plan is also required in the end of the second semester. 

2. Requirements for the Ph.D.

The 4-year Ph.D. program requires course work of 15 credits and a Ph.D. dissertation. The Ph.D. program at ECNU is a four-year program. The degree requirement has three components:  

（1）Completion of 15 credit hours of course work. The course work is comprised of 1 common-core course (Chinese Language, Chinese Culture/Civilization, 2-3 credits), 3 required courses in philosophy (9 credits), and 1 or 2 elective courses (at least 3-4 credits). In addition, students are required to participate in at least 4 academic lectures, and submit a written report for each lecture attended (1 credit). Students MUST pass HSK Level 3 (≥180) or pass the “International Chinese Proficiency Standard Test” arranged by the university before graduation. 

（2）At least 1 academic article published in A&HCI or SSCI journals, or at least 2 academic articles published in other journals (as the sole or first author, indicating ECNU as the sole or first academic affiliation). 

（3）Successful defense of a Ph.D. thesis of at least 50,000 words in length. Successful defense of the Ph.D. thesis research plan is also required in the third semester.