Schwarzman Scholarship
This scholarship provides a year of study leading to a Master's degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. All courses are taught in English.
ELIGIBILITY
- Seniors, graduate or professional students, and alumni under the age of 28.
- U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
- Note: The Schwarzman Scholars program has separate applications for applicants who hold passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macao (May 2024) and applicants from all other countries (September 2024). See more information below.
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 fully funds students from around the world on an annual basis (40% of each year's cohort from the U.S., 20% from China, and 40% 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. The specific criteria are:
- A strong academic record and potential to excel in a graduate program
- Potential to be a future leader in areas such as politics, business, or science
- Seeking a better understanding of China’s role in the world
WEBSITE
HOW TO GET STARTED
While OURSD does not provide formal endorsements for the Schwarzman Scholars, we strongly encourage you to work with us on your application, as we can provide feedback and guidance on your essays, letters of recommendation, and other components.
Please make an appointment in late spring or early summer with to discuss your fit with the award. Well in advance of the deadline, applicants should email OURSD-general@andrew.cmu.edu with a complete PDF of your Schwarzman Scholars application for our review.
FINAL DEADLINE for students from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao: May 20, 2024 at 11:59PM China Standard Time
FINAL DEADLINE for non-Chinese students: September 12, 2024 at 3:00PM Eastern Daylight Time
Required Materials:
- A complete Schwarzman Scholars application, including required essays and short answer responses.
- A current résumé/CV.
- Optional (but highly recommended) 1-minute video introducing yourself.
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty or professionals in your field. One letter must focus on your academic abilities; a second letter must focus on your leadership potential, ideally from a writer who is aware of the leadership example you used for your essay; and a third letter should must focus on either your academic abilities, your leadership, or a combination thereof. Please see for more specific guidelines.
For the final deadline, all candidates must upload and submit required documents to the online Schwarzman application site, including official transcripts from all colleges (including community colleges where you may have only taken 1 course and study abroad transcripts, unless both the grades and credits of all courses appear on your Carnegie Mellon transcripts). By your deadline (based on country of citizenship), you also must register your letter of recommendation writers in your online application, and their letters must be uploaded.
SELECTION PROCESS
Applications are reviewed by a distinguished committee of business, government, and academic leaders from around the world, and a select number of applicants are then invited to interview with an international panel of leaders from a variety of backgrounds. Selected applicants from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao will be invited to interview in June or July, while selected applicants from the U.S. and all other countries will be invited to interview in October or November. OURSD will coordinate mock interviews for those students called to an interview. The final selections will be announced shortly after each respective round of interviews. Those selected as Schwarzman Scholars will begin the program the August of the following year.