I. A premier institution of higher education in traditional Chinese medicine
1. Strong faculty
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) boasts a distinguished faculty that brings together renowned experts and scholars from China and abroad with a dynamic team of senior, established and young academics. The university has 6,369 staff members (including affiliated hospitals), among them 1,822 full-time faculty members, 498 doctoral supervisors, two academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and eight National Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
2. High-quality clinical training bases
BUCM has four directly affiliated hospitals in Beijing — Dongzhimen Hospital, Dongfang Hospital, the Third Affiliated Hospital and Fangshan Hospital — along with the Guoyitang Chinese Medicine (CM) Clinic. In recent years, the university has actively explored new models of collaboration between universities and local governments, supporting affiliated hospitals in establishing high-quality regional service platforms for traditional Chinese medicine.
In addition, the university has 30 clinical teaching bases, including China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Guang’anmen Hospital, Xiyuan Hospital, Wangjing Hospital and Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. These bases are responsible for the clinical teaching, observation, and internship training of students.
It hosts 17 national key clinical specialties and 44 key specialties designated by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It also operates six Inheritance Studios of National Masters of CM, 3 Studios of National Famous CM Doctors, 46 Inheritance Studios of Distinguished Senior CM Experts and CM Academic Schools, as well as 49 “Torch Program 3+3 Project” studios and stations in Beijing.
Internationally, BUCM has established the CM Klinik Bad Kötzting in Germany — the first CM hospital in Europe — as well as Chinese Medicine centers in Sydney (Australia), St. Petersburg (Russia) and Maryland (USA).
II. A comprehensive CM education system
BUCM is committed to cultivating future-oriented talents with a focus on high-level education. It offers 16 undergraduate programs, including Chinese Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica, Acupuncture and Tuina, Nursing, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Pharmacy, Public Administration, English, Rehabilitation Therapy, Law, Business Administration, Pharmaceutical Administration, Data Science and Big Data Technology, Bioengineering, Clinical Medicine of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, and Traumatology and Orthopedics of CM.
BUCM was among the first CM universities in China to establish doctoral programs and postdoctoral research stations. It hosts three postdoctoral research stations in Chinese Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica, and Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. The university holds three first-level doctoral degree-granting disciplines covering 42 second-level doctoral programs and seven first-level master’s degree-granting disciplines with 47 master’s programs. It also offers five categories of professional degrees, including nine doctoral-level and 14 master’s-level professional degree programs.
BUCM achieved excellent results in the first nationwide evaluation of professional degree programs for graduate education, highlighting its leading role in cultivating top-level CM professionals.
III. Personalized training approaches
The university adopts differentiated training and management strategies for international students, based on their backgrounds and needs.
Preparatory students receive intensive Chinese language training from highly qualified instructors to ensure a solid foundation.
Undergraduates are enrolled either in independent classes or integrated with Chinese students. Students may apply to transfer majors, switch classes, or join integrated programs according to their interests and career goals.
Postgraduates are trained under a supervisor-based system, working together with their fellow students in research and clinical practice, ensuring that the quality of education is consistent with that of Chinese graduate students.
IV. Practical clinical training
For international undergraduates, BUCM offers diverse forms of hands-on learning, including CM skills training, apprenticeship under physicians, labor education and graduation internships.
V. Generous scholarships
International students may apply for:
Chinese Government Scholarship (via the China Scholarship Council)
Beijing Government Scholarship for International Students
VI. Broad career prospects and opportunities for further study
1. In China
Extensive employment opportunities: Located in Beijing — the nation’s political, cultural and technological hub — it offers graduates a wide range of career platforms.
National Physician Licensing Examination: International graduates may register for preparatory courses for the Chinese Physician Qualification Examination, with BUCM students achieving a pass rate of over 60%.
Graduate study: Graduates may continue their education at BUCM or other medical universities in China, pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees.
2. Overseas
Global recognition: As one of the most influential CM universities in the world, BUCM graduates are highly sought after by medical institutions worldwide, and BUCM degrees are recognized by most countries.
Professional licensing exams: Graduates may sit for multiple national licensing exams, such as the US National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), Australia’s Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner/Acupuncturist Exam and Canada’s CM Practitioner/Acupuncturist Exam.
Special examination center: BUCM also serves as a test site for the Clean Needle Technique (CNT) International Acupuncture Exam on the Chinese mainland.
