In 2023, Tongji University hosted 5000 international students, 60% received scholarships (govt, school, special types). Courses follow 160 credits (70% compulsory), 75% use case teaching, 65% bilingual textbooks, 60% joined 3-month internships (85% matched).
Table of Contents
Curriculum
According to the “International Student Curriculum Structure Report” released by the university’s College of International Education in 2023, among the 5000 enrolled international students, 90% adopted the curriculum system. Among the total 160 credits, 70% are compulsory courses (112 credits) covering fundamentals such as mathematics and mechanics, 20% are elective courses (32 credits) including interdisciplinary content like cross-cultural studies and Chinese architectural history, and 10% are practical courses (16 credits) aligned with experiments and internships.
Assessment consists of 30% regular performance (group presentations, experimental reports) and 70% final assessment (closed-book exams + practical operations). 75% of courses adopt case teaching (e.g., using the Shanghai Tower to teach structural design), and 65% of professional courses use bilingual textbooks (with English glossaries attached).
- Credit Structure: Total credits are 160, including 70% compulsory (112), 20% elective (32), and 10% practical (16) credits, covering 90% of international students. The graduation rate for those who complete all credits is 96%;
- Course Types: Compulsory courses include 50 core courses (e.g., Advanced Mathematics with 8 credits), and elective courses offer 20 interdisciplinary courses (e.g., Chinese Architectural History), with a course selection rate of 75% and participation rate of 80%;
- Teaching Mode: 75% of courses use case teaching (real engineering cases), and 65% of professional courses use bilingual textbooks (People’s Health Edition with glossaries attached). After adopting case teaching, the accuracy rate of homework increased by 25%;
- Assessment Methods: 30% regular (experimental operations, group presentations) and 70% final (closed-book exams + practical operations). The pass rate of practical operations is 85%, 20% higher than that of pure theoretical classes.
Credit Framework
The credit framework is hierarchically configured based on a total of 160 credits, adopting the approach of using compulsory courses to lay a foundation, elective courses to expand boundaries, and practical courses to connect with applications to adapt to academic rhythms. Among the total 160 credits, 70% are compulsory courses (bold), corresponding to 112 credits, including 12 core basic courses such as Advanced Mathematics (8 credits) and Theoretical Mechanics (6 credits), requiring an average score ≥75. Last year, an international student participated in a wind tunnel experiment project with the recommendation of a supervisor due to excellent grades in all core courses;
The 16 credits of practical courses include 8 credits of experimental operations (bold), arranged with virtual simulations (e.g., bridge stress simulation) and physical experiments (material mechanics testing), reducing the error rate of experimental reports from 40% to 15%.
The 32 elective credits include 20 courses such as Architectural Heritage Protection and Cross-Cultural Management, with a 25% degree of freedom in course selection (e.g., engineering majors can choose 2 humanities courses).
In the assessment, regular grades include group bridge model presentations, and final closed-book exams test basic theories. Data shows that the graduation rate for students who complete credits according to the framework is 96%, 10% higher than those who choose courses randomly.
Course Classification
Compulsory courses include 50 professional core courses (bold). For example, Civil Engineering offers Concrete Structures (6 credits, teaching reinforcement detailing using the Shanghai Tower drawings) and Fluid Mechanics (5 credits, analyzing flow velocity combined with hydrological data of the Huangpu River). Last year, the accuracy rate of students’ structural drawing increased from 55% to 80%;
Elective courses include 20 interdisciplinary courses (bold), such as Chinese Architectural History (covering the layout of the Forbidden City) and Technical Chinese (practicing engineering terminology), with a course selection rate of 75%. An international student published a research report on Suzhou Gardens in the university journal after taking Architectural History.
Practical courses include 8 credits of experiments (virtual + physical), 6 credits of internships (simulated construction sites), and 2 credits of graduation thesis (requiring combination with infrastructure cases in the Yangtze River Delta). Data shows that the participation rate in practical courses is 92%, and students’ scores in engineering communication increased by 30% after internships. For example, civil engineering students learned to explain pile foundation construction in plain language.
Teaching Implementation
75% of courses adopt case teaching (bold). For example, Architectural Design uses the full-life cycle case of the Shanghai Tower (site selection, seismic resistance, energy conservation), and Structural Mechanics analyzes formula application through load calculation of the Nanpu Bridge, increasing classroom interaction rate by 45% compared to pure lecture-based teaching;
65% of professional courses use bilingual textbooks (bold) (Tongji University Press edition) with English glossaries attached (e.g., prestressed concrete corresponding to “prestressed concrete”). Last year, students’ reading speed of foreign language literature increased by 35%.
Teaching emphasizes real-time feedback, with teachers providing 2 hours of English appointment tutoring per week. 48% of students who had tutoring clarified their blind spots in case studies. For example, an international student sorted out the logic of subway foundation pit support after tutoring and was rated excellent.
Practical operations account for 30% of the assessment (e.g., BIM modeling), using virtual simulation systems to reduce risks. Last year, 20 students entered the laboratory for operations after passing the assessment.
Funding
According to the “Annual Report on International Student Scholarships” released by the university’s College of International Education in 2023, among the 5000 enrolled international students, 60% received various scholarships (3000 students). Among 1200 applicants, 720 were admitted (admission rate 60%), covering undergraduate to doctoral stages, including 35% government scholarships (1050 students), 45% university-level scholarships (1350 students), and 20% special scholarships (600 students).
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Government Scholarships
In 2023, Tongji University had 100 quotas for the Chinese Government Scholarship (bold), covering undergraduate to doctoral stages. Awardees are exempt from tuition and accommodation fees and receive a living allowance (2500 RMB per month for undergraduates, 3000 RMB for postgraduates). The admission rate was 50% among 200 applicants (bold). For example, a doctoral student in Civil Engineering was selected for his achievements in wind tunnel experiments.
The Shanghai Municipal Government Scholarship has 100 annual quotas, focusing on Asia-Pacific students (60% from Vietnam and Thailand), with evaluation emphasizing high school grades and interview performance.
Data shows that awardees have higher academic stability, with a failure rate 15% lower than self-funded students, as they can focus more on research due to less financial pressure. A Malaysian postgraduate student used the scholarship to purchase finite element analysis software, increasing structural calculation efficiency by 18%.
University-Level Scholarships
University-level scholarships are divided into 2 categories (bold): Academic Excellence Awards (GPA ≥3.2, 200 annual awardees, covering the top 20% of majors) and Special Contribution Awards (volunteer service or competition awards, 100 annual awardees), with a total of 300 annual awardees (bold) and a participation rate of 70% (e.g., winners of mathematical modeling competitions are prioritized).
Evaluation is scored by GPA (60%), practice (20%), and teacher recommendation (20%), with cross-cultural engineering cases (e.g., simulating international project communication) used as a tiebreaker for equal scores.
Data shows that awardees’ scores in classroom case studies increased by 22%, and the error rate of experimental reports decreased by 12%. For example, an international student led a BIM modeling project after winning the Special Contribution Award, driving a team of 5 to participate in the competition.
Special Scholarships
Special scholarships have 100 annual quotas (bold), divided into the Belt and Road Engineering Scholarship (for 65 countries along the route, 50 annual awardees, focusing on HSK Level 5 + engineering terminology) and Engineering Practice Award (structural modeling and equipment operation assessment ≥90 points, 50 annual awardees), with an award rate of 8% (bold) (e.g., 50 admitted out of 1250 applicants for the Belt and Road Scholarship).
Evaluation focuses on actual achievements. The Engineering Practice Award reviews video recordings of virtual simulation operations (a student practiced bridge stress analysis with ANSYS, reducing the error rate from 30% to 8% and winning the award), and the Belt and Road Award reviews activity feedback (a student organized a high-speed rail technology exhibition attracting 120 participants).
Study Tools
According to the “International Student Learning Tool Usage Report” released by the university’s College of International Education in 2023, among the 5000 enrolled international students, 85% used learning tools. The digital resource library recorded 6000 monthly visits (30% from international students), the pass rate of virtual simulation platform operations increased from 45% to 80%, and collaboration tools improved the completion rate of group projects by 25%.
- Academic Database: Including CNKI Chinese Core Journals, Wanfang Foreign Language Journals, and ScienceDirect Engineering Collection, with 6000 monthly visits (bold), 30% (bold) from international students, and retrieval response time < 3 seconds. A civil engineering student used it to search for bridge seismic papers, increasing literature screening efficiency by 40%;
- E-textbook Library: Collecting bilingual textbooks such as “Structural Mechanics” and “BIM Technology Application”, with 4000 annual borrowings and reading speed 25% (bold) faster than paper versions, attached with QR codes for 3D models (scanning to view component decomposition);
- Terminology Dictionary: Chinese-English comparison of engineering terminology (e.g., prestressed concrete), with a usage rate of 70%. An international student stated that terminology cards shortened the reading time of foreign language literature by 20%;
- Case Collection: Including 20 local engineering cases such as the Shanghai Tower and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, with design drawings and construction logs for structural course reference and learning.
Digital Resource Library
The digital resource library had 6000 monthly visits (bold), with 30% (bold) of traffic contributed by international students, concentrated in professional courses such as Engineering Mechanics and Architectural Design. A mechanical engineering student stated that database retrieval is more accurate than Google Scholar, locating papers on robot joint transmission in 3 minutes.
Resources are divided into three tiers: the basic tier includes CNKI and Wanfang (covering domestic core journals), the advanced tier connects to ScienceDirect and IEEE Xplore (top foreign engineering journals), and the extended tier stores past papers from the Journal of Tongji University (Natural Science Edition) (e.g., 2022 research on tunnel construction settlement control).
E-textbooks are bilingual (Chinese main text + English glossary), with 4000 annual borrowings. An architecture student borrowed the bilingual version of “Yingzao Fashi (Treatise on Architectural Methods)”, comparing the illustrated mortise and tenon joints of the Forbidden City with English annotations, increasing comprehension efficiency by 25%.
The terminology dictionary is integrated into the library system, displaying related cases synchronously when searching for terms (e.g., popping up the structural drawing of the Shanghai Tower when searching for shear walls), with a usage rate of 70%. Data shows that students using the library cited 1.2 more papers than non-users, and their final thesis depth scores were 18 points higher, demonstrating the library’s support for academic output.
Virtual Practical Operation Platform
The platform operation pass rate increased from 45% to 80% (bold). A student practiced Shanghai subway station design with BIM modeling software, reducing the component assembly error rate from 30% to 8% (bold).
The platform is divided into three categories: structural (including bridge stress simulation (calculating beam deformation by inputting traffic volume) and high-rise building wind tunnel experiments (simulating typhoon conditions)). A civil engineering student simulated the load of the Yangpu Bridge, with an output report error rate < 5%;
Mechanical (including robot motion simulation (adjusting six-axis robotic arm trajectories)), with an electromechanical student increasing grasping accuracy by 20% after parameter adjustment; architectural (including VR construction site roaming (experiencing deep foundation pit support processes) and energy consumption analysis tools (calculating carbon emissions of green buildings)).
Operation data is fed back in real time. For example, a stress nephogram is generated after structural simulation (red areas indicate overload). A student adjusted the beam section accordingly, increasing load-bearing capacity by 15%.
The platform is bound to courses. Structural Mechanics uses it for exercises (e.g., main cable tension calculation of suspension bridges), and experimental courses replace some physical operations (e.g., virtual version of material tensile tests).
Data shows that students using the platform scored 28% higher in practical operation assessments than the traditional group. An engineering student stated that virtual practice before entering the laboratory reduced errors from 10 to 3 times, demonstrating the acceleration of skill internalization by simulation.
Collaboration and Writing Tools
Collaboration and writing tools address pain points in team co-creation and academic expression, reducing communication costs through online collaboration and improving writing efficiency with template standardization. The completion rate of group projects increased by 25% (bold). A 5-person group used shared documents to write a high-speed rail station design report, reducing division of labor conflicts from 40% to 10%;
The accuracy rate of paper citations increased by 28% (bold). An international student used the Zotero plugin to automatically match literature page numbers, reducing revision times by 2.
Collaboration tools include Tencent Docs (multi-person report editing), Zoom (cross-time zone discussions), and Miro (flowchart drawing). An international student team used Miro to sort out the construction nodes of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, increasing the detection rate of logical loopholes by 30%.
Writing support includes a template library (research proposal and case analysis structures), proofreading services (grammar correction by native English teachers), and anti-plagiarism systems (CNKI personal version). A social science student used a template to write a cross-cultural management paper, with the framework approved by the supervisor in one go.
Tools also integrate task boards (Trello) to mark progress and set reminders. A group used it to manage a BIM modeling project, reducing the delay rate by 15%.
Internship
According to the “International Student Internship and Practice Report” released by the university’s College of International Education in 2023, among the 5000 enrolled international students, 60% participated in internships with an average duration of 3 months, an 85% matching rate for targeted internships, and a 30% increase in the pass rate of skill assessments after internships compared to before.
Base Distribution
Internship bases are based on Tongji University’s industry-university-research network, focusing on the Yangtze River Delta industrial cluster, forming a multi-level cooperation pattern. There are 200 cooperating enterprises (bold), including leading institutions such as Shanghai Construction Group and East China Architectural Design & Research Institute, covering 8 professional fields such as architecture, civil engineering, and machinery. An architecture international student joined the project team of the Shanghai Tower through the base and participated in the optimization of curtain wall nodes;
Bases cover 5 core cities (bold) (Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo), facilitating international students to choose nearby. Outside the Yangtze River Delta, institutions such as Beijing Urban Construction Group set up special positions, accepting 10 students annually.
Bases are grouped by major: Civil Engineering focuses on construction site internships (e.g., pile foundation construction of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Huzhou Railway), and Mechanical Engineering connects to intelligent equipment R&D (e.g., industrial robot debugging). Data shows that the matching rate between bases and majors is 85%, 40% higher than random allocation. An electromechanical student increased practical operation hours from 20 to 50 due to the base matching a robot project.
Enterprises implement a supervisor system (1 engineer supervising 2-3 students) with on-site guidance once a week. An international student learned BIM pipeline collision detection from a supervisor, increasing report accuracy by 25%, demonstrating the support of base layout for practice quality.
Practice Content
Internship content closely aligns with core disciplines, using real projects for hands-on practice to promote ability internalization. The project participation rate is 70% (bold), where international students lead or participate in sub-modules. For example, architecture students develop renovation plans for historical blocks (including surveying, modeling, and presentation), and civil engineering students participate in bridge load tests (recording strain gauge data). An international student participated in the structural checking calculation of the steel structure at the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, outputting a report with an error rate < 5%;
The skill improvement rate of 30% (bold) is reflected in software operation (e.g., Revit modeling speed increased by 40%) and on-site communication (explaining technical parameters in plain language). A mechanical engineering student designed fixtures with SolidWorks during the internship, reducing the time from sketching to engineering drawing output by 50%.
Content is divided into three categories: technical positions (design, simulation) account for 60%, on-site positions (construction site internships, equipment maintenance) account for 30%, and auxiliary positions (data sorting, meeting minutes) account for 10%. Data shows that international students in technical positions have an 85% satisfaction rate due to direct access to core technologies.
Outcome Conversion
Internship outcomes are prominently marked by employment connection and ability certification, directly feeding back to academic and career development. The conversion rate to formal employment is 25% (bold), meaning the proportion of interns who receive formal offers among all participants. A civil engineering student joined Shanghai Construction Group as an assistant engineer after the internship, participating in 3 municipal projects;
Employment satisfaction rate of 80% (bold) is reflected in graduate feedback, who believe that internship experience increased the pass rate of job interviews by 35%. A mechanical engineering student received an offer from Tesla’s Shanghai factory based on experience in robot projects.
Outcomes also include credit replacement (qualified internships offset 2 credits) and competition bonus points (e.g., winning awards by participating in competitions with internship projects). An international student published a paper based on internship outcomes in the university journal.
Enterprise supervisor evaluations are included in academic scores, and excellent students receive recommendation letters (usage rate 60%). A student was prioritized for admission to overseas master’s programs with the recommendation letter.
Admission
Data from the university’s College of International Education in 2023 shows that 1800 students were admitted out of 3000 undergraduate applications from 50 countries worldwide (admission rate 60%). Confirmation emails are sent within 3 working days after online application submission, with an average review cycle of 4 weeks. The process is clear but requires strict adherence to deadlines.
Among applicants, 12% had their applications returned for revision due to reversed Pinyin. Supplementary documents must be submitted within 5 working days, and outcome confirmation requires online operation within 7 days; failure to do so is regarded as abandonment.
In 2023, 25% of supplementary admissions were made due to the abandonment of offers by first-round admitted students. Data shows that process standardization and timeliness are key to avoiding mistakes and successful enrollment, providing international students with a transparent path from document preparation to eligibility confirmation.
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Online Application Submission
In 2023, 85% of applicants submitted applications through Tongji University International Student Online Application System (bold). The system covers all undergraduate programs for international students at Tongji University, with Chinese-English interface switching. When filling in information, the Pinyin name must be completely consistent with the passport (e.g., Zhang Wei instead of Wei Zhang).
Last year, 12% of applicants had their applications returned for revision due to reversed Pinyin, wasting 3 days. The online application opening period is an average of 3 months (bold) (e.g., from September 1 to November 30, 2023), and the system closes after the deadline with no late submissions allowed. A Saudi student delayed the application by 6 months due to missing the deadline.
Program choices are limited to 3 parallel choices (sorted by priority). It is recommended to place popular majors (e.g., Civil Engineering) as the first choice. Last year, 30% of admitted students were matched with their first choice.
Uploaded ID photos must be 2-inch white background with 300dpi resolution. An African student was required to retake the photo due to a hat covering the face, causing a 3-day delay.
Save the application number and confirmation email after submission. Data shows that applicants who submitted applications standardly received initial review responses 2 weeks faster than those with disorganized submissions. For example, a student who filled in all fields such as educational background and language certificates as prompted received a confirmation email and entered initial review within 3 days, while a student who failed to fill in recommendation letter details waited 10 days for feedback, demonstrating the efficiency value of initial operations.
Document Verification
Document verification is a core review link after online application submission, focusing on completeness and format compliance. The initial review pass rate is 88% (bold) for applicants with complete documents (including notarized transcripts, HSK Level 4 ≥180 certificates, 2 hand-signed recommendation letters from teachers, and study plans). 15% of applicants had applications returned due to document format errors (bold) (e.g., encrypted PDF, skewed scans, recommendation letters without school letterheads).
Verification includes automatic screening and manual review. The automatic system checks file size (single file ≤5MB) and format (PDF only), while manual review checks the clarity of official seals on transcripts (8% were required to supplement documents last year due to blurred seals) and the consistency between HSK certificate photos and applicants (a Southeast Asian student was suspected of fraud for using an old photo).
Recommendation letters require hand signatures from teachers. A student had their application returned to complete the signature before entering re-review. Documents should be uploaded by category as prompted by the system (do not mix supplementary documents into the academic materials section). Data shows that applicants with clear classification had their documents processed 30% faster by reviewers.
For example, 2 reviewers at a university processed 40 applications per day on average, and disorganized classifications required an additional 10 minutes of verification, easily causing delays. Last year, a student uploaded the study plan to the wrong section, and the reviewer spent 20 minutes locating it, almost missing the initial review cycle, demonstrating the impact of details on review efficiency.
Outcome Confirmation
Confirm enrollment online within 7 days after admission (bold) by clicking the confirmation button in the system and replying to the admission letter receipt. In 2023, 25% of supplementary admissions (bold) were offered to applicants due to the abandonment of offers by first-round admitted students.
Verify personal information during confirmation (Pinyin name consistent with passport). An Indonesian student was required to revise a spelling error (Budi Santoso instead of Santoso Budi), causing a 2-day delay and nearly invalidating the offer.
Some majors require a deposit to confirm enrollment, which is deducted from tuition fees later and non-refundable if enrollment is not confirmed. Supplementary admissions are made in order of academic performance. Last year, Tongji University admitted 6 supplementary students for Civil Engineering (4 original admitted students abandoned their offers).
Download the electronic admission letter (including registration time and required documents) after confirmation; the paper version can be applied for mailing later.