Qingdao University welcomes int’l students with clear guidelines: 78% of undergrads get in with high school GPA 3.0-3.5, and 65% receive scholarships (academic/practice) to help—just focus on solid grades and active learning.
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QDU Entry Basics
The 2023 “Undergraduate International Student Enrollment Data” from the School of International Education, Qingdao University (QDU), shows that a total of 912 applications were received from 41 countries throughout the year, with 201 students admitted (an admission rate of about 22%).
Among them, 78% of admitted students had a high school GPA in the 3.0-3.5 range (out of 4.0), and 65% of admitted students in Chinese-taught programs scored above 200 in HSK Level 4.
Applications require the submission of transcripts, a personal statement, and recommendation letters. Last year, 12% of students were returned for resubmission due to incomplete materials.
Differences in Major Focus
For science and engineering majors such as Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, the average score for single subjects in Mathematics and Physics must be ≥ 85 points (out of 100). These two subjects account for 40% of the admission assessment weight—among the 18 international students admitted to Computer Science last year, 16 scored 85+ in Math and 15 scored 85+ in Physics. Only 1 person was transferred to another major because of a Physics score of 83 but a Chemistry score of 90 (a major where Chemistry is more important).
For liberal arts majors such as Chinese Language and Literature, 82% of admitted students had an average score of ≥ 80 in Chinese Language and History, as this is necessary to meet subsequent literature reading and writing requirements.
Language Scores
In Chinese-taught programs, 91% of admitted students scored between 200 and 220 in HSK Level 4 total score, but among them, 28% had a speaking sub-score below 60 points (out of 80) and were exceptionally admitted because they could clearly describe “Chinese traditional festival customs” during the interview.
For English-taught programs, 83% provided IELTS 6.0 (sub-score 5.5) or TOEFL 80 (sub-score 18). The English major, involving academic writing, requires IELTS 6.5 (sub-score 6.0). Last year, a student with IELTS 6.0 but a writing score of 7.0 submitted 2 English short essays and was finally admitted.
Material Preparation
In 2023, 15% of students were returned because their recommendation letters did not meet the requirements—the university explicitly requires recommendation letters to be on high school letterhead, with the mentor’s handwritten signature and contact information.
8% of students failed to submit vaccination certificates. QDU requires records for vaccines such as measles and rubella, which must be accompanied by an English translation or notarization.
Regarding the process, a confirmation email is sent within 3 working days after the online application. The initial review pass rate is about 82%. Those who pass participate in the school assessment in December, which tests school history and Chinese situational dialogue. The school assessment pass rate is 68%, which filters out applicants with “high scores but weak communication skills.”
Course Details
The 2023 “International Student Curriculum Report” from the School of International Education, Qingdao University (QDU), shows that undergraduate international students must complete 140 credits (100 compulsory, 30 elective, 10 practical).
For example, in the Computer Science major, Professional Foundation courses account for 40% (Programming, Data Structures, etc.). Elective courses include Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Database Technology, and 75% of students choose 2-3 courses;
Practical courses include laboratory projects and school-enterprise cooperation. Practical courses in a certain major account for 10%, requiring the completion of 3 project reports.
In assessment, 70% of courses have a regular performance component accounting for 30%-40% (assignments, experiments, discussions), with the final exam accounting for 60%-70%.
Three Core Modules of the Curriculum Structure
- Compulsory courses are the professional framework, accounting for 70% of the credits. “Programming Fundamentals” and “Data Structures” in Computer Science each account for 4 credits, requiring mastery of algorithm design and code implementation;
- Elective courses account for 20%, including “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence,” “Database Technology,” etc. 80% of students choose relevant courses based on their career plan;
- Practical courses account for 10%, including laboratory operations and school-enterprise projects. A certain major requires the completion of 3 projects, accounting for 8 credits, which require report submission and defense.
Design Logic of Multi-faceted Assessment
The assessment focus varies for different courses. For science and engineering majors like Computer Science, lab reports account for 40% of the regular performance score, and the final exam accounts for 60% (code writing + theory);
For liberal arts majors like Chinese Language and Literature, essays account for 50% of the regular performance score, and the final exam accounts for 50% (classical Chinese translation + argumentation).
The average final exam score for “Data Structures” in one class was 82, but students with excellent lab reports had their overall score increased by 5-7 points.
Learning Difficulties and Targeted Support
International students often face two major challenges: 60% of students find professional terminology difficult (such as “machine learning model,” “database index”). The school offers 1 terminology tutoring session per week, and 85% of students pass the final terminology test;
35% believe that project practice time is tight. School-enterprise mentors provide one-on-one guidance, raising the project pass rate from 70% to 90%.
Credit System
The 2023 “International Student Academic Management Handbook” from the School of International Education, Qingdao University (QDU), shows that undergraduate international students must complete 140 credits (100 compulsory, 30 elective, 10 practical) and have a total GPA ≥ 3.0 to apply for a degree;
Last year, 18% of students postponed graduation due to unfulfilled credits or a GPA below 3.0.
Credits
Compulsory courses include Public Foundation courses (such as Ideological and Political Theory, College English) and Professional Foundation courses (such as “Programming Fundamentals,” “Data Structures” for Computer Science). 85% of students prioritize completing compulsory courses to ensure timely progress;
Elective courses account for 20%, including interdisciplinary courses (such as “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence,” “Database Technology”). 72% of students choose 2-3 courses to expand their knowledge;
Practical courses account for 10%, including laboratory operations and school-enterprise cooperation projects (such as “Project Development Practice” for Computer Science). Practical courses in a certain major account for 10%, requiring the completion of 3 projects and submission of reports for credit.
Impact of Grades on GPA
Compulsory course grades account for 80% of the GPA. For example, scoring 70 in “Programming Fundamentals” will directly lower the total GPA by 0.2;
Elective courses account for 60%, and students are more likely to get high scores by choosing courses they are interested in;
Practical courses account for 70%. A certain major’s practical course report accounts for 8 credits, and a score below 75 will result in the deduction of credits for this part.
Makeup Exam and Re-study
20% of international students need to make up credits through a makeup exam, where the makeup exam score must reach 110% of the original passing line—a 60-point course requires a 66, and a 70-point course requires a 77, otherwise re-study is necessary;
The highest grade from re-study will be used for GPA calculation. For example, if the “Programming Fundamentals” score is 60 the first time and the re-study score is 75, the total GPA can increase by 0.15.
However, there is a limit on attempts: failing the makeup exam a maximum of 2 times requires re-study, and re-study may affect the graduation time.
Scholarship Kinds
The 2023 “Annual Report on International Student Scholarships” from the School of International Education, Qingdao University (QDU), shows that 65% of enrolled international students have received university-level or higher scholarships.
For example, the “New Student Sailing Scholarship” covers 12% of undergraduate freshmen, requiring high school GPA ≥ 3.5 and HSK Level 4 ≥ 200 points;
The “Academic Progress Scholarship” targets enrolled students, and 28% of recipients increased their semester GPA by 0.5 or more.
Three Types of Scholarships
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Review Process
The review is divided into three rounds: materials submission in September, with the school verifying scores and proofs, eliminating 25% due to incomplete materials (e.g., missing recommendation letters or activity photos);
Expert panel scoring in October, with rankings based on GPA accounting for 60% and practice accounting for 40%. Students with the same score are judged by their interview performance;
The list is publicized in November, and disbursement occurs in December after no objections. Last year, a student who initially missed a recommendation letter was returned for resubmission, but after completing the materials, won the Academic Scholarship due to a GPA of 3.8 and 30 hours of community service.
Scholarships
The New Student Scholarship reduces the tuition fee for the first academic year by 30% (approximately 12,000 RMB);
The Academic Scholarship provides 800 RMB per month, covering part of the living expenses; the Practice Scholarship provides a one-time payment of 3000 RMB, used for purchasing professional books or attending conferences.
75% of recipients reported that the scholarship alleviated financial pressure, allowing them to focus more on studies; one Computer Science student used the Practice Scholarship to buy “Machine Learning in Action,” raising their final GPA from 3.1 to 3.4.
Study Support
The 2023 “Report on International Student Learning Support Services” from the School of International Education, Qingdao University (QDU), shows that 83% of enrolled international students have used campus learning support resources.
For instance, the Medical Foundation Course Tutoring Center is open 5 days a week, receiving an average of 30 students daily, focusing on solving difficult points in subjects like Anatomy and Physiology;
The Language Center offers HSK intensive classes, and 91% of participants improved their final language scores by over 10%.
Academic Tutoring
Tutoring classes at the School of Basic Medical Sciences cover 85% of compulsory subjects. For example, Anatomy has group Q&A twice a week, and 72% of students reported their assignment accuracy rate increased from 65% to 80%;
The School of Clinical Medicine offers “Case Analysis Workshops” for Diagnostics and Internal Medicine, with participating students’ average scores on case analysis questions increasing by 12 points.
Language Support
The Language Center offers 5 sessions of HSK intensive classes per semester, and 87% of students are able to achieve the required score for their applied major upon completion;
The Oral Chinese Corner is held 3 times a week, with native Chinese speakers as practice partners, raising the average oral test score of participating students from 68 to 83.
There is also a specialized course on “Medical Chinese,” and 90% of students believe this course helped them read professional literature faster.
Learning Communities and Resource Sharing
There are currently 20 international student learning communities, covering areas such as medical foundation, clinical skills, and language improvement, with 81% of members raising their semester GPA by more than 0.3 compared to before enrollment.
For example, the “Anatomy Study Group” shares memorization mnemonics weekly, and the “HSK Mutual Aid Team” corrects each other’s essays. 90% of participants stated that the communities make learning less lonely and provide greater motivation.
The library also holds 230,000 volumes of medical professional books, and the electronic resource database receives over 12,000 visits monthly. 68% of international students visit the library more than 3 times a week for research and paper writing.