TL;DR

At least 1000 characters in total (1500+ for PhD student). Personally I suggest 1000-1200 characters in English and attach Chinese version to it. The relevance of professional background to applied field, research ability and development plans should be clearly written.

Title

The formal format should look like:

Study Plan for [Degree Level: e.g., Master’s/PhD] in [Major: e.g., International Relations with Chinese Studies] at [Host University]

Introduction / Motivation

  • Briefly summarise your academic path and why you choose to study in China, and specifically why this major and this university/institution.
  • Explain how your background, interests and future goals align with the Chinese-context study (e.g. join in multinational corporation and engage in China-related activities to help both sides achieve benefit and win-win results).

Academic Background & Preparation

Clarify your bg and research ability

  • Outline your prior education (undergraduate study), relevant courses, research or internship experiences related to China (that's important) and related to your aimming Master program.
  • Mention your language proficiency (English, and if applicable Chinese) and any methodological training (e.g., archival research, text analysis, comparative politics).
  • Demonstrate you are prepared for the proposed programme.

Research Focus / Objectives

The main part of your "plan" in text. You can also add methodology / sources (if you already have them and can describe literally). Better associate the highlight of the program (e.g. search for the programs record / feedback in recent years) and explain that you can devote yourself to it and push even further

  • State clearly your research topic or academic interest (for example: “The role of Chinese cultural diplomacy in the Belt & Road region”, or “A comparative study of Ming-Qing foreign relations with Southeast Asia”).
  • List specific objectives or research questions and research methodology (Optional, too academic)

Study Plan Timeline

You need to plan in timeline. Try to make it attractive (maybe one is formal with followinga vivid and characteristic timeline table

  • Provide a semester/term or year-by-year breakdown: e.g., Year 1 (coursework + language-support), Year 2 (fieldwork/data collection), Year 3 (analysis & writing) etc. That is the most common one
  • Indicate milestones (e.g., finished coursework, pass qualifying exam/开题, complete data collection, submit article, defend thesis).

Expected Outcomes (Optional, required for PhD application)

Supervisor & Programme Fit (Optional, TBD, not sure if this is ok for applying the scholarship)

Conclusion

  • Summarise your readiness, motivation, and commitment to the programme.
  • Emphasise your interest in contributing to and engaging with the host university’s academic community and broader international dialogue.

References

Remember the formats for English version and Chinese are different. The Chinese reference format follow the GB/T 7714-2015 standard.

Other Suggestions and Helpful Websites

Find China School. CSC Study Plan Guide (2025–2026)

2025 High Level Postgraduate Program Application Guide | CQU

2026/2027 Chinese Government Scholarship Application | Embassy of China