School Profile
The School of International Organizations (SIO), Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) is the first entity-based school of its kind in China. It serves as a comprehensive hub for talent cultivation, scientific research, and social services. SIO is dedicated to nurturing high-level, multilingual, and composite talents for international organizations and global governance. Our graduates are characterized by their broad international perspective, strong sense of national commitment, mastery of international rules, and proficiency in two or more UN official languages.
The SIO has 15 years of experience in international organization talent cultivation. It has enrolled 14 cohorts of master students, totaling over 400 individuals, with approximately 300 graduates. Currently, the school maintains an annual enrollment of about 110 students. Students have completed over 350 internships in international organizations across 30 countries and regions—including France, Switzerland, the USA, Kenya, and Chile—achieving an internship rate of nearly 100%. Graduates are widely employed within the UN system and its specialized organizations, national ministries, and multinational corporations.
In 2022, the SIO's“Faculty Team for Global Governance and International Organization Talent Cultivation” was honored as a “National Huang Danian-style Teacher Team”. In 2023, Ms. Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, was appointed Honorary Dean of the SIO.
Program Introduction
The Master of International Affairs (MIA) program, a newly approved first-level master’s degree program conferral at BFSU in 2024, is dedicated to cultivating high-level professionals for international affairs. Grounded in political science and related disciplines, the program aims to develop high-level, practice-oriented talents for international organizations, government departments, academic and research institutions, foreign-related enterprises, and social organizations.
The curriculum is designed to ensure that graduates are well-versed in international policies, knowledgeable about diverse national conditions, and possess a global vision alongside a mastery of international rules. Furthermore, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in foreign languages and excellence in international negotiation and intercultural communication. The program offers three distinct concentrations:
·International Organizations
·Diplomatic Affairs
·Intercultural Communication
Students may select their specialization based on personal interests and career development goals.
Program Highlights
• High-end International Cultivation Platform: Leveraging BFSU’s extensive international resources, students have opportunities to apply for exchange programs at overseas universities and internships at international organizations.
• Interdisciplinary Curriculum: The program integrates core elements of international relations, international economics, international law, diplomatic practice, and intercultural communication, providing a solid theoretical foundation and systematic professional knowledge.
• Dual-Mentor Joint Training Model: The program adopts a “dual-mentor system”, where academic supervisors and practical mentors from international organizations or government foreign affairs departments provide joint guidance, effectively bridging theory and practice.
• Multilingual Competence: Drawing on BFSU’s profound resources in foreign language education, the program emphasizes mastery of English alongside a second foreign language, cultivating the ability to conduct effective communication, coordination, and negotiation in multicultural environments.
• Extensive Alumni and Practice Network: Relying on BFSU’s rich alumni resources as the “Cradle of Diplomats” and its extensive international cooperation network, the program provides students with high-quality support for internships, employment, and career development.
Key Courses
Core Required Courses | Professional Elective Courses |
Introduction to Political Science | International Economic Organizations |
Global Governance: Theory and Practice | Population and Global Social Governance |
Research Methods in International Affairs | Innovation of Science & Technology and Global Affairs |
International Public Policy | UNESCO and Culture Governance |
Theories and Practices of International Organizations | Field Research on Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs |
Theories of Intercultural Communication | Studies on the Protection of Overseas Interests |
Seminar on International Affairs and Global Governance | Crisis Management in Intercultural Communication |
| International Negotiation: Theory and Practice |
| Intercultural Communication: Case Studies |
Program Specifications
Category | Details |
Degree Program | Postgraduate |
Primary Discipline | International Affairs (Code: 0355) |
Concentrations | International Organizations, Diplomatic Affairs, Intercultural Communication |
Duration | 2 Years |
Instruction Language | Chinese or Chinese-English Bilingual |
Tuition (RMB/Year) | To be determined |
Application Fee (RMB/Person) | RMB 800 |
Application Period | Mid-October to mid-May of the following year |
Enrollment | Autumn Intake |
Entry Requirements | 1.Bachelor’s Degree 2. HSK Level 5 (180+ points) suggested 3.English Proficiency (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent) 4. Passing the entrance interview |
Application Method
This program implements an online application process. Applicants should log in to the BFSU International Student Service System to apply.
Notes:
1.Application System URL: http://study.bfsu.edu.cn
2.Application Language: Chinese or English.
3.Application deadline: May 31, 2026.
4. Applicants must fill in the online information truthfully, accurately, completely, and effectively. The applicant shall bear all adverse consequences and responsibilities resulting from incorrect, incomplete, false or invalid information affecting admission or enrollment.
5. Terms regarding the collection, use, and protection of student information data can be found in the “Beijing Foreign Studies University International Student Privacy Policy”.
Required Application Materials
No. | Document name | Instructions |
1 | Passport (photo page) | A valid ordinary private passport is required. For applicants seeking admission in the fall semester, the passport must be valid until after October 1, 2026. Applicants currently residing in China must also upload the pages of their current visa/residence permit and the page with the most recent entry stamp. Applicants who were formerly Chinese citizens and later acquired foreign nationality must submit proof of naturalization and proof of renunciation of their former Chinese household registration. |
2 | Bachelor’s Degree Certificate | The degree certificate should be in Chinese or English. If the original certificate is in another language, both the original and a notarized Chinese or English translation must be uploaded. Note: Graduated applicants must submit the degree certificate at the time of application. Prospective graduates (current students) must submit an official pre-graduation or student status certificate at the time of application; if admitted, the official degree certificate must be submitted before registration. |
3 | Undergraduate Academic Transcripts | The transcripts should be in Chinese or English; documents in other languages must be accompanied by a notarized Chinese or English translation. |
4 | Language Proficiency Proof | HSK Level 5 (180+ points) valid within two years；IELTS 6.5 or equivalent English level |
5 | Research Proposal | The research proposal should be no less than 1500 words, written in Chinese or English |
6 | Two Recommendation Letters | Written by professors or associate professors (or experts with equivalent professional titles) in the relevant field of application. The recommendation letters should be in Chinese or English |
7 | Curriculum Vitae (CV) | Written in Chinese or English |
8 | Letter of Guarantee | Signed by a guarantor. The template letter can be downloaded from the application website: http://study.bfsu.edu.cn |
9 | Commitment Letter for Enrollment | Signed by the applicant. The template letter can be downloaded from the application website: http://study.bfsu.edu.cn |
10 | Academic Achievements | List of published academic articles and abstracts, as well as other original research outputs (if any). |
11 | Other Requirements | Any other requirements specified in the "Beijing Foreign Studies University International Student Admission Prospectus". URL: https://lb.bfsu.edu.cn/info/1043/2263.htm |
Contact Information
School of International Organizations
Beijing Foreign Studies University
Address: Office 659, International Building, West Campus, Beijing Foreign Studies University, No. 19, North Xisanhuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing
Postcode: 100089
Tel: +86-10-88818185
Email: bfsu-sio@bfsu.edu.cn
School Website: https://sio.bfsu.edu.cn/
WeChat account: BFSU-SIO
