How to apply

Applications may be filed with us pending while waiting for final exam results or during the final year of university education. Conditional offers will be made where appropriate and students will normally have until 15 July 2025 to provide their exam results, English language test scores and/or diploma certificates to the Admissions Office. 

If your results are released after this date, please get in touch with us. 

Late applications may be considered subject to place availability.  If you would like to check in advance, please feel free to send an email to International Admissions Team.

*The application deadline for MA International Public Policy and Master of Business Administration (MBA) is 15 July 2025.

Your application should include the following materials:

• One recommendation letter on headed paper, signed and/or stamped
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates (completed or results so far)
• English language test score report if already received (e.g. IELTS or PTE Academic)
• Personal statement
• One photocopy of the main pages from your passport
• One 2 inch color bareheaded photo with white background (Note: the head must occupy two thirds of the photo; photo dimension is no less than 320 × 240 pixels, the aspect ratio is 4:3; the file size is between 100kb - 500kb; jpg or jpeg format)
• Identification document for applicants from China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions
  • Hong Kong - a copy of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card & Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents
  • Macao - a copy of Macao Permanent Identity Card & Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents
  • Taiwan - a copy of China's mainland travel permit for Taiwan residents, front and back sides 

Once we’ve received your completed application, and all supporting documents, it will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to process. 

• If you are successful in gaining a place at the University, you will receive an email. Please read the content in the email carefully, it will outline your next steps and any conditions on our offer of admission. 
• If you are not admitted into your first choice of degree, we will automatically consider you for the second choice you applied for.
• Applicants have the right to express their dissatisfaction with the processing of their application. If you wish to make a complaint, please email: compliance@nottingham.edu.cn

Deferral requests made after the registration start date of the year will no longer be considered. Applicants must make their request to defer before the registration start date during the admissions cycle. Students can apply for a deferral by contacting Admissions Office with details of offer holders requesting deferrals. Deferral requests can only be made once and will be approved at the discretion of the academic school or department. The maximum period allowed for deferral is one academic year. Please note that the academic qualifications must be valid at applicants’ revised start date. For offer holders whose first language isn’t English, the English Language qualifications/tests must also be valid at the revised start date.

Applicants whose request to defer is approved, will be asked to confirm that they still intend to take up their place and for an update on certain personal details, closer to the start of their course, (for a September entry course, we will contact all applicants before the end of March). 

For further information on this please contact the Student Recruitment and Admission office.