National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts

The National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts is Beijing’s specialist institution for the training and study of Chinese opera. Its teaching and research connect performance, directing, composition, instrumental music, stage design, dramaturgy and cultural management. The academy also works through centers devoted to opera talent development, theoretical research, inheritance and innovation, and international theatre exchange, giving students a practical and scholarly environment around a distinctive art form.

The academy’s 2026–27 international admissions notices provide full-time bachelor’s and master’s routes. The published bachelor’s catalog covers performance, directing, music, stage and transmedia arts, and arts management; its companion master’s catalog includes both research and professional practice fields. Most bachelor’s programs take four years, Chinese Opera Composition takes five, and master’s programs take three. Candidates send application documents and field-specific portfolios or performance evidence to the academy and may be invited to a Chinese-language interview or audition.