The annual Ph.D. enrollment is about 80-100. The students are admitted through three channels: students ranked high the National Post-graduate Entrance Examination (NPEE), senior undergraduate students from Tsinghua with the exemption of NPEE, and those from other universities with the exemption of NPEE. All candidates must be interviewed and approved by a recruitment committee formed by five faculty members.

The duration of the Ph.D. program is usually five to six years for candidates with bachelor degree or four to five years for candidates with master degree.