Postgraduates applying for a master's degree in Peking University must have a bachelor's degree. Applicants who graduated from non-Chinese mainland institutions must have a bachelor's degree from an institution recognized by the Ministry of Education of China (skipping classes or changing classes during the undergraduate period is not accepted).

The cultivation of graduate students in Peking University can be traced back to the early 20th century, and Peking University first began to recruit graduate students in China.