A young female university student practising Chinese calligraphy at a desk with a Mandarin textbook open, a laptop showing a Chinese film with subtitles, and a wall map of China and traditional calligraphy scrolls behind her, representing the language and cultural study focus of Chinese Studies degrees

DEGREE GUIDE

Chinese Studies

What do Chinese Studies degrees involve?

Chinese Studies degrees teach you about China’s language, history, culture, and global influence, giving you insight into one of the world’s most important economies and societies. You will explore key areas such as Mandarin language, Chinese history, literature, politics, and philosophy. These courses help you develop linguistic, analytical, and cross-cultural communication skills while examining themes like China’s economic rise, international relations, and cultural heritage. You will also have the opportunity to study classical and modern Chinese texts, explore contemporary Chinese society, and gain an understanding of China’s role in global affairs. With immersive language learning, study abroad opportunities, and interdisciplinary research, you’ll develop the expertise needed for careers in diplomacy, business, translation, and international relations.

Example
Modules

Elementary Chinese B: Strengthen your core reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, progressing toward CEFR A2/B1 level through everyday language use and translation.

History and Culture in China: Explore China’s rich past and traditions, analysing key events, philosophies and cultural practices using original sources.

Chinese Cinema: Study major films and directors, learning how cinema reflects social change and cultural identity in modern and contemporary China.

Common Degree Names

💼 Placement options are available on some courses, including internships during the year abroad.
🌍 A year abroad at a university in China or Taiwan is a standard part of most Chinese Studies degrees.

BA (Hons) Chinese Studies
BA (Hons) Chinese and History
BA (Hons) Chinese and International Relations
BA (Hons) Chinese and Linguistics
BA (Hons) Chinese and English

A Mandarin character practice workbook alongside calligraphy brush and ink on rice paper, modern Chinese history and politics textbooks, a Chinese cinema studies guide, a red paper-cut decoration, a tablet showing a map of China and translation exercises, illustrating the linguistic and cultural skills developed in Chinese Studies degrees

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

Chinese Studies degrees explore China's language, history, culture, politics, and global influence. Unlike most European language degrees, the majority of Chinese Studies courses are designed for complete beginners – though some offer advanced pathways if you already speak Mandarin.

For beginners' courses (most common route):

No prior Chinese required – courses start from scratch
Another Modern or Classical Language – shows aptitude for language learning
English Literature, History, or Politics – useful for cultural and literary analysis
Religious Studies, Sociology, or Geography – valued for broader humanities-focused courses

For advanced-level courses (if you already study Mandarin):

Chinese (Mandarin) – required
Another Modern Language – valued if applying for combined programmes
History, Politics, or Economics – develops understanding of China's global role

✨ Most Chinese Studies courses welcome complete beginners – you don't need to have studied Mandarin before. If you do have prior Mandarin, you may be able to join an advanced language stream.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects
BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Levels that meet the subject requirements above
International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) with a languages or humanities pathway
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three - see relevant subjects above) alongside your Career-Related Study

Some courses are language-intensive while others focus more on culture, history, and politics. Always check specific course requirements to confirm which route suits you.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE / MYP / National 5)

You’ll usually need:

GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or equivalent qualifications such as National 5s or MYP

📘 If available at your school, GCSE (or equivalent) Mandarin or another language can be helpful, though not essential.

Strong grades in Humanities subjects (like History or Religious Studies) are also a good foundation.

💬 Interviews

Formal interviews aren't usually part of the application process. However, some universities may invite you for a short conversation, either online or in person, to learn more about your interest in the subject.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What draws you to China - its history, politics, culture, literature, film, or the language itself? Being specific about what fascinates you helps, because China encompasses so much. If you've engaged through reading about Chinese history or society, watching Chinese films, following news coverage, exploring Chinese literature in translation, or starting to learn some Mandarin, reflect on what sparked your curiosity. You don't need to have travelled or be fluent, but showing you understand that learning Mandarin requires sustained commitment - and that this excites rather than daunts you - matters. Admissions tutors want to see genuine engagement beyond surface-level interest.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Languages, Humanities or Global Studies

Some universities offer a foundation year that can lead into Chinese Studies or related degrees. This adds an extra year but provides a route in if you don't have the required subjects or grades.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Humanities or Social Science)

Accepted by universities offering Chinese Studies. Choose a pathway with essay-based units such as history, politics or cultural studies, and aim for Merits and Distinctions in your graded units.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

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Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with a Chinese Studies degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Different Cultures, Languages & Beliefs: The degree is centred on learning Mandarin and understanding Chinese culture from the inside. You'll study the language intensively, spend a year in China, and explore how Chinese philosophy, art, religion, and social traditions shape one of the world's oldest and most influential civilisations.

The Past & How It Shapes Us: Chinese history is woven through the degree. You'll study how dynasties, revolutions, and political upheavals have shaped modern China, building the historical knowledge you need to understand the country's culture, politics, and place in the world today.

Global Issues & International Affairs: China's rise as a global power is a significant theme. You'll study how the country's political, economic, and social transformations have reshaped international relations, and examine contemporary issues like trade, technology, and cultural influence on the world stage.

Language, Stories & Writing: Intensive Mandarin study is core to the degree. You'll work with tones, grammar, and Chinese characters, learning a writing system fundamentally different from European scripts, and develop the translation skills that come from moving between languages that organise meaning in very different ways.

Students who thrive in a Chinese Studies degree are often motivated by

Engaging with People and Cultures

You're energised by working closely with people to understand what's really going on for them: talking, listening, asking questions, spending time, picking up on what isn't being said directly. That might be interviewing someone for a piece of research, sitting with a client who's trying to work something out, exploring a community you've not been part of, or working alongside people from a different culture. The energy comes from the engagement itself, not just from reading or thinking about people.

Analysing and Investigating

You're energised by making sense of information, looking for evidence, spotting patterns, and piecing together how things connect. Whether it's pulling apart data, questioning assumptions, or tracing a problem back to its source, you find energy in the process of understanding what's really going on. You'd rather dig into the details than accept things at face value.

Curiosity and Learning

You're energised by the activity of learning itself: diving into a subject you've never explored, watching documentaries, taking apart how something works, or constantly asking "why?" The process of learning gives you energy, not just the outcome. You don't just want the answer; you want to understand how things connect, why they matter, and what's underneath the surface explanation.

Working Internationally

You're energised by work that crosses borders and connects you with people from different countries, backgrounds, and systems. That might be collaborating with international colleagues, working in a place that isn't your own, using another language professionally, or tackling problems that don't stop at a single country's borders. You come alive when the work you're doing reaches beyond your own patch of the world.

What makes Chinese Studies click for the students who love it?

Usually it starts with a curiosity about a society that's shaped the world for thousands of years and yet feels far from their own. They want to know how people think, create, and organise their lives in a context most of their peers know little about, and they want that knowledge to go well beyond surface level. They love the close work of reading texts in the original, picking apart how meaning is built character by character. And the idea of eventually using Chinese professionally, living and working where it's spoken, is exciting rather than daunting.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Are you curious about China and the wider world — and would you enjoy learning a language completely unlike English?
Do you enjoy the challenge of expressing yourself clearly when the language and cultural context are unfamiliar?
Do you like thinking about how politics, economics, and culture shape the way whole societies work and change?

Careers a Chinese Studies degree could lead you to

Chinese Studies

What do Chinese Studies degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Careers a Chinese Studies degree could lead you to

Example
Modules