BA Politics and Chinese / Course details

The BA Politics and Chinese course will enable you to explore world politics and gain an intercultural perspective that is at a premium in today's context of globalised studies and career paths.

Delivered jointly by the School of Social Sciences and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, this course offers flexibility through a combination of core and optional politics course units and units in your chosen language and culture.

Language study offers more than just language fluency. You'll explore the culture, society, history, politics and literature of the countries in which Mandarin Chinese is spoken, helping you develop intercultural awareness and communication skills, both highly valued by employers.

You'll benefit from excellent teaching, student support and cutting-edge study facilities, as well as the vibrancy and cultural diversity of Manchester itself, Western Europe's most multilingual city.

Studying abroad at partner universities in several Chinese-speaking countries gives you an unforgettable and invaluable experience.

• Develop strong analytical skills and understanding of key areas of global politics, including European/international politics, international relations, global security and international development.
• Develop the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to access and engage fully with political, historical and cultural issues in your chosen language.
• Offer an intercultural perspective on your studies and future career, facilitated by the possibility of studying a second language - either as a beginner or at a more advanced level.

Residence abroad

You can  study for up to a year in a country or countries relevant to your chosen language(s) to improve your language skills in a native-speaker environment.

Palaver Festival

Palaver Festival is a collaboration with the neighbouring Contact Theatre. You have the opportunity to explore links between language and performance across a range of genres including literature, theatre and dance.

Collaborations and partnerships

We have links with language and cultural institutions across the city, including:

• Instituto Cervantes - a centre for Spanish culture.
• HOME - international and contemporary art, theatre and film.
• Alliance Française - home of French language and culture.

Societies

There are over 30 international and language-related student societies offering cultural activities and experiences.

You'll learn through formal lectures, seminars and tutorials, spending 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.

For every hour of university study, you will need to complete a further 2 to 3 hours of independent study.

This could be spent reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working in the University's Language Centre.

You will be assessed through:

• written and oral examinations;
• presentations;
• coursework (including web-based and library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection);
• a dissertation based on a research topic of your choice.

The University Language Centre is home to language resources, including a new interpreting suite and purpose-built recording rooms.

The Centre also offers multilingual word processing, language learning software, off-air recording and AV duplication, multilingual terrestrial and satellite TV, and extensive support and advice for learners.

Learn more on the Facilities page.