BA Chinese Studies / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

You will study Chinese language throughout BA Chinese Studies. The core language teaching in Chinese enables you to develop various linguistic skills, including:

  • speaking and writing accurately;
  • understanding and analysing audio, video and written material;
  • using different registers;
  • speaking to a group with confidence;
  • translating with appropriate sensitivity.

At the same time, you can choose China-related topics in:

  • literature;
  • film;
  • cultural studies;
  • politics;
  • history;
  • linguistics;
  • economics;
  • development studies;
  • business.

You will draw on the wide range of research expertise in Chinese Studies across the Faculty of Humanities, tailoring the course according to the development of your interests.

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

With placement options available at partner universities in China and Taiwan, a compulsory third year abroad will give you an unforgettable and invaluable personal and professional experience.

The course unit details listed below are those you may choose to study as part of this programme and are referred to as optional units. These are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme. Although language units may show here as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study. It Is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.

Special features

Residence abroad

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

Collaborations and partnerships

The University has 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;
  • Manchester China Institute - promoting mutual understanding in UK-China relations through research, teaching, and activities;
  • Alliance Française - home of French language and culture.

Societies

The University is home to over 30 international and language-related student societies offering a breadth of cultural activities and experiences.

Teaching and learning

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

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

You will also need to study during the holiday periods. 

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

Coursework and assessment

You will be assessed in various ways, including:  

  • written and oral examinations; 
  • presentations; 
  • coursework (which may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research); 
  • in your final year, a dissertation based on a research topic of your choice.  

Assessment methods vary from course unit to course unit - see individual course unit listings for more information.

Course content for year 1

All Year 1 students take the core unit Introduction to Chinese Studies, plus language. Students on a single honours degree also take units in Chinese culture, literature and history, and then choose from a range of optional units.

You will take only the language units relevant to your level of language in each year of study.

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Introduction to Chinese Studies CHIN10050 20 Mandatory
Visual Cultures in China and East Asia CHIN12522 20 Mandatory
Chinese Language 1 CHIN51011 20 Optional
Chinese Language 2 CHIN51022 20 Optional
Chinese Language 3 CHIN51031 20 Optional
Chinese Language 4 CHIN51042 20 Optional
Chinese Language 5 CHIN51050 20 Optional
Modern China: from the Opium Wars to the Olympic Games HIST10151 20 Optional

Course content for year 2

In addition to continuing your study in Chinese language, you will develop your studies of China via a choice of course units in areas across the humanities, such as literature, visual cultures, classical Chinese, religion, film, history, society, economics, anthropology and business. You will also begin to prepare for your residence abroad.

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Introduction to Classical Chinese CHIN28572 20 Mandatory
China's Borderlands: Culture, Ethnicity and History CHIN20061 20 Optional
Modern Chinese Literature CHIN22121 20 Optional
Chinese Language 3 CHIN51031 20 Optional
Chinese Language 4 CHIN51042 20 Optional
Chinese Language 5 CHIN51050 20 Optional
Chinese Language 6 CHIN51060 20 Optional

Course content for year 3

Your third year of study is  spent abroad  under approved conditions.

Course content for year 4

For Single Honours students, you will undertake a dissertation in Chinese studies to work on an area of particular interest in depth.

Both Single and Joint Honours students will also select from various units in cultural, historical, religious and social science areas.

The language teaching programme continues to develop skills such as reading and writing Chinese, and includes work on translation as a practical skill.

Course units for year 4

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Dissertation in Modern Languages and Cultures LALC30000 40 Mandatory
Navigation of Emotions in Chinese Culture CHIN36991 20 Optional
Business Chinese CHIN38682 20 Optional
Chinese Language 5 CHIN51050 20 Optional
Chinese Language 6 CHIN51060 20 Optional
Languages-Based Project 1 CHIN51071 10 Optional
Language-Based Project 2 CHIN51072 10 Optional

Facilities

The University Language Centre is home to language resources, including a new interpreting suite, purpose-built recording rooms, and resources for more than 70 languages.  

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 at facilities

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk