BA Chinese and Japanese

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Modern Languages and Cultures
• East Asian Studies

ABB to include Chinese.  You must be a beginner in Japanese.

This programme is not suitable for students whose native language is Chinese or Japanese.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

BBC to include grade B in Chinese for applicants who meet our contextual offer criteria.  For further information and to check eligibility visit our Contextual Offers page. You must be a beginner in Japanese.

This programme is not suitable for students whose first language is Chinese or Japanese.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

• live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
• live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
• have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

• have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
• have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects including Chinese.  Please also see A-level subject requirements.

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency.  The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

• GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C/4 or;
• IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;
• An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.

Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

• Find out more from student finance
• Eligible UK students can apply for bursaries and scholarships
• Funding for EU and international students is on our country-specific pages
• Many students work part-time or complete a student internship

Residence abroad support

We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income.

You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.  Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest.  There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.  If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.  Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )

Access courses are acceptable as an entry route to this course - please contact the UG Admissions Team.

You will study 60 credits from each discipline.

Chinese

• In Chinese you will study the core module `Introduction to Chinese Studies' plus Chinese language.
• The Year 1 language course includes an Independent Language Learning Programme for post-beginners, through which you build up a portfolio of independent work by making linguistic notes on, for example, videos, satellite TV, or newspapers. This enables you to develop not only your linguistic expertise, but also your skills in independent learning - a vital requirement in today's knowledge-based society.

Japanese

• The intensive language teaching programme puts a heavy emphasis on thoroughly covering core language structures to provide secure foundations for progression to higher levels in subsequent years.

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

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

You may choose to study up to two thirds from either discipline or maintain equal weighting.

Chinese

• In addition to continuing your study in Chinese language you may choose to develop your studies of China via a choice of courses in areas across the Humanities faculty such as literature, film, history, religion, society, culture, economics, anthropology and business, as well as begin to prepare for residence abroad.

Japanese

• The Japanese language courses in Year 2 continues to build competence and the Independent Language Learning Portfolio and learning partnerships remain central to this process.
• In addition, students develop their studies of Japan via a choice of courses in areas such as Japanese history, religion, society and culture, and begin to prepare for residence abroad.

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

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

You may choose to divide your studies equally between both languages or study up to two thirds from either language.

Chinese

• You can select from various modules from Chinese studies in religion, historical, cultural and social science areas.
• The language teaching programme continues to develop skills such as reading and writing Chinese, and includes work on interpreting and on translation as practical skills.

Japanese

• Students will select from various Japanese modules in religion, historical, cultural and social science areas.
• The language teaching programme continues to develop skills such as reading and writing Japanese, and includes work on interpreting and on translation as practical skills.
• In your final-year, you can also opt to write a research dissertation in a topic of your choice, supervised by an expert in the field -an experience that many students find extremely rewarding.

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