Chinese Studies and English Literature

BA Hons

  • UCAS code T1Q3
  • Entry year 2024 or 2025
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 4 years

Overview

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Lancaster’s joint Chinese Studies and English Literature degree is taught by the School of Global Affairs and the Department of English Literature and Creative Writing.

The programme enables you to acquire high-level Chinese language skills while gaining a thorough understanding of China’s historical, cultural, social and political background in a global context. Chinese may be studied at either beginner or advanced level. In English Literature you will study a wide range of authors, genres, historical periods, literary movements, techniques and critical approaches.

You will learn language and culture in innovative and engaging ways. For example, students learn the Chinese language in its social and cultural context by participating in a wide range of activities through the Chinese Friendship Project. Recent activities have included a day trip to Manchester Chinatown, Chinese Food Corner, Chinese Film Night, Chinese festival celebration, and more.

The first year comprises an exploration of the Chinese language and its cultural context, as well as a core module in English Literature. Alongside this, you can choose another English Literature module such as World Literature or Introduction to Creative Writing.

Building on your language skills in Year 2, you will study one Chinese Oral Skills module and one Chinese Written Skills module at the same level of proficiency. In addition, you will study the culture, of the Chinese-speaking world in more depth as well as select a module which is international in scope and which promotes a comparative understanding at a global level. You will combine these with English Literature modules.

Spending your third year - the International Placement Year - abroad in a Chinese-speaking country makes a major contribution to your command of the language, while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution and practise your language skills in a real-world context. Staff members within the department will work with you to ensure that you are fully prepared before embarking on your placement in a Chinese-speaking country.

In your final year, you will consolidate your Chinese language skills and study language-specific or specialist culture and comparative modules. You will also select from modules in English Literature. You will have opportunities to combine your interests in both subjects in longer, supervised projects.

You can find some examples of optional modules in the Course Structure section below.

Beginners Languages

Studying a language from beginners level is somewhat intense in nature so we only allow students to study one language from beginners level. Please bear this in mind when looking at our first year module options. If you apply to study a degree with a language from beginners level, your optional modules will only include higher level languages and modules in other subject areas.

Careers

As well as language and subject-related skills, a degree in languages develops rich interpersonal, intercultural, cognitive and transferable skills. Combined with the communication, self-expression, research and critical understanding skills gained studying English Literature, a wide range of business and public-sector roles will be open. Graduates go on to work in publishing, journalism, librarianship, television and the media, IT, business development, civil service, events management, finance, research and sales, as well as teaching and translating both in the UK and abroad.

Many graduates continue their studies at Lancaster in areas such as humanities and interdisciplinary research, making the most of our excellent postgraduate research facilities. We offer Master's degrees in Translation, Languages and Cultures, English Literary Studies and Creative Writing, as well as a range of PhD research degrees.

Entry requirements

Grade Requirements

A Level AAB

Required Subjects A level Chinese, or if this is to be studied from beginners’ level, AS grade B or A level grade B in another foreign language, or GCSE grade A or 7 in a foreign language. Native Mandarin speakers will not be accepted onto this scheme.

IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.

Other Qualifications

International Baccalaureate 35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including appropriate evidence of language ability

BTEC Distinction, Distinction, Distinction accepted alongside appropriate evidence of language ability

We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualification. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.

Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Course structure

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

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Optional

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Fees and funding

Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.

Our Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2024/25 are:

Home International
£9,250 £23,750

Fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

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