MA Chinese and History

Year 1

You will study Chinese 1, an introduction to modern spoken and written Chinese. If you already have some knowledge of the Chinese language, you may qualify to enrol in Chinese 2A, an intermediate-level Chinese course.

Besides Chinese language classes, you will also have an opportunity to take courses which cover modern East Asian history, or literature and film in modern China. Alternatively, you can choose courses from a wide range offered by the University of Edinburgh.

History courses in Year 1 are broad survey courses that are designed to prepare you for more specialised study in Years 3 and 4.

Current courses range from the Middle Ages to the present. You will take one of these courses and also a compulsory course in historical skills that engages with broader questions about the nature of history as an academic discipline and the methods and skills required for historical research.

Year 2

You will continue to learn Chinese language and to explore Chinese culture.

You will also have the opportunity to begin learning classical Chinese and modern Chinese translation, as well as to complete an independent project on a topic within Chinese studies.

As in Year 1, History courses offer broad surveys that are designed to prepare you for more specialised study in Years 3 and 4.

Extending your range geographically and chronologically, these courses currently cover various periods and themes in American, European, British, Scottish and global history. You will choose one of them and also take a compulsory course on historiography.

Year 3

You will spend Year 3 abroad, either in China or Taiwan, turning classroom learning into living engagement with Chinese and East Asian culture.

Besides developing your language and cross-cultural communication skills in an immersive environment, you will begin work on your dissertation and submit a detailed dissertation proposal on a topic related to Chinese studies.

In selected locations, there are opportunities for homestays with local families.

You will also undertake year abroad work for History.

Year 4

You will continue to study Chinese language, focusing on advanced skills in speaking, reading and writing. You will build on your existing translation skills.

Alongside the Chinese language, you will be able to choose from courses on film, politics, modern and pre-modern history, literature, contemporary Chinese society and economic history.

You will also be able to choose from a wide range of specialist History courses.

You will continue to develop your Chinese studies dissertation project under formal supervision with an assigned supervisor. The dissertation will help you develop more advanced research skills and the final version will be submitted in the second semester.

Programme structure

Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.

To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.

Programme structure (2020/21)

Our facilities

Teaching takes place in and around the University of Edinburgh's central area in a world-leading festival city bursting with cinemas, theatres, galleries, libraries and collections, including the University’s EUL Chinese and East Asian Studies Collection of some 50,000 print and digital resources.

The University also has excellent computing and audiovisual resources, support services and social spaces, including many in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures and School of History, Classics and Archaeology.

We have great links to the Confucius Institute for Scotland and a regular Asian Studies seminar series, featuring visiting speakers from around the world. Student societies include the History Society, Association of British and Chinese University Students and Chinese Dance Society.

Our Chinese Studies Peer Support Group is a valuable social learning resource, and the Students’ Association provides further scope to get involved in social learning, including through its Tandem Language Exchange Programme.

Study abroad

You will spend Year 3 (a minimum of 30 weeks) at a university in China or Taiwan. This is your chance to immerse yourself in East Asian culture, and to develop your broader life experience and skills towards life after university.

What are my options for going abroad?

How will I learn?

The Chinese language is taught by qualified and experienced native and non-native speakers. Class size varies depending on the language skills being taught.

History courses and cultural Chinese courses (for example on Chinese history, literature and film) are taught through lectures, seminars and tutorials by experts in their respective fields.

How will I be assessed?

Over the course of your programme, you will be assessed through a combination of written exams, in-class exercises and coursework, including essays, reports, and projects.

Programme details

Find out more about this programme's aims, what you will learn, how you will be assessed and what skills and knowledge you will develop.

To give you an idea of what to expect from this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.

Programme details (2020/21)

Employers look for the breadth of training and experience demonstrated by our graduates, who are in high demand in a wide variety of sectors.

These range from the finance and banking industries, and businesses and non-profit organisations at a range of scales, to sectors such as the media, tourism, heritage and culture, government and the civil service.

Many Chinese-speaking graduates are currently recruited by companies based in East Asia, an increasingly powerful player in the global economy, but with Scotland's strategy to enhance engagement with China, opportunities for employment are increasing closer to home too. These include opportunities in translation, interpreting and education.

There are also opportunities to continue studying at postgraduate level. Throughout the degree programme, you will learn a range of research skills which are necessary for further study, but which are also highly-transferable in a wide range of contexts.

Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: AAAA-AABB by the end of S5 or AAAA-AAAB by the end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.(Revised 08/04/2020 from AAAA-AAAB and to include alternate grades to be achieved by end of S6.)
• A Levels: AAB - ABB.
• IB: 43 points with 776 at HL - 37 points with 666 at HL.

Minimum entry requirement

The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

• SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: ABB.
• IB: 34 points with 655 at HL.

More information for widening access applicants

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Highers: no specific Higher subjects required. National 5s: a language other than English at A and English at C.
• A Levels: no specific A Level subjects required. GCSEs: a language other than English at A or 7 and English at C or 4.
• IB: HL: no specific subjects required. SL: a language other than English at 6 and English at 5.

Additional requirements

Native speakers

Please note that the Chinese degrees involve beginners language study and are not suitable for native or near-native speakers.

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international student and your school qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to the University you may be eligible for admission to this degree programme through our International Foundation Programme.

International Foundation Programme

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at C
• SQA Standard Grade at 3
• SQA Intermediate 1 at A
• SQA Intermediate 2 at C
• GCSE/IGSCE at C or 4
• Level 2 Certificate Grade C
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:

• IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition) 92 or above with 20 in each section. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency overall 176 with 162 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with a distinction in all four components.

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

English language requirements

*(Revised 27 April 2020 to include TOEFL-iBT Special Home Edition.)

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Please note that some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for MA Chinese and History

Additional costs

You will spend September to July of Year 3 enrolled at a university in Taiwan or China. This is a compulsory part of your programme.

Costs will vary according to the location. Some scholarship money may be available from external sources, on a competitive basis, for students studying in China.

Funding

For more information on how much it will cost to study with us and the financial support available see our fees and funding information.

Fees and funding

• College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Undergraduate Admissions Office
• Web: Contact CAHSS Undergraduate Admissions Office
• International enquiries