Chinese Studies (with Year Abroad)
Durham University
UCAS Code: T102 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Durham University
UCAS Code: T102 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for an A Level foreign language or equivalent qualification. Students taking the History route must have an A in A Level History or equivalent qualification. Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Access to HE Diploma
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham. We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for a level 3 foreign language qualification. Students taking the History route must have an A in A Level History or equivalent qualification.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for a D3 level foreign language or equivalent qualification. Students taking the History route must have a D3 in History or equivalent qualification.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Seventeen points (6, 6, 5) in Higher Level subjects. We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for a higher level foreign language qualification. Students taking the History route must have an A in A Level History or equivalent qualification.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for a H2 level foreign language or equivalent qualification. Students taking the History route must have a H2 in History or equivalent qualification.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for a level 3 foreign language qualification. Students taking the History route must have an A in A Level History or equivalent qualification.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for a level 3 foreign language qualification. Students taking the History route must have an A in A Level History or equivalent qualification.
Scottish Advanced Higher
We look for aptitude in language study but there is no requirement for an Advanced Higher foreign language or equivalent qualification. Students taking the History route must have an A in Advanced Higher History or equivalent qualification.
Scottish Higher
We will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. If an applicant has not been able to take 3 Advanced Highers, offers may be made with a combination of Advanced Highers and Highers, or on a number of Highers.
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements. Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Course details**
This is multidisciplinary degree will develop advanced knowledge and understanding of Chinese language and culture.
You will study a core language module in each of your three years spent in Durham. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of Chinese, but a pathway is available if you already have an A level or equivalent qualification in Chinese.
You will also have the chance to choose from a selection of other modules relevant to the study of China from other departments such as; Anthropology, Education, Government and International Affairs, Economics, and Theology and Religious Studies. In addition, you may choose to take additional language modules, including European languages, Japanese and Korean.
**Why Durham University?**
Our highly skilled academics share their expertise in languages, as well as in literature, cultural history, cinema and visual culture, and translation.
Many of our language academics are native speakers, while others have lived experience of the culture and language of the country.
Spanning languages and society, the arts and cultural history – an in-depth understanding and appreciation of language and culture will give you a greater insight into communities and build deeper connections with people across the world.
In an era of increasing globalisation, a skill set that includes cultural understanding and proficiency in languages will help you view the world through a different lens while equipping you with the skills that global employers are looking for.
Learning facilities include language laboratories, computer classrooms and a large study area.
**Rankings**
**World Top 100** in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2024
**3rd** for Asian Studies and Italian in the Complete University Guide 2025
**Top 10** for East and South Asian Studies in the Time and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
**4th** for German and 5th for French in the Complete University Guide 2025
**Career Opportunities**
A degree in Languages and Cultures will provide you with an impressive portfolio of cultural knowledge, transferable skills and real-world experiences that is valued by employers worldwide.
In particular, the year abroad which, as well as developing language abilities, can also greatly enhance your intercultural, problem-solving and communication skills.
With the UK as a whole producing fewer linguists, proficiency in languages coupled with the intellectual rigour and cultural understanding acquired during your degree will make you highly employable in a wide range of careers both in the UK and internationally.
These include occupations such as interpreting, translation and teaching, media and the arts but also working across wider industry in research, administration, human resources, sales and business development, and the financial services.
Modules
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
Assessment methods
Language modules are assessed by a mixture of oral, listening and written examinations. Optional modules are assessed by essays, commentaries, projects and examinations. You will also complete a 12,000-word dissertation in your final year.
During your year abroad you will complete a Year Abroad assignment.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
What students say
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Asian studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Asian studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
China plays an important role in world economics and politics, and business can be very interested in graduates with good Chinese language skills. In 2015, just over 180 degrees were awarded in this subject to UK graduates, so it is still an unusual and specialist degree to take - take that into consideration before drawing definitive conclusions from the data. About one in five graduates went on to further study (mostly at Masters level) and of those who were working, a quarter went to work abroad. Most of the rest were working in the UK after six months, mainly in London. But remember — whilst employers say they rate graduates who have more than one language, you need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills, even if that language is rare and valuable to business.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Asian studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£33k
£41k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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