Chinese Degrees - Study Chinese at a Top 10 UK University*
*Complete University Guide 2025
Chinese at the University of Exeter is taught within the energetic Department of Languages, Cultures, and Visual Studies. Understanding Our supportive and experienced staff will guide you through the linguistic and cultural challenges of a country with a long tradition and growing importance in the 21st century. Our flexible programmes allow you to structure your studies around your career goals and interests, all while exploring our sector-leading research.
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Top 150 worldwide for Modern Languages
QS World University Subject Rankings 2025
Spend a year abroad on an International Placement
1st in the UK for research impact
Joint 1st for world-leading or internationally excellent research, REF 2021
Discover world-class Chinese degrees at the University of Exeter
Understanding China is of increasing strategic significance. But how much do you really know about this fascinating country? At the University of Exeter, we provide a dynamic learning environment in which to learn Chinese (Mandarin), offering an inspiring teaching programme driven by internationally renowned researchers.
Over one billion people throughout the world speak some form of Chinese as their first language. You will therefore be mastering a global language, as well as developing your own capacity to understand and analyse China through its culture, art, politics and history. You will become proficient in a wide variety of communication skills, which will greatly enhance your employability skills. If you study Chinese at Exeter, your language study will be guided by both native and non-native speakers of Chinese. At the heart of our Department is our pioneering Language Centre, providing excellent teaching by experienced professionals.
Students on one of our undergraduate courses have the option of spending their third year in China, studying with one of our prestigious partner universities such as Fudan, Peking, Tsinghua, Shanghai Jiao Tong, and Tianjin, or gaining valuable employment experience and applied learning by working abroad.
Four pathways to study Chinese at Exeter
Undergraduate Chinese degrees
Through our BA Modern Languages programme, you can choose to focus on Chinese and graduate with a BA in Chinese, or study Chinese alongside one or two other languages (eg, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish).
Alternatively, you may choose to broaden your study with ancient and contemporary study of literature, film, and art from China and beyond through our BA Comparative Literatures and Modern Languages programme, with the opportunity to focus on Chinese and graduate with a BA in Comparative Literatures and Chinese.
You can begin Chinese study from Beginners or Advanced level. You will also be able to study modules from other disciplines outside of Modern Languages such as Politics and History.
Please note that Chinese is currently only available ab initio rather than at Advanced level.
Undergraduate combined honours degrees
Study a language alongside Arabic, Art History & Visual Culture, Classical Studies, English, Film Studies, History, International Relations, Latin, Politics, Philosophy or Sociology as part of one of our Combined Honours programmes. You may choose to focus on Chinese and graduate with Chinese in your degree title in place of Modern Languages.
You can also study Chinese with a bespoke and tailored selection of subjects and modules as part of our Flexible Combined Honours programme.
Postgraduate French degrees
You can study Chinese through our Language Centre as part of your course on our MA Global Literatures and Cultures programme, while also exploring modules driven by our internationally recognised research such as Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature.
Students on our MA Translation Studies programme can focus on Chinese, taking advantage of our expertise in the language to guide their studies. You can also enjoy and take part in research seminars and events through the University's Centre for Translating Cultures.
Chinese PhD and research degrees
We offer sector-leading research degrees in Chinese, including MPhil or PhD Chinese Studies and MA by Research Modern Languages.
Researchers in the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Visual Studies are actively engaged in cutting-edge projects across a broad range of research interests, including Chinese art and culture, European exchanges, Chinese literature in translation, and Chinese modern intellectual history.
The department boasts specialists in in the use of machine translation and computer-assisted translation tools; you will be supervised by published translators and internationally-recognised practitioners.
Why choose the University of Exeter?
We offer world-class education and research with outstanding student satisfaction, committed to working with our students to make the world greener, healthier, and fairer. With beautiful, green campuses in Devon and Cornwall, we offer a unique opportunity to study in one of the most stunning parts of the UK.
As a member of the Russell Group, we are committed to maintaining the very best internationally recognised research, and translating our research into an outstanding teaching and learning experience. Our excellence is recognised by organisations worldwide, with Exeter graduates in the UK's top 10 for most targeted by leading employers*.
* The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research
