Chinese Studies
Chinese gives you China in its own words. You encounter a sophisticated civilisation and the most vibrant economy in the world today. You delve into its 3,500 years of recorded history, poetry and philosophy to understand how they shaped tumultuous changes of modern times, and to engage with contemporary society.
Chinese Studies at Cambridge brings together a vibrant community of students, graduate students and scholars. Your instructors are internationally distinguished in their fields and care deeply about delivering the best possible education tailored to you as individuals.
By choosing to pursue Chinese Studies with us at Cambridge, you will:
- master the Chinese language to an advanced level rarely offered in other centres of higher education
- develop in-depth understanding of China within the wider East Asian region
- develop transferable skills that are highly sought-after by employers and lead to a successful career
Most of all, our Chinese Studies programme teaches you to think creatively and critically and to develop the flexibility to relate to diverse cultures, all essential skills in today’s world.
Staff in Chinese Studies are actively researching in the areas of anthropology, history, linguistics, religion, cultural history, literature, media and popular culture. Between us, we teach and research China from the pre-imperial period (Warring States) to the present day. Cambridge is also home to experts on Chinese law, contemporary politics, history of science, history of art, among other subjects.
Required subjects for entry
We welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds. No previous knowledge of Chinese is required to study with us.
Our course is not suitable for native speakers of Chinese.
There is a bespoke pathway for students who join us with a level of Chinese above what is expected in the first year, but below what is expected in the second year.
An overview of our course
Our course (‘Tripos’) is unique for combining intensive and fast-paced study of the Chinese language with the chance to specialise in specific areas of China according to your own interests. Lectures and seminars are combined with personalised supervisions to create a catered form of education that empowers each of you as active learners while providing caring support and thoughtful guidance.
First year (Part IA): Gaining solid grounding
The focus in the first year is on language learning. You will devote roughly 75% of your time to the study of all aspects of Chinese. By the third term you will have already acquired the skills that will enable you to read real world texts. While developing a solid grounding in the language, you will study Chinese history and culture within the context of the wider East Asian region.
Second year (Part IB): Going deeper and broader
Language classes in the second year take you through intermediate to early-advanced Chinese as well as more advanced literary Chinese, building on what you learned in your first year. Meanwhile you further your studies in a variety of disciplines, including modern and pre-modern Chinese history, literature, and religion, Chinese politics, environmental history, as well as Japanese literature, society and politics. You can also take a cross-departmental paper on East Asian media and popular culture. With the help of your instructors, you will start identifying the area and topic that you wish to research for your undergraduate dissertation.
Third year: Year abroad
You are required to spend at least 8 months in your third year studying Chinese in China or Taiwan. This is an excellent opportunity to increase your fluency and understanding of the language, while experiencing Chinese culture.
All AMES students study at either Ocean University of China in Qingdao, or Peking University in Beijing. The content of the programmes is the same, as is the standard of teaching at each University. Beijing is the capital city of China, and Qingdao is a medium-sized city (according to the Chinese standard) located on the east coast of China. Students can also choose to go to the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) based in Taipei for their third year abroad.
Fourth year (Part II): Generating knowledge
Your Chinese is so advanced that you can now understand and discuss a variety of original sources. Chinese language is still taught with the aim of preparing you for professional Chinese-speaking environments. You can also choose from a range of elective papers through which to gain a deeper understanding of the disciplines that interest you, including literary Chinese, contemporary society, modern history, modern literature, and politics. Your dissertation now comes together in an original piece of writing that opens new horizons in the field of Chinese Studies.
Beyond your time at Cambridge
We keep regular contact with our alumni who have established rewarding careers in a wide range of professions around the world, these include: teaching, translating, interpreting, banking, academia, publicity, journalism, diplomacy, business, popular culture and many, many more.