Program Overview

Key Information

Duration: 4 years Start of programme: September 2025 Attendance mode: Full-time Location: Campus Fees:

• Home: £9,535
• International: £22,870

Entry Requirements

• AAA-ABB
• Contextual: AAB-BBB
• International requirements:
  • Austria: Reifeprufungszeugnis / Maturazeugnis: four subjects at 1, 2, 2, 2
  • Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs: 75% (7.5/10, 15/20) overall
  • Bulgaria: Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie: 5.3 and 5.0 in two State Maturity Exams
  • Canada: High School Diploma: 80% with 5 acceptable Grade 12 subjects (most territories)
  • China: Senior Secondary Graduation Certificate + Gaokao: 78% overall in Gaokao PLUS 85% overall in Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate (year 11 and 12)
  • Croatia: Matura Certificate: 4.5 overall with 5 in 1 Higher level subject
  • Cyprus: Apolytirion with 2 A-Levels: Apolytirion 18/20 + A-level grades BB
  • Czech Republic: Matura Certificate: 1, 2, 2, 2
  • Denmark: Studentereksamen; Hojere Forberedelseseksamen; Hojere Handelseksamen; Hojere Teknisk Eksamen: 7 plus 10, 7, 7 in three Level A subjects
  • Egypt: Thanaweya Amma: 85% overall
  • Estonia: Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with the Riigieksamitunnistus: 4.0 with 85%, 80%, and 80% in 3 state exams
  • Finland: Ylioppilastukint / Studentexamen: four subjects at 6, 5, 5, 5
  • France: French Baccalaureat or Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB): 13/20
  • Germany: Abitur: 1.8
  • Greece: Apolytirion of Geniko Lykeio with Pan Hellenic exams: 18/20
  • Hong Kong: Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education: 544 in two electives and one core (all other subjects grade 3)
  • Hungary: Matura (Erettségi): 4.5 overall
  • Iceland: Stúdentspróf: 7.5
  • India: Standard XII: 75% (CBSE, CISCE, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & West Bengal boards), 80% (all other state boards)
  • Ireland: Irish Leaving Certificate: H1, H2, H2, H3, H3
  • Israel: Bagrut: Overall grade of 7, 80% with 3 subjects at 5-unit level
  • Italy: Diploma Consequito con L’Esame di Stato: 80% overall
  • Latvia: Certificate of General Secondary Education: 88% in four State subject exams
  • Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas: 8.5/10 and 90%, 85%, 85% in three State Exam
  • Malta: Advanced Matriculation Certificate: AB (Advanced) + BBB (Intermediate)
  • Netherlands: Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs: 7.5 overall with 8, 8, 7, 7 in four subjects
  • Norway: Vitnemål vidergaende opplaering: 4.3 overall
  • Poland: New Polish Matura: 75% in three Advanced Level subjects
  • Portugal: Diploma de Ensino Secundario: overall 17.5/20
  • Romania: Diploma de Bacalaureat: 8.5 overall
  • Singapore: Polytechnic Diploma (Nanyang, Ngee Ann, Singapore, Temasek and Republic Polytechnic): GPA 3.3
  • Slovakia: Maturitná skúška / Maturita / Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške: four subjects at 1, 2, 2, 2
  • South Africa: National Senior Certificate: 77666
  • Spain: Curso de Orientación Universitaria / Título de Bachillerato: 7.5
  • Sweden: Slutbetyg / Examensbevis från Gymnasieskolan: A in 1200 credits and no grades below D / 18 / mainly B overall (MVG/VG)
  • Switzerland: Federal Maturity Certificate: 4.5
  • Tanzania: Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education: ACSE with BBB in 3 principle subjects
  • Trinidad and Tobago: CAPE: Six CAPE units with grade 2 (+two double-unit courses)
  • Turkey: Lise Diplomasi: 78-83% (depending on high school)
  • USA: High School Diploma plus ACT, SAT, or AP exams:
    • High School Diploma GPA 3.0 plus SAT 1280 or ACT 27 and 2 AP's at 4,4
    • High School Diploma GPA of 3.2 plus 2 AP's at 4,4
    • High School Diploma GPA 3.4 plus SAT 1300 or ACT 29
    • 2-year Associate degree GPA 3.1

Course Overview

The BA Chinese combined honours degree gives a broad understanding of Chinese culture through the study of its language, history and literature from earliest times up to the present, in combination with a solid grounding in another language or discipline.

Why Study BA Chinese and... at SOAS?

• We are ranked 13th in the UK for Modern Languages (QS World University Rankings 2025)
• We are ranked 6th in the UK for Asian Studies (Complete University Guide 2025)
• SOAS is home to the largest concentration of Chinese specialists outside of China
• Spend your third year in China or Taiwan furthering language and cultural proficiency
• Our students consistently take home top prizes at the prestigious Chinese Bridge competition

Combined Courses

• BA Chinese and Economics (Year Abroad)
• BA Chinese and History of Art (Year Abroad)
• BA Chinese and Linguistics (Year Abroad)
• BA Chinese and World Philosophies (Year Abroad)
• BA Global Development and Chinese (Year Abroad)
• BA History and Chinese (Year Abroad)
• BA International Relations and Chinese (Year Abroad)
• BA Law and Chinese (Year Abroad)
• BA Music and Chinese (Year Abroad)
• BA Politics and Chinese (Year Abroad)
• BA Social Anthropology and Chinese (Year Abroad)

Teaching and Learning

Modern language teaching involves classroom work and independent study. A few non-language modules are taught by formal lecture. The single and combined degree modules are examined through oral and written examinations and coursework or reports.

Contact Hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 60, 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are taught over one term or the full year. It also shows which modules are compulsory and which are optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others.

More information is on the page for each module.

Year Abroad

Students spend the third year of their BA Chinese degree at Beijing Normal University (BNU) or in Taiwan. Single-subject degree students are required to take the following modules:

• Newspaper Reading (baokan 报刊)
• Reading and Writing (duxie 读写)
• Conversation (huihua 会话)
• Listening (tingli 听力)

In order to proceed to the final year, students must pass all four of the language modules taken at BNU. If a student fails one language module, they will be offered a re-entry test in September of the same academic year, to determine whether or not they can continue to Year 4.

Fees and Funding

Fees for 2025/26 Entrants per Academic Year

• Programme: Full-time
• Home students: £9,535
• Overseas students: £22,870

Employment

Graduates from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures develop competencies in intercultural awareness, analysis and communication. Demand for specialists with advanced proficiency in the languages of China, Japan and Korea has significantly increased in recent years, and graduates with these skills are highly sought after by employers.

Recent graduates have been hired by organisations including:

• Accenture
• Amazon
• Bloomberg LP
• Department for Work and Pensions
• European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea
• European Commission
• Google
• ITN
• Japanese Government
• Korea Trade Centre (KOTRA)
• KPMG
• Mizuho Bank
• Nagahama Board of Education
• Nanjing Museum
• Pinsent Masons LLP
• PwC
• Seoul Metropolitan Government
• Shelterbox
• UNDP

Key Staff

Dr Cosima Bruno

Reader in Chinese Literature Contemporary Chinese poetry; translation studies; Chinese language art; Sinophone literatures