Program Overview

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MA Chinese Studies

Key Information

Start Date

September

Duration

1 year

Attendance Mode

Full-time or part-time

Location

On Campus

Fees

• Home: £12,710
• International: £26,330

Course Code

Y4S3

Entry Requirements

We will consider all applications with 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification, we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

Course Overview

The MA Chinese Studies provides an exceptional opportunity to take advantage of the wide range of disciplinary approaches to the study of Chinese societies available at SOAS.

The main emphasis is on modern and contemporary China, although it is also possible to study aspects of pre-Modern China. Students who take this degree come from many countries and have a wide variety of academic backgrounds. While some wish to broaden their previous studies or experience of China, others approach the course without having a Chinese element to their first degree, but with a desire to focus their previous training on the region. Knowledge of the Chinese language is not a requirement of the programme, although language modules are popular among students.

SOAS is home to its own China Institute, a leading centre for international China expertise. Students are welcome to attend the regular seminars held by the Institute, where international speakers present their research engaging with diverse aspects in the study of China.

Why Study MA Chinese Studies at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked 13th in the UK for Modern Languages (QS World University Rankings 2025)
• SOAS is ranked 6th in the UK for Asian Studies (Complete University Guide 2025)
• We are home to the largest concentration of Chinese specialists outside of China
• With more than 50 experts working on a wide range of disciplines across the School, the MA Chinese Studies programme offers exceptional flexibility in designing a study plan that accommodates students’ interests
• We offer strong interdisciplinary support and have great facilities, such as a multimedia suite, a radio station and a satellite access to a wide range of world television. Our Library houses a major collection of digital and paper resources, with books and journals on China-related issues that scholars from all around the world travel to consult

Structure

Students take a total of 180 credits, of which 60 credits are a dissertation, 15 credits are allocated to the core module and the remaining 105 credits are chosen from taught modules.

Students must choose a minimum of 45 credits of modules from List A (modules related to China) and a maximum of 60 credits from List B which includes language modules, and open options. For students opting to take language acquisition modules in more than one language, only one of these can be at an introductory level.

In the first term, students will be asked to choose the module on which they will base their dissertation. The convenor of this module will usually be their dissertation supervisor. The module will usually be chosen from List A modules within the department, but after consultation with the programme convenor it may be possible to arrange for a supervisor from another department.

All modules are subject to availability.

Core

• Dissertation in Chinese Studies - 60 credits
• Connections and Intersections: Core Aspects of East Asian Studies - 15 credits

Guided Options List B

15 to 60 credits from List B

• Culture and Society of Taiwan (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese for Business (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 1A (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 1B (PG) - 15 credits
• Ch400: Advanced Chinese (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 2A (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 2B (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 3A (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 3B (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 4A (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese 4B (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese-English Translation (PG) - 15 credits
• Narrative Realities in Korean Literature and Film - 15 credits
• Identity and social relations in Japanese (PG) - 15 credits
• Modernity, Nation and Identity in Japanese History - 15 credits
• New Visions of Japan in Modern Literature and Popular Culture (PG) - 15 credits
• The Making of Modern Korea - 15 credits
• Japanese 1A (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese 1B (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 1A (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 1B (PG) - 15 credits
• Culture and Society in Traditional Korea (PG) - 15 credits
• Myths, Legends and Folkways of East Asia (PG) - 15 credits
• J400: Advanced Japanese (PG) - 15 credits
• K400: Advanced Korean (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean-English Translation (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese 2A (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese 2B (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese 3A (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese 3B (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese 4A (PG) - 15 credits
• Japanese 4B (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 2A (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 2B (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 3A (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 3B (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 4A (PG) - 15 credits
• Korean 4B (PG) - 15 credits

Guided Options List A

45-90 credits from List A

• New Taiwan Cinema and Beyond (PG) - 15 credits
• Chinese Cinema (PG) - 15 credits
• Contemporary Chinese Society (PG) - 15 credits
• Gender and Empire in Early Modern China - 15 credits

Open Options

Students can take a maximum of 60 credits from the School-wide open options list, including languages.

Teaching and Learning

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

Contact Hours

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. 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. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

Student will acquire specialist knowledge on the following key areas:

• How to assess data and evidence critically from manuscripts and digital sources, solve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations, locate materials, use research sources (particularly research library catalogues) and other relevant traditional sources.
• To obtain a theoretical grounding in one of the several disciplines offered as part of degree: Anthropology, art& archaeology ,economics ,history, law,literature,media,music,politics or religion& philosophy.
• To obtain an empirical grounding of the disciplines cited above as they relate specifically to the study of China
• To develop a critical understanding of other disciplines–in their theoretical and empirical dimensions–through Minor courses.
• To acquire/develop skills in Chinese language at any of these levels:Basic1(absolute beginner),Basic2(beginner),Intermediate or Advanced.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

• Critical evaluation of source material: students should become precise and cautious in their assessment of evidence, and to understand through practice what document scan and cannot tell us.
• Critical evaluation of previous scholarship: students should question interpretations, however authoritative, and reassess evidence for themselves.
• Critical attitude toward euro-centristic approaches: Students will acquire a sensitivity to non-euro-centric perspectives on a range of intellectual problems in the Anthropology, art &archaeology,economics,history,law,literature,media,music,politics or religion & philosophy of China.

Subject-based practical skills

Subject-specific skills will be in line with the requirements in the academic discipline in which students do their Major and the dissertation.

Practical skills include:

• Communicate effectively in writing
• Retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources
• Present seminar papers
• Listen critically to, and discuss, ideas introduced during seminars
• Practice research techniques in a variety of specialized research libraries and institutes

Transferable skills

• Write good essays and dissertations.
• Structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing.
• Understand unconventional ideas.
• Study a variety of written and digital materials, in libraries and research institutes of a kind they will not have used as undergraduates.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Scholarships

• Tibawi Trust Award
• Felix Non-Indian Scholarship
• Felix Scholarships
• SOAS Master's Scholarships (Home)
• Bernard Buckman Scholarship

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 Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures 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 Christopher Gerteis Senior Lecturer in the History of Contemporary Japan Modern and Contemporary Japanese history. Social and cultural history of the 20th century, especially the intersection of consumer capitalism and historical memory.