Course summary

Our PhD Chinese Studies programme will enable you to undertake a significant piece of research that aligns with our interests in a wide range of areas. Our MPhil Chinese Studies programme will enable you to undertake a significant piece of research that aligns with our interests in a wide range of areas. The programme is most suitable for those who desire expert supervision to complete research they have already worked on independently. The PhD programme is more suitable for those aiming at a future academic career, as the MPhil qualification is unlikely to be sufficient to qualify for a permanent academic position in many countries. Our research encompasses modern and contemporary cultures in China and Taiwan, including cinema and media; social and political history of China; and Chinese Buddhism. The study of contemporary Chinese art is especially aided by the close collaboration between researchers in Chinese Studies and regional art galleries in Manchester and the north-west. Opportunities for the study of earlier periods of Chinese history and culture are made particularly rich by the holdings of The University of Manchester Library, the third largest academic library in the UK. The John Rylands Library holdings are a unique collection of late imperial and early modern texts, art and objects that provide fecund ground for further research. We also run a regular research seminar series in East Asian Studies, and postgraduate students contribute significantly to the running and content of both.