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Chinese and History at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS

Course summary

This joint honours programme reflects China's historical significance as one of the earliest civilisations, and its contemporary status as the world's second-largest economy and a significant political power. Chinese Edinburgh is the only university in the UK to offer three different language entry levels to our Chinese degree programmes:

  • ab initio - for complete beginners in the Chinese language
  • upper beginner
  • intermediate
Our programme is not for native speakers, but we also welcome heritage language learners. On this programme, you will develop advanced competency in Modern Standard Chinese. You will gain the skills needed to use the language daily in social and professional settings, focusing on:
  • reading
  • writing
  • speaking
  • listening
You will also gain specialist knowledge on mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and associated diasporas in pre-modern, modern and contemporary contexts. Our courses explore:
  • history
  • literature
  • culture
  • politics
  • international relations
History Work in history involves interaction with primary evidence and critical reading of a wide body of historical writing. Beyond the knowledge of East Asian history you will gain by studying Chinese, you will develop a thorough understanding of the problems of historical interpretation as applied to different periods and places. History at Edinburgh is unique because of the range of historical themes, chronological periods and geographical areas you will study. You can choose from courses covering:
  • the early Middle Ages to the most recent past
  • Britain and Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas
Further, our courses offer a rich variety of approaches to the past, including:
  • political history
  • cultural history
  • social history
  • economic history
  • intellectual history
  • gender history
  • global and transnational history
Why Edinburgh As a world-leading festival and capital city, Edinburgh is a fantastic place to study a language in its cultural context. From the winding streets of the medieval Old Town to the Georgian squares and terraces of the New Town, it is also a history lover's paradise. History has been taught at the University of Edinburgh since its foundation in 1583. We are the only university in Scotland to offer both single and joint honours undergraduate programmes in Chinese. Graduating with a degree in Chinese and History from Edinburgh gives you the blend of specialist knowledge and intercultural skills valued in a range of careers around the globe. How long it takes to complete this degree programme This programme is studied over 4 years, including a year abroad. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills. Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in your subjects. In addition to your core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of disciplines. This gives you the chance to build your intercultural awareness in other areas of the arts, humanities, social sciences and beyond. Your final two years will be your honours years. You will spend Year 3 studying abroad, gaining lived experience of Chinese and East Asian culture. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics, periods, or approaches to Chinese Studies and History. You will also further develop your Chinese language and translation skills and write a dissertation. Programme benefits
  • Take the only programme of its kind in the UK to offer three entry levels for Chinese.
  • Study over four years, including one abroad.
  • Become fluent in a language.
  • Try out different subjects in your first two years.
  • Join societies related to what you are studying.
  • Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.


How to apply

This course is not open to application until the 13th May 2025.

Application codes

Course code:
TV11
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Standard Qualification Requirements

This degree programme has a subject requirement of a language other than English. You may not use your own native language to meet this requirement. English or an alternative language other than native will be acceptable.  Chinese degrees involve beginners language study and are not suitable for native or near-native speakers. Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/419-chinese-and-history

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Please click the following link to find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course

https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/419-chinese-and-history


English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6.5total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL (iBT)92total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English Advancedtotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Cambridge English Proficiencytotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Trinity ISEISE II with distinctions in all four components.

You must prove that you can read, write, listen and speak in the English language at a level that will allow you to succeed in your studies. This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals. You can meet our English language requirements with qualifications from school or an English language test. We accept any of the following, at the specified grade or higher: SQA National 5: English at C; GCSE: English at C or 4; Level 2 Certificate: English at C; International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level: English at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry). Before you apply, check the required subjects for this programme, as you may need a higher English grade to meet the academic requirements. We also accept other qualifications from around the world. If you don’t have school qualifications that meet our requirements, we accept any of the English language tests, at the specified grade or higher, as detailed above. Qualifications from the following English language tests must be no more than two years old from the start date of your programme, regardless of your nationality: IELTS, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT. All other types of English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of your programme. If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country or region, as defined by UKVI, there is no time limit on how old these other types of English language qualifications can be.

Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website:

https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
64%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
86%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Channel Islands £9535* Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535* Year 1
Scotland £1820* Year 1
England £9535* Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535* Year 1
Wales £9535* Year 1
EU £29600 Year 1
International £29600 Year 1

*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Scotland - Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees. Please note the 2026-27 fee rate is yet to be confirmed by the Scottish Government. England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) rate is yet to be confirmed. The fee for 2025 entry was £9,535. For 2026 entry this may increase in line with inflation and will be subject to government limits. EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees. Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme
Chinese and History at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS