Mandarin Chinese and European Studies, BA (Hons)

Choosing to study a joint honours degree will enable you to shape your study according to your strengths, interests and career ambitions. Combining two subjects can give your degree an international or industry perspective that will make you stand out in the graduate employment market. Why choose this course?

You will benefit from the following learning opportunities.

Mandarin Chinese
Chinese (Mandarin) is normally studied from beginner's level. You will study the Chinese language, country and culture through a range of lively options. This includes modules that explore Chinese history and literature, from the earliest times to present day.

You will achieve a high level of communicative skill, and an in-depth understanding of the culture and society in China. To further increase your career options you can take a final year module to help you develop translation and interpreting skills.

You will have access to our excellent language resource centres which provide:

• internet access
• audio-visual facilities
• computer-aided language learning software
• course-related books, materials and periodicals.

This ensures that you will have a broad range of options to help you increase your language understanding.

European Studies
This course provides an understanding of the broad historical, social, political and cultural forces that have shaped contemporary Europe. Unique to this course is the opportunity to specialise in:

• European Cultural Studies
• European Cinema
• European Politics and Society.

You can also select a variety of modules across these three subject areas.

This course is taught by a team of internationally recognised researchers and historians. In the latest Research Assessment Exercise (RAE, 2008), 75% of our History research was assessed as world leading or of international quality. For you, this means that the course is informed by the latest thinking and you will learn from people with a real passion for their subject.

Joint Honours
You can combine either of these subjects with another subject to create your degree programme. Not sure which subjects to choose? Don't worry as the joint honours curriculum enables students to switch subjects after Year One depending on which core modules they have completed. To see the full range of combinations and their UCAS codes see:

• Chinese (Mandarin) Joint Honours
• European Studies Joint Honours.

Spend a year abroad
Students studying a language can choose to spend a year abroad, allowing you to increase your foreign language fluency and understanding of other cultures. You will come away with an experience that will give you a real advantage when competing for the best jobs.

Your optional Year Abroad takes place during Year Three when you can spend time working or studying at one of our partner universities.

When does the course start?

Please see the academic calendar for term dates.

What will I study?

Find out everything you need to know about what you'll be studying on this course. Detailed module information is available here:

• Mandarin Chinese Joint Honours
• European Studies Joint Honours .

Year Two - extra opportunities

Our flexible curriculum has been designed to create some amazing opportunities for you. Your second year of study is divided into two semesters that enables you to take part in the following optional opportunities:

• International exchange - Experience other cultures, travel the globe and open your eyes to a world of opportunities. Our exchange partnership with a number of international universities enables you to live and study in another country in your second year. Watch our video to find out more.
• Work placements - Gain valuable work experience that will impress employers and help you get ahead in your chosen career. Boost your employability by taking a credit-bearing work placement as part of your degree rather than a sandwich year.
• University Language Programme - Available to all students and gives you the option of learning a totally new language or improving the skills you already have.

How will I learn?

The first year is normally divided equally between the two joint honours subjects and a third drawn from a wide range of subjects within the School (including the University Language Programme). This enables greater flexibility in course selection. At the end of Year One, students have the opportunity to select between an equally weighted joint honours course and a more specialised pathway.

We ensure your learning experience is varied and gives you transferable skills that you can put into practice for years to come. Most modules involve:

• discussions
• presentations
• group work
• independent project work.

Tutorials in Year One will help you settle in quickly and to make the jump to university-level study.

View the full course specification
Please note that course specifications may be subject to change