About This Course
Chinese is one of the world's biggest languages, with around one quarter of the entire world's population speaks Chinese as a native language. Chinese language skills are in demand. Many businesses in the UK and around the world are actively seeking employees who can speak Chinese and English.
At Bangor you can explore your passion for language. You won’t simply be learning a language you will also have the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of Chinese culture. We offer a range of course options for those wishing to study Chinese. You can study Chinese with another language on one of our 2-language degree options or you can choose one of our 3-language degree programmes. You can also combine your study of Chinese with another subject area.
Our Chinese and Linguistics BA course will provide you with advanced skills in the Mandarin language and a broad range of specialised and detailed insights into Chinese culture, society and history. The degree has language at the heart of it, with core modules developing the key oral, aural and written skills every year. These modules also foster cultural awareness, which you will need for your year abroad, and later on, for the world of work.
You will also develop a strong grounding in Linguistics - the study of language abilities, how they are acquired, how they are used, and how they may be impaired. Because speech is so central to our very existence it is a fascinating and rewarding subject to study.
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- Modern Languages at Bangor consistently rank highly in the National Student Survey.
- We offer learning on a human scale, in small classes, where you get to know the staff and your fellow students.
- With a large and varied range of language modules, we enables you to tailor your degree.
- We work closely with Bangor University’s Confucius Institute in order to run exciting events about Chinese language and culture.
- Bangor's Modern Language graduates have a very good track record in gaining employment.
- Our language degree structures are flexible, allowing you to change your degree at the end of Year 1 if you wish.*
*subject to meeting the minimum requirements of alternative course, please contact for further information.
Course Content
You will have at least 3-4 hours of language classes each week in each of your chosen languages. Tuition is mainly in small groups and there are few formal lectures. Assessment involves coursework and written and oral examinations.
What will you study on this course?
During the first year you will develop a strong foundation in both disciplines. In years two and four you will further develop these skills, whilst increasing the breadth and depth of your knowledge in the subject areas, culminating in working towards producing specialised dissertation as part of your degree in the final year. Your third year will be a year abroad and likely involve a placement at a top-ranked university in China.
Modules for the current academic year
Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Chinese and Linguistics Modules page.
Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.
Course Cost
Chinese:
Mandatory Costs:
Language modules:
Chinese
- Textbook, Chinese in Steps (compulsory for all students): £15
- Workbook, Chinese in Steps Student's Book (compulsory for all students): £15
- Pocket Oxford Chinese Dictionary (compulsory for all students): £13
Reading material for optional modules (all languages): A booklet is provided in most modules at no extra cost. When this is not the case, there are copies of the books in the library and/or online links are made available (e.g. free online platforms such as Project Gutenberg). When purchased, individual books would not normally exceed £10 (average of £40 if all books are bought for a module).
General University Costs
Home/EU Student Tuition Fees (starting in 2019–20 & 2020–21)
- Full time: £9,000 per year
- Part time: £750 per 10 credits
International Student Tuition Fees*
* Please note: the international tuition fees displayed are for the current academic year (2020-21). The fees for the next academic year (2021-22) will be confirmed soon.
When coming to University, you will have two main costs, Tuition Fees and Living Costs.
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:
- If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
- If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for guest tickets (£12 each).
Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:
- Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
- Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
- Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.
Entry Requirements
For 2021 entry:
Offers are tariff based, 96-112 tariff points from a Level 3 qualification* e.g.:
- A Levels (no specific subjects required)
- International Baccalaureate Diploma
- BTEC National/Extended Diploma and Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: MMM- DMM
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical/Extended Diploma: considered on a case by case basis
- Access
- Welsh Baccalaureate is accepted.
International Candidates: school leaving qualifications and college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information here.
We also welcome applications from mature applicants.
*For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.
General University Requirements
We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.
All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.
As part of the University’s policy we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.
To study a degree, diploma or certificate course you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com
We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more help and advice about being a mature student at Bangor, please visit the Study at Bangor site.
Specific entry requirements can be seen on the individual course pages.
EU and International students' entry requirements
For information and further detailed guidance on entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.
Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.
More information
Home/EU students and International UCAS applicants
E-mail for General Admissions: admissions@bangor.ac.uk or write to:
Admissions Office
Bangor University
Gwynedd
LL57 2TF
Telephone: +44 (0)1248 383717
International students (non-UCAS applicants)
Email to International Admissions: internationaladmissions@bangor.ac.uk or write to
Admissions Office
Bangor University
Gwynedd
LL57 2TF
Telephone: +44 (0) 1248 382028
Careers
This course is an ideal background for many careers, especially those in the teaching and caring professions, but also in more 'high-tech' fields like computing and telecommunications.
Opportunities at Bangor
The University’s Skills and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. Developing your personal skills and enhancing your employability while at university is becoming increasingly important in today’s job market.
The Bangor Employability Award (BEA) and Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR)
The Bangor Employability Award enables students to build on their transferable skills through the recognition of activities they become involved in during their university life. Students can gain points towards the award through extra-curricular activities such as volunteering, attending workshops or actively participating in the Students’ Union’s clubs and societies.
The HEAR is a final graduation report that all undergraduates receive. The report itemises all academic achievements and additional extra and co-curricular achievements. Academic achievements appear on the report automatically and students are able to note their eligible activities by using the online platform ‘My Employability Hub’. This ensures that future employers are made aware of the additional skills the student has gained outside of the curriculum.
The Award is open to everyone and taking part in the scheme can make a major difference to your performance in the graduate job market.
Internships
Bangor University runs undergraduate and postgraduate internship schemes twice a year, which allow students to work in a professional environment while learning relevant skills and earning money.
Internships offer valuable experience in a professional workplace and there are a range of internships you can get involved in.
Student Volunteering
Not only is volunteering worthwhile – it also improves your employability and widens your experience.
The Students’ Union has a dedicated Student Volunteering Office (SVB) which currently contributes a total of 600 hours each week, promoting a close relationship between the university and the local community. Find out more on the Student Volunteering pages of the Bangor Student’s Union website.
TARGETconnect - Working while you Study
The Skills and Employability Service offers support to students searching for employment during and after their studies.
TARGETconnect advertises the following opportunities:
- Graduate jobs – Local, National and International
- Full-time, part time, permanent and temporary jobs
- Work experience / internships
- Voluntary opportunities
Application
General University Application
How to apply through UCAS
UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. All university applications are processed through UCAS and then passed on to the universities listed.
Students may apply for a maximum of five courses. For Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary courses students are only allowed to apply for four courses.
The application form is found on the UCAS website, under ‘Apply’.
When to apply?
We advise you to apply as early as you can as we will start considering applications and making offers straight away. The initial UCAS deadline for UK and EU students is 15 January, however we welcome applications after this date. Those received between 15 January and 30 June will continue to be forwarded to universities by UCAS and will receive consideration where places are still available.
Your Personal Statement
Writing your Personal Statement is the part of the application form that requires most work. You are only allowed 47 lines or 500–550 words to explain why you wish to study the course and the skills you have that are essential for university study.
To write a successful personal statement for your UCAS application you must have a good understanding about the course and its content. Remember that you write only one personal statement for your five choices. Make sure that the courses are similar, if not the same, and make sure that you do not mention a specific course or university.
Read our advice on how to draft a winning personal statement or watch our video guide.
After you’ve applied
You should keep an eye on your application on UCAS ‘Track’. Offers from universities will appear on track and you will be able to accept or decline offers.
You can only reply when you have received all your decisions. The types of reply you can make are firm acceptance and insurance acceptance. Usually students reply in early May.
International Student?
If you are an international student, our International Student pages offer further information on applying.
As an international student applying to study one of our undergraduate programmes you can:
- apply via UCAS,
- or apply direct to Bangor through our online direct application system
- or apply with the help of one of our recruitment agents
Erasmus student?
We receive around 350 exchange students every year from all over the world. 45% of these students come from Europe and the remainder from as far as Singapore, South Korea and Australia.
The University’s International Exchanges Office is responsible for welcoming these students.
Confused about your next steps?
Take a look at our Going to University website for information and advice on getting ready for university.