Chinese and History
Chinese and history is a combination that offers a rare depth of perspective on one of the world's most significant civilisations and its role in global history. China's historical record stretches back millennia, and understanding it properly requires both linguistic access to Chinese primary sources and the analytical frameworks that history as a discipline provides. Conversely, studying Chinese language and culture benefits enormously from the historical knowledge that explains how China's society, literature, and political thought developed and why they take the forms they do today.
At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year programme develops Mandarin Chinese to a high level while giving you a thorough grounding in historical study. Edinburgh is a research-intensive university with substantial expertise in both Chinese studies and history, and you will be taught within departments that are actively producing scholarship in both areas. You will develop reading, writing, and speaking skills in Chinese alongside the analytical and research methods of historical study, and you will engage with Chinese history as well as the broader field of global and comparative historical study.
Edinburgh's four-year Scottish undergraduate tradition gives the programme a breadth that is hard to replicate in shorter courses.
Graduates of Chinese and history programmes are well placed for careers in journalism, diplomatic services, international business, research, policy, cultural institutions, and the rapidly expanding range of roles that require deep engagement with China. Academic research, translation, and work in international organisations are other established directions. The combination of linguistic and historical depth is particularly valued in contexts where understanding China's internal dynamics and its place in global affairs really matters.
Postgraduate study in Chinese studies, East Asian history, international relations, or area studies is a natural next step for those wishing to deepen their expertise.