Overview

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.

Career opportunities

Many Chinese Studies PhD graduates have gone on to academic positions at leading universities in the UK, Europe, USA, East Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Our graduates have been also successful with receiving prestigious postdoctoral fellowships, including the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship and the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Programme Structure

Research:

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.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months
Part-time
- 72 months
- Flexible

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-28 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-30 00:00:00
Starting 2027-01-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-09-30 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

76

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IELTS

7

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Manchester, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Asian studies View 17 other PhDs in Asian studies in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

76

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

7

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

22500 GBP / year

≈ 22500 GBP / year

Living costs

Manchester

United Kingdom

645 - 1197 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Chinese Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Career opportunities

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Living costs

Manchester

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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