MPhil Chinese Studies

Our MPhil Chinese Studies programme will enable you to undertake a piece of research that aligns with our interests in a wide range of areas. Our research encompasses modern social and cultural history, gender and sexuality, modern and contemporary literatures and cultures (including the larger sinosphere), media studies (film, television and the internet), and contemporary art in China/Asia. 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. 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.

The MPhil is suitable for students who wish to undertake original research over a shorter period than the PhD. It involves one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. A satisfactory MPhil topic is one that a suitably qualified and properly supervised student can bring to completion within the permitted timeframe. Your research will normally be supervised by two members of staff at the University. Your supervisors will most likely be members of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, but if your research requires it, we may arrange for supervision by someone outside the School. Supervisory arrangements at Manchester are governed by a Code of Practice which is available on the University's website.