BA East Asian Studies at University of Sheffield

Programme overview

This degree allows you to shape your studies across China, Japan, and Korea while developing practical analytical and intercultural skills valued by employers. You will also have the opportunity to spend a year abroad which will prepare you to engage with a region central to global affairs.

Department: School of Languages, Arts and Societies | Duration: 3 years / 4 years | Intake: September 2027 | Location: Sheffield, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Sample modules by year. First year: Key Questions in East Asian Studies, Arts, History and Culture in East Asia, Politics, Economy and Society in East Asia, Korean Intensive 1a. Second year: Korean Intensive 2b, Korean Intensive 2c, Global Citizenship and East Asia: Responding to Contemporary Challenges, Chinese Intensive 2b. Third year: Chinese Intensive Accelerated 2a, Chinese Intensive Accelerated 2b, Mapping East Asia, Twentieth-Century East Asian History: Dynamism, Destruction and Dissent. Fourth year: East Asian Dissertation, Chinese Intensive 3a, History, Memory and Heritage in East Asia, Contemporary East Asian Literature in Translation.

Career pathways

Studying China, Japan or Korea prepares you for a career in the world's most dynamic region. By engaging deeply with China, Japan and Korea, you develop transferable skills including critical analysis, cross-cultural communication, language proficiency and global awareness. These are highly valued by employers in the UK, Europe and around the world, across fields from business and policy to media and the non-profit sector. Our graduates work in government and diplomacy, media and the arts, non-government organisations and international business, in professions as diverse as management consultancy, education, journalism, marketing, research, language teaching and translation.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Standard offer for 2027 entry. A Levels: ABB. A Levels + a fourth Level 3 qualification: BBB + B in the EPQ. International Baccalaureate: 33; 32, with B in the Extended Essay. BTEC Extended Diploma: DDD. BTEC Diploma: DD + B at A Level. T Level: Distinction in the Management and Administration T Level, including grade A in the core component. Scottish Highers: AAABB. Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels: B + AB. Access to HE Diploma: Award of the Access to HE Diploma, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 30 at Distinction and 15 at Merit. Other requirements: Evidence of interest in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea) demonstrated through the personal statement is also required. English language: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C, or IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component, or an alternative acceptable English language qualification.

Domestic applicants: GBP 10,050 a year (2027/28). Standard annual undergraduate tuition fee for new home students; reduced for year abroad/placement years. Source

Intake: September 2027

Duration: 3 years / 4 years

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