Chinese Studies and Geography

BA Hons

  • UCAS code LT71
  • Entry year 2027
  • A level requirements ABB
  • Duration Full time 4 years
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We welcome applications from Hong Kong

We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from Hong Kong.

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Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 3

    3rd for French

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2026)

  • 5

    5th for German

    The Complete University Guide (2026)

  • 7

    7th for Iberian Languages

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2026)

This interdisciplinary programme in Chinese Studies and Geography caters to versatile interests, fosters adaptability and opens doors to a wide range of rewarding careers.

You will graduate with a deep understanding of the complex interactions between humanity and our planetary environment, as well as expertise in the Chinese language and in-depth cultural knowledge. You will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to take your place in an increasingly interconnected world.

Why choose Chinese Studies and Geography at Lancaster?

  • Explore the full range of human and environmental issues tackled by modern geographers, with an emphasis on human society and the impacts these systems have in the modern world
  • Follow a progressional ladder on an internationally recognised language scale entering either from beginners or intermediate level and progressing to being proficient in Chinese
  • Take part in optional residential field trips in the UK and overseas
  • Gain essential skills in communication and geographic information systems, data generation, environmental sampling and analysis
  • Learn how important global issues affect the Chinese-speaking world - from environmental challenges and climate change, to politics, health and human rights

What makes studying Geography at Lancaster interesting?

Given the pace at which our planet is changing, there has never been a more important time to study geography. Learn to make sense of the complex interactions between humanity and our planetary environment and discover how you can make a positive difference. The theme of sustainability is woven throughout the degree and life on campus

On this course you will be introduced to human, physical and environmental geography. You will develop the skills geographers use to analyse major issues and global concerns. As you specialise, you will undertake practical work that aims to enhance your understanding of key topics while developing your analytic and research skills.

With our location near major urban centres, rivers, coasts, and the Lake District World Heritage Site, you will be able to explore beyond the campus and gain hands-on experience through fieldwork.

How is Chinese Studies taught at Lancaster?

Your journey to language proficiency and exploring the Chinese-speaking world starts here. You will acquire high-level language skills and gain an internationally recognised qualification modelled on HSK proficiency levels.

You’ll enter the course either as a complete beginner in Chinese or with some initial competency. Whatever level you begin with, you will progress to becoming proficient in the language. Spending your third year abroad in a Chinese-speaking country makes a major contribution to your command of the language, while deepening your intercultural sensitivity.

Your language learning will be further enriched by cultural studies, covering visual media, literature, art, and history, providing a comprehensive understanding of the societal contexts of the Chinese-speaking world.

Expand your horizons with a year abroad

Granada. The fortress and palace complex Alhambra.

Your Global Engagement Year

Spending up to a year abroad is an integral and assessed part of our language degrees.

Through studying, teaching or working overseas, engaging globally gives you the opportunity to improve your language proficiency, broaden your cultural knowledge and gain transferable skills that are much valued by employers.

The Global Engagement Year is compulsory for students taking Chinese, French, German or Spanish as a core language. Please note that we have a flexible approach to supporting students with specific educational needs with this year.

Global Engagement Year
Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Study at a partner university

We offer flexibility to split your time abroad between different activities.

You can choose to study courses taught in your target language at one of our partner universities.

If you are studying Chinese, you will be able to study or undertake a work placement in a Chinese language environment.

Graz city centre

Work placements

We offer flexibility to split your time abroad between different activities.

You may wish to spend your Global Engagement Year on a work placement for a company or as a Language Assistant for the British Council. This adds invaluable work experience to your academic skills.

We provide plenty of support to identify opportunities and secure an internship.

view of Jet d'eau fountain Geneva

Work with the British Council

You may apply to spend your Global Engagement Year working as a Language Assistant with the British Council.

This role involves supporting the teaching of English in a school or university, planning activities and producing resources to help students improve their English as well as introducing UK contemporary culture through classroom and extra-curricular activities.

You may also support the running of international projects and activities.

The student experience

Our students share their experiences of spending a year abroad, the skills they gained and learning how to become more independent.

the forbidden city in Beijing

Support

We aim to offer a range of support including:

  • Regular preparation meetings and a dedicated preparation course
  • All aspects covered: organisational, social and cultural, health and safety
  • Dedicated tutors providing individual personalised advice

We take your health and safety seriously and make sure that you feel fully prepared for any issues that may arise during your placement.

Why Geography at Lancaster?

Discover what studying Geography at Lancaster is like from our students and academics.

Geography-Subject 2026-100 badge

QS World University Rankings: Top 100

We've been ranked 51-100 for Geography in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

Careers

What careers can I pursue with a degree in Chinese Studies and Geography?

As a graduate of Chinese Studies and Geography you will have acquired wide-ranging skills and experiences that will enable you to advance professionally in a range of sectors.

Your studies in Geography focus on preparing you for your future career. In addition to subject knowledge and field experience, you will have a host of technical and analytical skills.

Language graduates are in high demand in roles which require collaboration, communication, leadership skills, and critical thinking, as well as intercultural competencies and creativity.

Graduates of this programme might choose to pursue careers in roles such as:

  • Intelligence Analyst Linguist
  • Global Supply Chain Manager
  • Management Consultant
  • Translator or Interpreter
  • Language Teacher
  • Civil Servant or Diplomatic Service Officer
  • Book Editor
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Marketing professional
  • Climate Change Consultant
  • Planning Officer
  • Sustainability Executive
  • Landscape Architect

Many of our students take their skills to the next level by continuing with postgraduate studies.

What careers and employability support does Lancaster offer?

Our degrees open up an extremely wide array of career pathways in businesses and organisations, large and small, in the UK and overseas.

We run a paid internship scheme specifically for our arts, humanities and social sciences students, supported by a specialist Employability Team. The team offer individual consultations and tailored application guidance, as well as careers events, development opportunities, and resources.

Whether you have a clear idea of your potential career path or need some help considering the options, our friendly team is on hand.

Lancaster is unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which recognises activities such as work experience, community engagement or volunteering and social development. A valuable addition to your CV!

Find out more about Lancaster’s careers events, extensive resources and personal support for

Skills for your future

A degree in geography will provide you with both a specialist and transferable skill set sought after by employers across a wide range of sectors.

Placement year

Choosing a Placement pathway degree involves spending the third year of your four-year degree working full-time in a business. Many students find that a placement year helps them to decide which career path they would like to take. The experience will give you a strong advantage when looking for employment after your degree.

Learning on Location

From upland fells of Cumbria, and the remote corners of the Scottish Hebrides, to tropical trails in Bali, there are opportunities to get hands-on experience working in the field, to bring teaching to life, and allow you to gain practical skills and experiences necessary to excel beyond your degree in many sectors.

Teaching Career Success

In your second year, as part of our teaching we invite alumni and partners from different employers to meet LEC students, providing you with insight into the graduate labour market, as well as providing you with the tools to successfully transition into the world of work.

Ben Teague

A future for Ben

During my undergraduate degree at Lancaster, I developed an interest in how we create and shape urban environments and how issues such as the climate crisis and inequality can be solved through these processes. This inspired me to pursue a career within the field of urban planning!

After I graduated, I secured a job at a planning consultancy in North Wales. During my time there, I was able to develop an in-depth understanding of the Welsh planning system and worked on a variety of projects ranging from household developments to major schemes for the commercial industry. What I found particularly interesting about this job was how politics and planning interact at a local level and how different stakeholders interact intending to achieve sustainable development.

I left private consultancy in December 2021 and I’ve been working in the public sector as a Planning Officer for Cheshire West and Chester Council ever since.

During my time with the Council, I’ve had the opportunity to take part in outreach events at local primary schools, running activities on town planning as part of their geography syllabus. This has allowed me to put into practice some of the teaching skills I acquired through modules within my degree, as well as convey my interest in the urban environment to others! Looking back on my time in LEC, I was able to grow as a person in a welcoming and supportive environment and gained the confidence to be able to realise my potential.

Ben Teague, BA Geography - Planning Officer, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Issy, a student

A place for Issy

“Out of all the universities I considered, Lancaster offered the largest variety of modules over all years, which is exactly what I was looking for. Having the opportunity to take both human and physical geography modules together is something no other university I looked at offered and was exactly what I wanted to do. 

My favourite field trip was to the Arolla glacier in Switzerland. It was only a small group of about 12 and took place in Summer. It’s one of my favourite memories. it was so fun being able to see a glacier and actually study glacial hydrology. 

Having real in-field experience is invaluable for a geography career – and being able to experience genuine experiments gives a real insight into the industry. We were left to do the work independently, so having experience in doing experiments by myself boosted my confidence in my skills immensely.

I’m staying at Lancaster for another year, doing an MSc in Environmental Management, and then hopefully going into a Geographic Information System-based job. I think the GIS modules here have helped more than anything else – it’s such a huge part of the industry now, and having even basic skills makes you stand out to an employer. With the range of assessments here, I’ve learnt how to write consultancy reports, lab reports and technical reports. Having that head start is so useful for future employment.”  

Issy Trigg – BSc Geography

 

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. This section will tell you whether you need qualifications in specific subjects, what our English language requirements are, and if there are any extra requirements such as attending an interview or submitting a portfolio.

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Important information

L1 speakers Mandarin, speakers fluent above CEFR B2, or those that have studied Mandarin to A level, will not be accepted onto this course. You will typically not be able to study a language from beginners' level if you have studied it to A level or equivalent. If you have studied a language to A level, we would expect you to have achieved at least grade B. If you have not studied a language to A level or equivalent, we would typically accept a GCSE 7/A in any foreign language as meeting the language requirement.

Help from our Admissions team

If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, complete our enquiry form and one of the team will get back to you.

We also have more details on our website about:

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO 抖阴APP导航, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of 抖阴APP导航 degrees. Visit the for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future. The University will make every reasonable effort to offer programmes and modules as advertised. In some cases, changes may be necessary and may result in new modules or some modules and combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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This module provides you with the foundations in social geography, cultural geography and political geography. You will be taught through a combination of lectures and practical workshops ensuring that alongside geographical knowledge, you are developing core qualitative research skills such as working with documents and visual data and developing critical academic skills such as presentations and exam skills.