Chinese Studies and Persian (year abroad) MA (Hons)

University of St Andrews

Chinese Studies

Chinese Studies at St Andrews will offer you exposure to the breadth and depth of Chinese linguistic and cultural practices. Going beyond the traditional model of language and literature, Chinese Studies will also include visual and pop cultures. Whilst St Andrews does not yet offer Chinese as a single Honours degree, you can take it in combination with a wide variety of other subjects as part of a joint Honours degree. The course encompasses mainstream, popular and dissident cultures in all their national, regional, ethnic and diasporic diversity. The study of texts and practices will be focused on contemporary concerns that are both Chinese and global. These include: gender and sexuality; ecology and climate change; the excesses of advanced consumer society; issues of transparency, governance and collective memory.

Persian

Whilst St Andrews does not offer Persian as a single Honours degree, you can take Persian in combination with a wide variety of other subjects as part of a joint Honours degree. Persian is the second language of the Middle East and the Islamic world and is primarily known in Europe for its unique literary tradition and the cinematic achievements of the Iranian New Wave. Therefore, Persian offers a good opportunity for comparative analyses between different languages, literatures, cultures, national cinemas, histories, politics and economics. At St Andrews, the focus is on Modern Persian, with emphasis on language, literature, drama, visual culture and cinema, but students are also given the opportunity to become familiar with classical literary and historical texts.