Creative Arts and Chinese

Creative arts and Chinese is a degree that brings together practical and critical engagement with artistic practice and the study of one of the world's most widely spoken and culturally significant languages. The creative arts encompass a range of disciplines from fine art, photography, and print to performance, digital media, and creative writing, alongside the critical and contextual frameworks that situate those practices within broader cultural and historical questions. Chinese opens up a language spoken by over a billion people, access to one of the oldest artistic and literary traditions in the world, and a contemporary culture of immense global significance in design, film, fashion, and the visual arts.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, this four-year programme develops your abilities in both disciplines in an institution with unmatched depth in Asian studies. You will engage with creative arts practice and theory while simultaneously building your proficiency in Chinese, from foundational language skills through to more advanced communication and textual engagement. The combination of creative and linguistic training is particularly powerful at SOAS, where the study of Chinese can be embedded in a broader intellectual environment of area expertise, cultural history, and intercultural scholarship.

A foundation year is available for students who benefit from additional preparation before entering the main degree, making the programme accessible to a wider range of applicants.

Graduates from creative arts and Chinese combinations are well placed for careers in arts organisations, cultural diplomacy, the creative industries, international media, fashion, design, and the games and animation industries, where Chinese cultural production has global reach. Roles in teaching, translation, cultural exchange, and international business with a Chinese dimension are also open to graduates. Many go on to postgraduate study in Chinese studies, creative arts, or related fields, developing specialist expertise for careers in academia, the cultural sector, or international professional life.