French and Chinese
French and Chinese is one of the most strategically valuable language combinations available at undergraduate level, bringing together two of the world's most widely spoken and internationally significant languages across very different cultural and linguistic traditions. French, spoken by over 300 million people on five continents and a language of international diplomacy, law, and culture, opens an extraordinary literary and intellectual heritage alongside contemporary Francophone worlds in Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. Chinese, with Mandarin spoken by more people as a first language than any other tongue, is central to understanding one of the most consequential economies and civilisations in human history.
At the University of Manchester, this four-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year with placement and work opportunities, giving you extended professional experience in contexts where French or Chinese is in use. You will study both languages to a high level of accuracy and confidence, engaging with literature, film, and contemporary culture in each, as well as with the linguistics of both traditions. Manchester has specialist expertise in both French and Chinese studies, and the programme benefits from a research environment with a genuine international reach.
A typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the rigour of the programme.
Graduates of French and Chinese programmes are exceptionally well placed for careers in international business, diplomacy, international law, journalism, translation and interpreting, and roles with organisations operating across European and East Asian markets. The combination is genuinely rare among UK graduates, and the sandwich year adds practical professional experience that significantly strengthens the graduate profile. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in one or both languages, in area studies, or in translation, and the skills developed across the programme provide an excellent foundation for research-oriented careers.