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English Literature with Mandarin BA (Hons)

English Literature with Mandarin combines classic and contemporary literature, from Chaucer and Shakespeare to 21st century fiction and film adaptations, alongside teaching you Mandarin from beginner or post-beginner level.

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Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

English Literature with Mandarin BA (Hons) offers a unique opportunity to combine the study of English literature with Mandarin, starting from either beginner or post-GCSE level.

Explore an exciting range of literature in English from across the globe, spanning from the medieval period to the present day. You'll explore topics such as Victorian and Romantic literature, Shakespeare, text technologies, film adaptation, and postcolonial writing. Discover how texts function and engage in critical debates on literature's impact on society throughout history and today, while honing valuable skills in analysis, creative thinking, and research.

You will develop Mandarin language skills tailored to your level, alongside an understanding of China's rich social, cultural, political, historical, and artistic contexts.

At DMU, you’ll be part of a vibrant academic community that is welcoming, supportive, and deeply passionate about literature. Learn from internationally recognised academics who will inspire you to articulate your ideas confidently and refine your writing with clarity and creativity. 

Graduates of English Literature with Mandarin from DMU embark on diverse career paths, including media, marketing, publishing, teaching, public relations, and civil service.

Start your journey in combining literary study with language skills and open doors to exciting global career opportunities.

Key features

  • Immerse yourself in the study of English poetry, fiction, and drama from various centuries and continents, while mastering Mandarin, with the flexibility to specialise in your chosen areas of interest. 
  • Learn from world-class academics who are shaping cutting-edge research in fields such as medieval to contemporary literature, language studies, and digital humanities.
  • Stand out in today’s global job market with recognised competence in Mandarin. Tailor your Mandarin learning to your level and pace while gaining deep insights into Chinese culture, society, and history. 
  • Engage with innovative technologies and creative practices, from exploring print and digital mediums to using a hand-printing press. Plus, gain hands-on programming experience with HTML, guided by experts from our Centre for Textual Studies. 
  • Benefit from dynamic teaching methods and diverse assessments that ensure you build a wide range of skills, keeping your learning fresh and exciting. 
  • Develop transferable skills in critical thinking, cultural literacy, and collaborative work — highly valued in today’s job market and by employers worldwide.
  • Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

 

More courses like this

English Literature

 

English Literature with Education Studies

English Language and English Literature

 

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: Q3T1

Duration: Three years full-time, four years full-time with a placement. Six years part-time.

Fees and funding: 

2025/26 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Find out more about tuition fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Typical entry requirements

  • 112 points from at least 2 A Levels
  • BTEC Extended Diploma DMM
  • International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points or
  • T Levels Merit

Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.

  • Pass Access with 30 level 3 credits at Merit and GCSE English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above.

We will normally require students have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above

Interview required: No

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

 

First year

  • Block 1: Introduction to the Novel
  • Block 2: Journeys and Places
  • Block 3: Mandarin Beginner or Mandarin Post-Beginner
  • Block 4: Poetry and Society

Second year

  • Block 1: Exploration and Innovation: Medieval to Early Modern Literature
  • Block 2: Exploring Work and Society
  • Block 3: Mandarin Post-Beginner or Mandarin Intermediate
  • Block 4: Romantic and Victorian Literature

Third year

  • Year long: Dissertation
  • Block 2: Print and Digital Revolutions
  • Block 3: Mandarin Intermediate or Mandarin Advanced
  • Block 4: Modernism and Magazines

See detailed module information


Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

 

Overview

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, group tutorials and student-led seminars. Teaching sessions might be structured around discussion, a film screening or based in a computer lab. You will complete reading and research in advance and join in conversation with your tutor and your peers.

The first year expands your knowledge of the major literary genres (poetry, drama, fiction) and develops foundational skills in research, writing and critical analysis. The second year broadens your understanding of the development of English literature through time. The third year allows you to extend your knowledge by pursuing your own interests within the taught modules and your dissertation, which is a substantial independent written project on a literary topic of your choice.

Individual tutorials with module tutors are available in weekly ‘office hours’, at which you can discuss any aspect of your course or get help with assignments. All students are supported by a personal tutor and have access to specialist guidance in writing and study skills. 

You will experience varied forms of assessment, including essays, presentations, learning journals, class tests, practical work (such as the production of a sonnet using a replica of a sixteenth-century printing press or website production), peer evaluation, creative work, self-evaluation, blogs and dissertation. This range of assessment methods will enable you to develop a broad spectrum of communication and technological skills, alongside an ability to think critically, independently, flexibly and imaginatively.

Contact hours

You will normally attend 8-10 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures, seminars and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake around 30 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research

 

Facilities and features

Placements

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team. 

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
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Placements

This course gives you the option to enhance and build your professional skills to progress within your chosen career, through a placement. Our dedicated team offers a range of careers resources and opportunities so you can start planning your future.

Previous students have taken up placements in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, including some international posts, across a range of companies including public relations agencies and local schools.

Our Careers Team can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement.

Students on the #DMUglobal trip to New York

DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Students on this course have previously undertaken exciting opportunities to study overseas in Tokyo, Japan, and Vancouver Island in Canada.

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Graduate careers

English Literature with Mandarin graduates are highly employable due to their exceptional cultural competency, advanced communication and reasoning skills, and their ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Our graduates pursue successful careers in a wide range of fields, including archival work, media, civil service, marketing, journalism, the arts, library services, teaching English as a foreign language, and public relations. Many have secured impressive roles, such as Associate Producer at the BBC, Picture Book Editor at Pan Macmillan, and Senior Press Officer in the Children's Department at Penguin Random House.

For those interested in furthering their academic journey, opportunities for postgraduate study are also available at DMU.

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