Research Focus
East Asian/Chinese cultural studies, cultural heritage, digital culture, and Sino-Tibetan linguistic traditions. Suitable student backgrounds: Chinese language and literature, history, archaeology and art history, anthropology, sociology, folklore, linguistics, comparative literature.
Programme Structure and Funding
- Full-time 3 to 4 years. (36 to 48 months).
Training Plan
- Begin the dissertation upon entry, refine the research plan and establish a feasible project timetable.
- In the first stage, a detailed research proposal and literature review must be completed; the outcomes of this stage will be submitted to a review panel for assessment, and supervisors will provide feedback and guidance on research progress.
- In the second stage, students will be formally registered as full-time research students and write a dissertation of up to 100,000 words. A “publication-based thesis” pathway may also be chosen; this mode should be determined within the first academic year.
Tuition
Department tuition for the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies is approximately £24,000 per year.
Scholarships
This programme is eligible to apply for the China Scholarship Council (CSC) joint funding scholarship, which is open to UK and overseas students for doctoral study. The CSC Silver Line quota is 19 people per year, with a funding period of up to 48 months; funding includes one return international airfare and a scholarship for the specified period.
The University of Leeds provides tuition fees and bench fees. Application process: By 10 March of the following year, applicants should submit application materials to the University of Leeds and obtain an unconditional offer/invitation letter.
Between 0:00 on 10 March and 14:00 on 1 April, log in to the National Public Overseas Study Management Information Platform (https://sa.csc.edu.cn/student) to complete the online application and upload the relevant materials. For the project name, please select “Overseas Cooperation Programme”; for the available cooperation channel name, please select “Scholarship in Cooperation with the University of Leeds, UK”. April–June: expert review, completion of admissions and publication of the admission list.
From July: those who pass the review begin handling dispatch procedures from July and are dispatched successively.
Entry Requirements
Chinese language and literature, history, archaeology and art history, anthropology, sociology, folklore, linguistics, comparative literature and other humanities fields.
- Language requirements: IELTS overall score of 6.5, with no individual component below 6.0.
- Academic background: a degree certificate in a relevant master’s discipline (second class or above, or first class).
Application Materials
- Two academic references. (References should be from academia and written within the past two years.)
- Copies of degree certificates and transcripts. (In addition to the original documents, English translations are also required.)
- Research proposal.
- Completed postgraduate study application form. (https://prod.banner.leeds.ac.uk/ssb/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon)
Application Period
Entry date and application deadline (UK time): September 2025 entry, application deadline 30 May 2025; January 2026 entry, application deadline 30 September 2025.
Career Prospects
- Enterprises and business services: marketing, communications, public relations, human resources (especially multinational corporations and international enterprises).
- Public sector and international organisations: local government, regional or national government, international organisations (such as the United Nations, the European Union and other non-governmental bodies).
- Education: international schools, language education institutions, higher education institutions (teachers, education consultants, academic administration).
- Cultural exchange and creative industries: tourism, international publishing companies, museums, art institutions (editors, cultural event planners, tourism planners).
- Academic research: universities and research institutions.
