Course details

Summary

‌China is one of the world's oldest civilisations and in the 21st century, is the most heavily populated nation in the world, with over 1.3 billion people. Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world. For the last few years China has been New Zealand's fastest growing market for international visitors.

By developing competency in the Chinese language, students will gain insight and access to Chinese culture. Understanding the society and culture of this historic yet modern nation is becoming increasingly important as China overtakes more traditional Western nations in terms of economic power, cultural relevance and international influence.

The UC Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research-only degree carried out under expert supervision and using world-class facilities.

A PhD involves extensive, sustained and original research and study in your chosen subject, with the results being presented in a thesis that will contribute to intellectual knowledge of the field. It is a mark of intellectual ability, self-discipline and commitment. A PhD prepares you for a number of careers, including as an academic.

The minimum period of enrolment for a full-time candidate is two years and the maximum period four years; most PhD students take between three and three-and-a-half years.

Career opportunities

Learning about influential languages and cultures is advantageous for many careers around the world as graduates are increasingly required to be culturally competent, globally aware and ready to work internationally.

Career opportunities for graduates in Chinese include teaching Chinese in New Zealand schools, working in international trade, in tourism and related industries, for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other government departments.

Recent UC graduates have become interpreters/translators, TESOL teachers, import/export brokers, secondary school teachers, policy analysts, tourism marketing officers and travel agents. Others have gone on to professions such as law, accounting, engineering and business in New Zealand, China and other Asian countries.

Entry criteria

Enrolment in a PhD requires completion of a research-focused honours or master's degree at first-class or second-class division 1 level (or equivalent qualifications). Applicants with qualifications from outside New Zealand must have been granted admission to the University.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.