Economics Masters in China with Modern Languages Bachelor Degree

[iaas206]

Hi everyone! I've been having no success so far trying to get help from admissions teams and CUCAS etc about this question so I thought I'd see if any of you guys have any suggestions. I'm hoping to transfer to an Economics postgraduate degree  having taken Modern Languages in the UK as my first degree. Could anyone suggest a reputable university for studying Economics that might accept someone from an unconventional background (willing to take extra modules or take an online course in preparation if need be) or have any tips for getting some advice about this (either through admissions teams or another advisory body)? I'm getting frustrated sending emails that return no replies. Any courses where I could do combined Chinese language and Economics study would also be very welcome! Thanks in advance for your help!

[ZhangKaiRong]

Fudan, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Renmin, Nankai, ZheDa, BeiDa and Xian Jiaotong are the most prestigious universities in the economics field. To be honest, background is rarely a big issue at Chinese universities if you apply as a foreigner, and humanities to economics/business should pose no admission problems.

 

I might missed it in your post, but are you planning to study economics in Chinese or in English? Given that your background are in humanities rather than economics/science, I would strongly advise against going directly from a language major to a pure economics major in Chinese, as you potentially lack not only the fundemantel knowledge in economics that econ/business grads get in their studies, but you probably have a very shake methodological knowledge as well (calculus, algebra, statistics and econometrics), unless they emphasized these during your BA in the UK (which, with all due respect, I doubt). Stepping up your knowledge in this area is a tough job to do even in your native language... A lighter business master would be more beneficial to you if you're committed to pursue your master's studies in Chinese.

[iaas206]

Thanks for the advice! I'm definitely looking to study in English due to the exact reasons you stated. I've got an A Maths A level and am doing an online sociology course, so I think that with some self-study beforehand I'll cope with quantitative methods, provided it's taught in English! I'm set on economics as I'd like to go into research and policy and am not so interested in industry.

 

I've had two responses so far. One from Nanjing - apparently they only have courses in Chinese (which is weird, thought I would have checked that before writing an email haha) and apparently only economics majors usually get past the first stages of selection.The other from Renmin, who have just put me in contact with a professor. Let's hope they are as flexible as you say and can recommend how to get up to speed. Still waiting for any acknowledgement from the other 6 unis I contacted, though.