The MA History of Art and Chinese Studies programme aims to teach students to speak, write and read Mandarin Chinese while equipping them with an understanding of art’s formal qualities, theoretical framework and its relationship to the wider cultural, social, economic and political circumstances in which the works of art and architecture were created. The 4-year Edinburgh degree is unique for a number of reasons: History of Art at the University of Edinburgh, unlike most programmes in the UK, has a long tradition of teaching eastern cultures, especially Chinese and Middle Eastern, as an integral component. Similarly, the modern and contemporary areas explore the effects of globalization on art. Edinburgh’s position as a capital city with national collections and archives and a rich architectural heritage is essential to teaching and students’ independent projects. Our ties with institutions including the National Galleries of Scotland, Historic Scotland and the National Library of Scotland as well as with the city’s thriving contemporary art galleries have been carefully forged and maintained.  Established, independent projects, such as the History of Art Analytical Report as well as a minimum of 30 weeks studying abroad, provide students with vocational skills necessary to today’s competitive recruitment market. The programme aims to equip students with: a wide-ranging knowledge of the history of art and visual culture from antiquity to present day; an understanding of the historical, theoretical, and critical frameworks of History of Art and its methodologies; a familiarity with the roles of connoisseurship, collecting and criticism as well as materials, display and curating; the ability to speak, write and read Mandarin Chinese at an advanced level of proficiency; to translate and interpret from and into Mandarin Chinese; an in-depth knowledge of Chinese culture and history.