As the native tongue of more than 1.2 billion people, Mandarin Chinese is the primary language for approximately one fifth of the human race. Spoken and written Chinese are also widely used throughout Southeast Asia and in other parts of the world, where it has emerged as an increasingly important medium of cultural, educational, and commercial interaction.
The program in Chinese offers a major and a minor in Chinese in two tracks, Chinese Language or China Studies. With a structured sequence of language courses in standard Mandarin, as well as courses on Chinese literature, culture, and film taught in English, the curriculum is designed to familiarize students with China’s long history of cultural traditions.
The Chinese major is designed to provide students with linguistic and cultural competency to function successfully within a Chinese speaking society. Students are also expected to present a senior project in consultation with an advisor. Students learning Chinese are encouraged to take a January course in China or spend one semester or more in their junior year studying Chinese in one of the many study abroad programs available in Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong.
The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Official degree requirements can be found in the Whittier College Catalog.
To complete the major in Chinese, a student must have Intermediate Chinese II level or its equivalency and a minimum of 30 credits, 24 of which must be at the 300 level.
Chinese Language Track
The major in Chinese language requires language proficiency of Advanced level Chinese demonstrated through coursework or attained language proficiency of level 6 or higher as tested by Chinese National Examinations 漢語水平考試 Coursework:
English 310: Linguistics (3 credits) Chinese 499: Senior Project (4 credits) ______________ Total - 27 credits * denotes courses taught in Chinese
China Studies Track
Major in Chinese Studies requires language proficiency at Intermediate Chinese level attained through coursework or language proficiency of level 4 and higher as tested by Chinese National Examinations, 漢語水平考試 (HSK)
___________ Total - 27 credits * denotes courses taught in Chinese
Both tracks in the Chinese major require three or more out of the following courses at a 300 level. This is also applicable to students who start at intermediate language level or higher who will still require the 24 credits at the 300 level courses.
A minor in Chinese requires a minimum of 18 credits from any level. Interested students should consult with language faculty. All courses require a Language Lab/Supporting Materials Fee.
