Bachelor of Arts in Chinese: Concentration in Chinese Language
Bachelor of Arts in Chinese: Concentration in Chinese Language
The Concentration in Chinese Language is designed for beginning language learners with little or no prior background in Chinese. The program emphasizes the development of proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, along with an appreciation and understanding of Chinese literature and culture. Students also have opportunities for language immersion through exchange programs in China and Taiwan. Graduates of the program have gone on to careers in language teaching, civil service, private business, the technology sector, and translation and interpretation.
Note: Native speakers of Chinese and international students who have completed secondary or postsecondary education in Chinese in a Chinese-speaking country are discouraged from choosing this concentration. Instead, they may wish to consider one of our other B.A. in Chinese concentrations.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Chinese: Concentration in Chinese Language, students will be able to:
- Language and Linguistics: Speak, write, and comprehend Chinese, and analyze the language’s morphology and syntax.
- Culture: Demonstrate cultural competence through the study of Chinese culture, literature, and history. Students will be familiar with the historical and cultural development of Chinese culture, especially in its international context, and will engage in cultural analysis across historical, geographical, and theoretical perspectives.
- Literature: Develop critical thinking through the study of complex literary texts by identifying key issues, breaking them into component parts, and examining them critically.
- Writing Skills: Write coherent, engaging, and rigorous critical essays in Chinese that conform to accepted academic standards.
Chinese (B.A.): Concentration in Chinese Language — 39 units minimum
Foundational Language (3-12 units)1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN 101 | First Semester Chinese | 3 |
| CHIN 102 | Second Semester Chinese | 3 |
| CHIN 103 | Third Semester Chinese | 3 |
| CHIN 303 | Intermediate Chinese | 3 |
- 1
Up to 9 units from the lower-division core can be replaced with high school Advanced Placement (AP) examination credit (see University guidelines). With the consent of a Chinese Program advisor, students able to demonstrate a higher level of Chinese language proficiency may replace lower-division core units with upper-division Chinese language units.
Language Core (15 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN 311 | Conversation and Reading | 3 |
| CHIN 312 | Speech and Writing | 3 |
| CHIN 401 | Advanced Chinese | 3 |
| Select One: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Classical Chinese | ||
| Readings in Literary Chinese | ||
| MLL 325 | Linguistics for Foreign Languages | 3 |
Civilization & Culture (3 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN 228 | Chinese Language and Society | 3 |
| CHIN 270 | Writing China & the West: Written Communication and Cross-Cultural Encounters in Word and Image | 3 |
| CHIN 271 | The Classic Chinese Novel in Contemporary Pop Culture | 3 |
Media Literacy (3 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN 410 | Building Chinese Media Literacy | 3 |
| CHIN 411 | Media Chinese | 3 |
Content Course (3 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN 521 | Chinese Modern Fiction | 3 |
| CHIN 537 | Chinese Language and Modern China | 3 |
| CHIN 580 | Topics in Modern Chinese Language and Literature | 3 |
Literature in Translation (3 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN 600 | Topics in Chinese Language, Literature, and Culture in English | 3 |
| CHIN 601GW | The Poetic Tradition - GWAR | 3 |
| CHIN 602 | The Narrative Tradition | 3 |
| CHIN 611GW | The Revolutionary Tradition in Modern Chinese Literature - GWAR | 3 |
| CHIN 612GW | Negotiating Chineseness in the Late 20th and 21st Centuries - GWAR | 3 |
| HUM 530 | Chinese Civilization | 3 |
Graduation Writing Requirement (GWAR) (0-3 units)
Select a CHIN GWAR course if one is not selected from the Literature in Translation area above.
Electives (0-9 units)
Additional upper-division CHIN courses as needed to reach a total of 39 units in the major.
Complementary Studies
Required of all candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese are 12 units of Complementary Studies, which must come from courses bearing a prefix other than CHIN, and not cross-listed with CHIN. Complementary Studies for the Chinese major can be satisfied via four possible routes:
- 12 units in any foreign language other than Chinese (may include up to 3 units of MLL prefix courses);
- 12 units of coursework taken in an approved study abroad program (including CSU Study Abroad, SF State Bilateral, Chinese Flagship, and SLI Translation-Interpretation programs);
- 12 units of coursework taken as part of a second major, a minor, or a certificate;
- 12 units of coursework in related disciplines with the approval of a Chinese Program advisor.
Related disciplines typically include linguistics, literature, philosophy, history, education, and any aspect of greater China, East Asia, or Asian Americans.
Where a course with a non-CHIN prefix is taken as a core requirement or elective for the Chinese major, the said course may also (double) count towards Complementary Studies only via the Study Abroad option or the second major/minor/certificate option listed above. Students satisfying Complementary Studies through the Foreign Language option are allowed a maximum of 3 units of overlap of MLL-prefix courses between the Chinese major and Complementary Studies units. Students satisfying Complementary Studies through the Related Subjects option are not allowed to double-count major and Complementary Studies units.
NOTE: REGARDING STUDY ABROAD
Applies to all Chinese degrees, concentrations, and minors. Students are encouraged to study abroad through the International Programs of the California State University and the Bilateral Programs of San Francisco State University. For students opting to study abroad, all study abroad units will count as units in residence and can be used for graduation credit, but no more than half of the units required for the major or minor may be taken outside of the home campus. Flagship Language Concentration students, however, may apply all of their Study Abroad units towards the major.
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Composition | LD | 3 | 1A |
| Critical Thinking | LD | 3 | 1B |
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | 1C |
| Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | LD | 3 | 2 |
| Arts | LD | 3 | 3A |
| Humanities | LD | 3 | 3B |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences* | LD | 6 | 4 |
| Physical Science | LD | 3 | 5A |
| Biological Science | LD | 3 | 5B |
| Laboratory | LD | 1 | 5C |
| Ethnic Studies | LD or UD | 3 | 6 |
| Science or Math/Quantitative Reasoning | UD | 3 | 5UD or 2UD |
| Arts or Humanities | UD | 3 | 3UD |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | UD | 3 | 4UD |
| *Students will fulfill USH through their Area 4 courses | |||
| SF State Studies | |||
| Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective. | |||
| American Ethnic and Racial Minorities | LD or UD | 3 | AERM |
| Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action | LD or UD | 3 | ESCA |
| Global Perspectives | LD or UD | 3 | GP |
| Social Justice | LD or UD | 3 | SJ |
| American Institutions | |||
| US and California Government | LD or UD | 3 | USG/CSLG |
Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes, options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet GE Areas 1A/A2, 1B/A3, 1C/A1, and 2/B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (1B/A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the 1B/A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.