Chinese Minor

Welcome to the Chinese Program

We invite you to study Chinese language and culture with us. Chinese is the most spoken language in the world with more than 1 billion people speaking Chinese and 873,000 million of those speaking Mandarin. In addition to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, Chinese is also spoken in the significant Chinese communities of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. China is a major player in the global economy and due to its opening to the West there are many employment opportunities in all fields. If you do business with any of the above mentioned countries your understanding of the Chinese language and culture will be a tremendous asset to you.

Learning Chinese will increase employment prospects. A proficiency in Chinese is likely to become an increasingly useful asset for any job seeker. Proficient speakers of Chinese will find jobs in a variety of fields, such as business, tourism, government, education and translation. China is a wonderful country in which to teach English, and the demand for teachers who can speak Chinese is on the increase.

Come learn about Chinese history and culture with us. It opens doors to thousands of years of history and culture, from Confucianism to cuisine or martial arts to music. It helps you understand the Chinese people, and what is behind the language, what makes it powerful. You will be studying one of the oldest civilizations in the world and learn how to write beautiful Chinese characters, the history of the Forbidden City and how to make Chinese dumplings. With your skills learned in our Chinese classes at UNC Charlotte, accompany us on a Spring Break or Summer Faculty-led program to Beijing and experience this exciting world.

Come explore the Chinese Program:

The Chinese Program offers you the following opportunities:

A Minor in Chinese consists of 20 credits above the elementary language level. Students complete 8 language credit hours at the intermediate level and 6 language credit hours at the advanced level. In addition to these core language requirements, students take 6 credit hours of elective courses. Students choose two elective classes at the Advanced level in Chinese language, literature, film, and/or culture, taken either at UNC Charlotte or abroad. The elective classes must be taught in the Chinese language or if they are taught in English they must be accompanied by a one-hour additional Chinese language component in order to count toward the minor.

Adding a Chinese Minor improves your marketability. Career possibilities include:

Banking and Finance
Translation & Interpretation
Foreign Service
Consulting
Education
Intelligence
Business
Journalism

Please see here a detailed list of courses and requirements for the Chinese Minor or contact your advisor, Professor Fang-yi Chao.

UNC Charlotte students have many opportunities to study abroad in China. You can choose a faculty-led program over Spring break for example to explore Beijing, or you can study for a semester or year in Shanghai, Hongkong or Chengdu. These programs are designed for students with a passion for Chinese language and culture, and those who plan to accelerate their language skills and cultural understanding during their stay in China. Many of our programs in China include Host Family stays and therefore give you a true connection to the Chinese culture.

For more information about the faculty-led Spring Break program to Beijing please contact the director, Professor Yongling Gorke.

For more information on Study Abroad Opportunities in China visit the Office of Education Abroad and find Your Program.

Chinese Representing at the Annual UNC Charlotte International Festival

The annual UNC Charlotte International Festival is centered around booths arranged in colorful marketplace style representing the cultures of over 50 nations. The booths are staffed by UNC Charlotte international students and members of Charlotte’s international community and feature art, crafts and costumes from each participating country. Many booths offer international food for sale. Throughout the day the music and dance of a variety of nations are presented on indoor and outdoor stages. In addition, the International Festival, which is family-oriented, offers a number of elements such as mimes and face painting designed especially for children. The Chinese program is well represented with a booth.

Chinese Undergraduate Student Association at UNC Charlotte is an organization dedicated to educating students on Chinese culture and assisting students who are learning the Chinese language. Our purpose for this organization is to spread awareness of Chinese culture through social, academic, cultural, and other miscellaneous activities here in the UNC Charlotte community. This organization is open to all students here at UNC Charlotte, so feel free to join us throughout the semester!