Bachelor of Arts - Chinese - Flagship Chinese Language

Program Description

Founded in 1959, the Chinese Program at San Francisco State University provides comprehensive degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. For all major and minor options, the Chinese Program offers electives taught in both English and Chinese, which provide insight into one of the world’s oldest civilizations and inspire the student to view the modern world from alternative perspectives. Courses on modern literature and film taught in Chinese reflect the dynamic transformations of contemporary Chinese society and culture. Training in the fundamentals of linguistics complements program goals by revealing the underlying structures of language. To prepare students as fully as possible for future challenges, the Chinese Program balances traditional academic offerings with practical courses such as Business Chinese, Media Chinese, and Web Chinese, which equip students with career-related language skills.

The Bachelor of Arts in Chinese is divided into three separate concentrations: Chinese Language, designed for students with little or no background in the Chinese language; Chinese Literature and Linguistics, aimed at native and near-native speakers of Chinese language; and Flagship Chinese Language, a federally funded honors program.

The Concentration in Flagship Chinese Language, in line with federally funded Chinese Flagship guidelines nationwide, consists of 35 units of lower and upper-division language training, many of which are specifically tailored to students in the Flagship program, plus nine units of coursework in linguistics, culture, classical language, and GWAR. Unique to the Flagship Concentration is a three-unit content course taught in Chinese by a Chinese-proficient specialist in another subject area. Flagship students must also complete 12 units of Flagship-specific Study Abroad arranged through the Flagship Office, which will include coursework and internship components.