The Chinese major at Union offers a unique opportunity to become immersed in the world’s most widely spoken language and one of its most fascinating cultures.
Some 885 million people speak Mandarin Chinese today. As a Union College Chinese major, you will develop your speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in highly individualized settings. Beyond the language sequence, courses will range from an exploration of Chinese literature, cinema, and gender and sexuality to "The New Wall of China," an interdisciplinary overview of the cultural, historical and artistic attributes of a region in China whose geo-political landscape has been dramatically shaped by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam.
Outside the classroom, you'll be exposed to film series and speakers, as well as gatherings at the Chinese Language Table in the Reamer Campus Center "pit." The Asian Student Union sponsors numerous events and discussions about current Asian and Asian-American issues. Union students also get involved in the annual Pan-Asian American Workshop with other local colleges. And those with a passion for Asian culture may live with like-minded students (typically 8-10 residents) in Thurston House, a popular theme house.
You can experience China firsthand with your classmates and professors on Union's fall term abroad in Shanghai. In addition to the rigorous coursework at Fudan University, one of the country's top universities, this popular term is packed with excursions, including visits to the Shanghai U.S. Consulate and Shanghai Stock Exchange, and field trips to Hangzhou, the Three Gorges, Nanjing and Beijing. Faculty-advised independent study and Union's mini-term in Tianjin, which focuses on Traditional Chinese Medicine, are other outstanding study abroad options for the Chinese major at Union.
Students who graduate with proficiency in Chinese have a range of exciting career options and a leg up on jobs that relate to the Chinese-speaking world. Union alumni have gone on to professional degrees in international law, medicine and teaching, and also are active in business and finance, government, human rights and tourism.
