Student calligraphy from 2026 Lunar New Year ALC

Chinese BA

The Chinese major offers rigorous training in Chinese language, literature, linguistics, religion, archaeology, and film studies. Through our comprehensive curriculum, you will develop advanced proficiency in modern spoken and written Chinese, while acquiring broad knowledge of premodern, modern, and contemporary Chinese culture. The linguistic competence and cultural literacy you develop through completing this major will prepare you for meaningful work in fields requiring China expertise, including international business and finance, journalism, diplomacy, educational institutions, cultural organizations, non-profit sectors, and academic research.

Upon completion of the Chinese major, students will be able to:

Communicate with advanced proficiency in modern spoken and written Chinese (Mandarin) across diverse contexts
Read, translate, and interpret classical Chinese texts with demonstrated competence literary Chinese (wenyan)
Demonstrate broad knowledge of Chinese history, literature, thoughts, and religions from antiquity through the contemporary period
Analyze texts, cultural objects, and historical developments using appropriate disciplinary knowledge, methods, and theoretical frameworks
Produce clear and effective written works on Chinese civilization that engages cultural complexity and transformations across different periods
Design and execute independent research projects that critically engage with both primary sources and scholarship, and utilizing research tools and methodologies, including digital resources and archival materials

Curricular Roadmap and Major Requirements

The Chinese major is based on the following two pillars of Language Acquisition and Humanities-based Interdisciplinary Study

All majors will graduate with at least 3rd-year level of modern Chinese, having acquired advanced level of proficiency in Chinese language or beyond.
Majors will demonstrate basic competence in classical Chinse through the completion of at least two courses in premodern Chinese language or texts.
Majors will graduate with discipline-specific knowledge of China, fulfilled through upper division courses in literature, linguistics, history, or religion.
Majors will also develop analytical and literary foundations through the completion of one major China-based General Education (GE) course and one Chinese literature course.
Majors are required to take two upper-division electives in Asian, Japan, Korea, South Asia, or Southeast Asia (includes Filipino and Vietnamese electives)

To plan for the Chinese Major, please consult the UCLA Registrar Catalog and the ALC Department Chinese Major Worksheet:

CHINESE-MAJOR- WORKSHEET 18-19 Download