Curriculum Overview

Students enroll each year in a minimum of 8 Chinese credits (Fall and Spring). Summer or Winter term domestic or international programs can add an additional 3-8 credit hours. Classes meet five days per week (seminar + drill/lab) during the regular semester. Students also receive one-on-one tutoring with native speakers. These classes will count toward Honors College credit requirements.

Once students have reached at least the Advanced-Mid level of proficiency, they may apply for the Capstone Year in Nanjing, China. The capstone is designed to give students the opportunity to fully develop professional proficiency in their field through a semester of direct enrollment at Nanjing University, followed by a 4-6 month professional internship. This Capstone Year is a requirement for fulfilling the Chinese Language Flagship Certification, and students must demonstrate progress toward this goal in order to receive Flagship funding.

Students enroll in courses based on proficiency level; therefore it is possible to start the program at any level below. Anyone joining the program with prior Chinese language coursework will be tested and placed in the appropriate course. Students in the program will be assessed each semester on progress with the language, and may complete the equivalency of semester courses below through Summer term domestic or international Chinese immersion programs. Due to the nature of the program, each student’s Flagship coursework timeline may look different. Summer or Winter term immersion programs can boost a student’s proficiency in a short period of time. All students are encouraged to participate in these immersive experiences for additional cultural and linguistic proficiency during the Summer and Winter terms.

Chinese Flagship course offerings:

First Year: CHNF 101, 102
Second Year: CHNF 201, 202
Third Year: CHNF 301, 302 + Chinese Content Classes and Domain-specific Tutoring
Fourth Year: CHNF 420 + Chinese Content Classes and Domain-specific Tutoring