MajorUndergraduate

CHINESE11 Chinese studies

Faculty of Arts

Chinese studies (CHINESE11) is a major worth 48 credit points, listing 24 units, taught at Clayton. It is offered in 4 courses, including Bachelor of Arts; and Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts.

Credit points
48
Units
24
Campus
Clayton
Offered in
4 courses

This is the 2024 handbook entry. See the 2026 entry.

Reviews

No reviews yet

No reviews yet. Be the first to review CHINESE11.

Requisite map

Overview

The Chinese studies program combines intensive teaching in the Chinese language (Mandarin) with units that introduce you to the complexity, dynamism, and opportunity of China today.  

Chinese studies offers instruction in the Chinese language from introductory to advanced proficiency, enabling both new language learners and background speakers to develop a high level of communicative competence in Chinese. 

Beyond language skills, Chinese studies also offers cornerstone units that introduce you to modern and contemporary China, as well as capstone units where you engage with the scholarship on some of the most pressing issues in the relationship between China and the world today; including politics and political culture, ethnic diversity, and the relationships between overseas Sinophone communities and China today. 

Majoring in Chinese studies, you will develop proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in Chinese, deep knowledge of China’s past and present, critical engagement with such diverse disciplinary perspectives as anthropology, literature, political science, and sociology, as well as research and writing skills to facilitate independent and innovative research in Chinese studies and beyond.

Placement tests and right of School to determine entry level
To ensure that you are placed in the most appropriate language level according to your individual profile, all students, except beginners, are required to undertake placement testing prior to the start of their first semester of language study. You are not permitted to take classes that are below your tested language proficiency level. Once your place is determined, you will progress through the language units in a designated stream. 

Overseas study
You can replace language units with equivalent language study overseas in semester one, semester two, summer semester, or over a full year, at approved partner institutions in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. You must obtain approval from the Chinese program before enrolling in language study overseas units. You can similarly replace units through the China intensive language program.

For a list of units, refer to the Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics Study Abroad webpage.

Availability
Chinese studies is listed in A2000 Bachelor of Arts at Clayton as a major and a minor, and in A0501 Diploma of Languages at Clayton as a major.

Structure

Rules
No more than 12 credit points at Level 1 may be credited to the major and at least 18 credit points must be at Level 3. Six language units (36 credit points) must be completed.
Entry point 1 - Introductory48 credit points
Entry point 2 - Intermediate48 credit points
For students with post-VCE/IB (second language basic stream) lower competence in Chinese

Language units

36 credit points
You must complete the following units.

Note: If you are a background speaker with oral proficiency but with little or no knowledge of written Chinese you must replace ATS2003 and ATS2004 with the following units: ATS1905 (Chinese introductory for background speakers 1) and ATS1906 (Chinese introductory for background speakers 2).
Entry point 3 - Proficient48 credit points
Entry point 4 - Advanced 1 and Advanced 248 credit points
For students with post-VCE/IB (high achievers from second language basic stream) or students who have the equivalent competence

Contemporary literature and Chinese translation units

12 credit points
Entry point 5 - Advanced 3 and Advanced 448 credit points
For students with post-VCE/IB (second language advanced stream) very high competence in Chinese or students who have the equivalent competence
Entry point 648 credit points

Courses that offer it

Notes

Intending honours students
If you are intending to enter honours in this area of study you must have completed a major in the discipline, with a minimum of 24 credit points of study at Level 3 to be eligible.

Learning outcomes

In addition to achieving the broad outcomes of your course, and successfully completing this area of study, you will be able to:
  1. 1

    Demonstrate linguistic competence at proficient level or higher in Chinese language;

  2. 2

    Critically analyse China and global Sinophone communities through the in-depth study of their history, culture, society, politics, and relationship with the world;

  3. 3

    Recognise the diversity of China and Sinophone communities and work across cultures with people of diverse backgrounds;

  4. 4

    Critique the disciplinary approaches (cultural studies, history, politics, sociology, anthropology) through which knowledge about China is developed;

  5. 5

    Combine Chinese language competence with other professional skills, including textual interpretation, research, translation, and interpreting.

Contacts

Academic Coordinators
Associate Professor Xiaoping Fang

Common questions

What units are in Chinese studies?

It lists 24 units, including ATS1001, ATS1002, ATS1940, ATS1959, ATS2003, ATS2004, ATS2005 and ATS2006. The structure above shows which are required and which you choose.

Major details

Type
Major
Study level
Undergraduate
Credit points
48
Faculty
Faculty of Arts
Organisational unit
School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics
Handbook years
2023202420252026