Chinese

China has the world’s oldest continuous living civilization, and its culture has had significant impact on its neighboring countries. Now China is rapidly becoming a major player in world politics, and its economy is expanding fast. Not only is China a country that one must deal with politically, economically, and culturally, but it also provides opportunities to the world in business, scholarly research, and many other contexts. Mandarin (or Putonghua) is the official language. Chinese literature is a rich reservoir of Chinese culture and is the major source for the understanding of the cultural, social, political, philosophical, and aesthetic aspects of this nation.

The Chinese curriculum provides a solid foundation for an understanding and appreciation of the rich and diverse culture of China. The language (Mandarin Chinese) and culture courses offered are useful to students who aspire to an East Asia-related academic or professional career in education, government, communication, business, or other fields in the United States and abroad.

Please visit the UB Undergraduate Catalog for further information about the Linguistics BA – Chinese Language and Linguistics Concentration, including courses, acceptance criteria, requirements, study abroad, and career opportunities.

Upon successful completion of all requirements, students with this degree are expected to acquire intermediate-level proficiency in Chinese in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, and cultural knowledge and understanding desired for the target level of proficiency.

Please visit the UB Undergraduate Catalog for further information about the Minor in Chinese, including courses, acceptance criteria, requirements, study abroad, and career opportunities.

The Chinese proficiency test is designed for students who need a waiver from the requirement.

Students who request waivers based on their scores on SAT II or AP tests or on courses taken at other institutions, OR, international students with a diploma from a non-English high school in their home country should contact the CAS Student Advisement and Services Office.

Testing Dates

The test is administered the first two weeks of every semester:

• First Week: Thursday from 12:00pm-12:30pm
• Second Week: Wednesday from 12:00pm-12:30pm

To make an appointment, please contact the Chinese Program.

The NJStar Chinese Communicator is not only suitable for users of all language levels, but is also an ideal tool for Chinese learning and teaching. The NJStar reads and writes CJK characters in normal English programs such as web browser, email and Microsoft Word.

After completing one year’s worth of Chinese courses, students may choose to further their Chinese studies in China. Presently, the University at Buffalo offers exchange programs with the Capital Normal University and the Beijing Polytechnic University in Beijing, China. Both graduate and undergraduate students can enroll in these universities’ intensive Chinese language programs and earn UB credits. Students may opt to study in China for a full semester or to participate in a six-week summer program. Most students are able to acquire financial support to return to China for further studies.

For further information about study abroad opportunities and resources, please visit Study Abroad Programs or contact the Study Abroad Programs Office at (716) 645-3912.