# Chinese Studies (B.A.)

UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog · Department: Department of East Asian Studies

Source: https://catalogue.uci.edu/schoolofhumanities/departmentofeastasianstudies/chinesestudies_ba/

The major in Chinese Studies offers two emphases: Chinese Language and Literature, and Chinese Culture and Society. The Language and Literature emphasis enables students to understand the extensive and rich literary, historical, social, and philosophical achievements of China by studying in depth its language, literature, film, religion, and other cultural accomplishments. The Culture and Society emphasis stresses a multidisciplinary examination of modern Chinese culture and society from the perspectives of both the humanities and the social sciences. The major emphasizes the complementarity of these approaches in understanding the complexity of the forces that have shaped contemporary China.

### Requirements

##### All students must meet the University Requirements.

##### All students must meet the School Requirements.

##### All students are subject to the Language Other Than English Placement and Progression policies.

**Departmental Requirements for the Major in Chinese Studies**

| Course | Title | Units |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Emphasis in Chinese Language and Literature** | |  |
| **12 courses (48 units) are required for the Chinese Language and Literature Emphasis.** | |  |
| **A. Complete:** | |  |
| CHINESE 103C | Advanced Mandarin Chinese 1 |  |
| **B. Complete:** | |  |
| CHINESE 100A & CHINESE 100B | Classical Chineseand Classical Chinese |  |
| **C. Select one of the following:** | |  |
| EAS 15C | Introductory Topics in Chinese Literature |  |
| EAS 15J | Introductory Topics in Japanese Literature |  |
| EAS 15K | Introductory Topics in Korean Literature |  |
| **D. Complete:** | |  |
| EAS 190 | Junior-Senior Colloquium |  |
| **E. Select one upper-division course from the following:** | |  |
| EAS 130 | Topics in Korean Society and Culture |  |
| EAS 140 | Topics in Korean Literature and Society |  |
| KOREAN 104A | Fourth-Year Korean |  |
| HISTORY 173G | Topics in the History of Korea |  |
| EAS 120 | Topics in Japanese Literature and Society |  |
| EAS 123 | Structure of Japanese |  |
| JAPANSE 104A | Fourth Year Japanese |  |
| JAPANSE 104B | Fourth Year Japanese |  |
| HISTORY 172G | Topics in the History of Japan |  |
| SOC SCI 178E | Japanese American Studies |  |
| **F. Select six additional courses from the following, of which two may be lower-division courses:** | |  |
| ART HIS 151B | Later Imperial China |  |
| ART HIS 151C | Modern China |  |
| CHINESE 104A | Fourth-Year Mandarin Chinese |  |
| CHINESE 105 | Topics in Professional Chinese |  |
| CHINESE 115 | Topics in Chinese Literature: Advanced Texts |  |
| EAS 110 | Topics in Chinese Literature and Society |  |
| INTL ST 176C | Political Power in Contemporary China |  |
| INTL ST 158D | China in the Global Age |  |
| POL SCI 151B | Political Power in Contemporary China |  |
| HISTORY 171D | Chinese History to 1800 |  |
| HISTORY 171E | Chinese History: 1800-1949 |  |
| HISTORY 171G | Topics in the History of China |  |
| SOCIOL 175B | China in the Global Age |  |

1. If a student is exempted from CHINESE 103C based on examination or equivalent, a course on a Chinese topic offered by the Department is required.
2. Other courses may be applied by petition with approval from the undergraduate faculty director for the East Asian Studies Department.

| Course | Title | Units |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Emphasis in Chinese Culture and Society** | |  |
| **13 courses (52 units) are required for the Chinese Culture and Society Emphasis.** | |  |
| **A. Complete:** | |  |
| CHINESE 2C | Intermediate Mandarin Chinese 1 |  |
| **or equivalent.** | |  |
| **B. Complete:** | |  |
| HISTORY 171D & HISTORY 171E | Chinese History to 1800and Chinese History: 1800-1949 |  |
| **C. Select one of the following:** | |  |
| EAS 15C | Introductory Topics in Chinese Literature |  |
| EAS 15J | Introductory Topics in Japanese Literature |  |
| EAS 15K | Introductory Topics in Korean Literature |  |
| **D. Complete:** | |  |
| EAS 190 | Junior-Senior Colloquium |  |
| **E. Select two upper-division courses from the following:** | |  |
| EAS 130 | Topics in Korean Society and Culture |  |
| EAS 140 | Topics in Korean Literature and Society |  |
| KOREAN 104A | Fourth-Year Korean |  |
| HISTORY 173G | Topics in the History of Korea |  |
| EAS 120 | Topics in Japanese Literature and Society |  |
| EAS 123 | Structure of Japanese |  |
| JAPANSE 103A | Advanced Japanese |  |
| JAPANSE 103B | Advanced Japanese |  |
| HISTORY 172G | Topics in the History of Japan |  |
| SOC SCI 178E | Japanese American Studies |  |
| **F. Select two upper-division courses in the School of Social Sciences dealing with China.** | |  |
| **G. Select five additional courses of which no more than two may be lower-division courses offered by the East Asian Studies Department. Additionally, no more than two courses may be from the School of Social Sciences.** | |  |
| ART HIS 151B | Later Imperial China |  |
| ART HIS 151C | Modern China |  |
| CHINESE 100A | Classical Chinese |  |
| CHINESE 100B | Classical Chinese |  |
| CHINESE 104A | Fourth-Year Mandarin Chinese |  |
| CHINESE 105 | Topics in Professional Chinese |  |
| CHINESE 115 | Topics in Chinese Literature: Advanced Texts |  |
| EAS 110 | Topics in Chinese Literature and Society |  |
| INTL ST 176C | Political Power in Contemporary China |  |
| INTL ST 158D | China in the Global Age |  |
| POL SCI 151B | Political Power in Contemporary China |  |
| HISTORY 171D | Chinese History to 1800 |  |
| HISTORY 171E | Chinese History: 1800-1949 |  |
| HISTORY 171G | Topics in the History of China |  |
| SOCIOL 175B | China in the Global Age |  |

1. If a student is exempted from CHINESE 2C, an upper-division course on a Chinese topic offered by the East Asian Studies Department is required.
2. Other courses may be applied by petition with approval from the undergraduate faculty director of the East Asian Studies Department.

**Residence Requirement for the Major:** At least five upper-division courses required for the major must be completed successfully at UCI. Students are encouraged, however, to complete up to a year of their language study in approved programs of study abroad.