Chinese

Augustana offers a 20-credit minor in Chinese, and a related major in Asian studies. We are one of only a few colleges in the U.S. to offer four full years of Chinese language instruction in addition to Chinese culture. 

A minor in Chinese includes two years of beginning language study, two years of higher-level study of Mandarin Chinese, plus courses on Chinese culture, history and art. See also the major in Asian studies and minor in linguistics.

Because of China’s great influence on the global economy and environment, politics, the arts and more, study in Chinese is a smart combination with just about any other academic program at Augustana or career choice you might make for your future.

Our program and ties to China began nearly 50 years ago, when Augustana students and professors first started traveling together to East Asia.

Distinctions

• Augustana is a founding member of AsiaNetwork, and was among the first U.S. colleges to re-establish ties with China in the 1970s.

• The faculty are native speakers who specialize in Chinese language, media, pop culture, art and art history.

• Students of any language are strongly encouraged to study abroad, taking advantage of Augustana’s many opportunities. Augie Choice provides every student $2,000 for a standout learning experience, and many use it for travel expenses. Students of Chinese will be especially interested in:
–      an internship and study program at East China Normal University in Shanghai
–      a semester of language immersion or business and social sciences at Peking University in Beijing
–      a semester or annual exchange with Lingnan University in Hong Kong

• Augustana grants especially meant for study abroad include the $1,000 IOP Passport Grants and Freistat Center Grants (amounts vary) for language and cultural studies.

• Augustana’s student and faculty exchange program with Huazhong Normal University in China, begun in 1988, allows seniors or recent graduates to study Mandarin Chinese and teach English for one year on the campus in Wuhan.

Recent grads

Lauren Amella ’20 is a learning and development coordinator at CrowdStrike in Chicago.

Jake Schoeck ’19 is a J.D. candidate at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Va.

Camilo Duarte ’17 works in global communication at Sixthman in Atlanta, Ga.

Elise Cather '17 taught at Central China Normal University in Wuhan, Hubei, and is now the senior Italy and Croatia specialist at Audley Travel in Boston, Mass.

Emily Stanevicius ’16 taught English at Central China Normal University in Wuhan, Hubei, for five years and is currently working on her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin.

Aubrey Waddick ’16 is a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow at Penn State University.

Abby Lange '15 is in charge of business development, which includes medicine import, contract negotiation and translations, at Herng Shan Co. Ltd. In Taipei, Taiwan.

Adam Populorum ’15 is a corporate account executive at Softchoice in Chicago.

Daisy Hoang ’14 is senior vice president of sales and success at Katalon in Ho Chi MInh City, Vietnam.