One of my favorite classes was Professor Jing Jiang’s From Allegories to Documentaries: Screening Postsocialist China. Her class combined a variety of fascinating texts, films, and scholarship in order to examine the sociohistorical context of China post-Cultural Revolution.
What You’ll Study in the Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese
In an era dominated by China's rise as a global superpower, studying this country’s history and culture has become more crucial than ever. As a Chinese major at Reed College, become fluent in Mandarin and delve into China's 5,000-year-old heritage with our expert professors and immersive learning opportunities.
Roadmap to the BA in Chinese at Reed
The Chinese department offers a variety of courses that illuminate medieval to modern-day China and analyze important cultural works, from novels to films. Reed also sponsors study abroad programs and research opportunities that will build your language, writing, and analytical skills, preparing you for your future.
Year One
Begin Your Reed Journey
Start your Chinese studies by taking a beginning Mandarin course or testing into our intermediate or advanced classes. Explore the breadth of Reed’s offerings by taking a course outside your major. And, of course, participate in the great Reed tradition of completing Humanities 110 to build your writing and critical thinking skills.
Year Two
Increase Your Language Skills
Continue your language studies and take one of two Chinese humanities courses exploring the foundations of Chinese civilization. Choose additional electives from the Chinese department to engage with texts and media from over 5,000 years of Chinese culture and history.
As a sophomore, you can apply to live in the Chinese House. In this unique residence hall, mainly converse in Mandarin and learn from our resident language scholar. The Chinese House also hosts cultural events that are open to all, from the campus-wide Mid-Autumn Festival to smaller gatherings like film screenings and tea tastings.
Year Three
Study Abroad and Deepen Your Knowledge
Take your final Chinese humanities course and spend a semester (or two) studying abroad in China or Taiwan. Develop a basic understanding of Classical Chinese and choose from electives like Chinese Ghost Stories and Supernatural Tales and From Allegories to Documentaries: Screening Postsocialist China.
Through your classes, gain experience with literary theory, build critical thinking skills, and engage in close readings to better understand texts as you prepare for your junior qualifying examination. Apply for grants to conduct summer research.
Year Four
Showcase Your Mandarin and Research Skills
Spend your final year at Reed completing your senior thesis. Conduct research in Chinese and write using primary and secondary sources in both Chinese and English. This yearlong project builds research skills and develops Chinese-to-English technical and literary translation skills.
Enroll in additional classes that enhance your knowledge of Chinese culture and history, such as Reading Early Chinese Novels: The Four Masterworks and Songs to Lost Music: Ci-Poetry. By the time you graduate, reach near-native fluency in spoken Mandarin and become proficient in reading and writing.
Why Study Chinese at Reed College?
Advanced Language Studies in Small Classroom Sizes
When you're studying a new language, small class sizes make all the difference. Reed’s Chinese department prioritizes personalized attention, with an average class size of 16. We also provide one-on-one office hours, conversation practice with our resident language scholar, and peer tutoring.
At Reed, you can go beyond the standard three years of language study. Our literature classes offer supplemental Chinese instruction so you can read and engage with original texts.
Specialized Chinese Courses
Our robust Chinese humanities course offers a comprehensive exploration of Chinese history and culture. This two-part class is team taught by literature, history, religion, and art history professors, ensuring you leave Reed with a well-rounded understanding of Chinese history and culture. You can also learn Classical Chinese in modern Chinese, as opposed to being taught in English.
Study Abroad and Research Opportunities
Enrich your understanding of the Chinese language and culture through studying abroad. At Reed, we strongly encourage Chinese majors to apply to our programs in China and Taiwan.
We also provide research opportunities to help you gain experience studying primary documents, translating, and more. Apply for Reed grants, such as the Ruby-Lankford Grant and the President's Summer Fellowship, which can help fund your work.
My Favorite Courses
Sierra Abbot ’23
Chinese
Stephanie Shu ’23
Chinese
Professor Alexei Ditter’s class The Story of the Stone and the Chinese Literary Tradition brought us deep into the exquisitely rich literary world of China’s most famous novel. Tracing this tale of love, loss, and the vicissitudes of a human life, we questioned everything—from the subtlest of literary devices to the very notion of ‘reality’ itself.
Careers for Chinese BA Graduates
With their high proficiency in Mandarin and strong critical thinking and writing skills, graduates of the Chinese major pursue a variety of careers, including the following:
- Attorney, The Vora Law Firm
- Journalist, National Public Radio
- Paralegal, Chen & Mu Law Office
- Policy analyst, RAND Corporation
- Policymaker, Portland Housing Bureau
- Senior brand manager, Nike, Inc.
- Senior project architect, OTJ Architects
- Translator, Tzu Chi Foundation
Graduate Program Placement for Chinese Majors
Graduates of Reed’s Chinese department continue their studies at many renowned universities:
- Harvard University
- Middlebury College
- National Taiwan University
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Chicago
- Washington University St. Louis
Meet Our Faculty
Meet the dedicated professors in our Chinese department. They are experts in topics from Chinese classical texts to philosophy. Discover their teaching approaches and research interests—who knows, you may even contribute to their publications!
