BA in Chinese Language & Literature
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese learn the language while studying literature, history, political science, anthropology, international affairs and culture. Intensive language and elective courses suit a wide variety of interests, with topics including Business Chinese, Readings in Modern Chinese, Poetry of the Tang and Song Periods, Taiwanese Literature and Film and more.
The BA program is excellent preparation for a variety of careers as well as the Master of Arts in Chinese Language and Culture.
Questions about the Chinese major? Contact Hongyuan Dong.
Departmental Honors
Students may apply to earn special honors in Chinese to be noted on their transcript. Department faculty will recommend the student for special honors only if they meet the requirements for eligibility:
- Meet GW’s special honors requirements
- Maintain a GPA of 3.7 or higher in the major and 3.4 overall
- Complete an honors thesis through CHIN 4199: Proseminar and receive a grade of A- or A. Qualified students will be invited to take the course by the beginning of the fall semester of the senior year. Only if a committee of three faculty members approves the completed project will special honors be recommended.
Chinese Proseminar
The two-course Chinese proseminar (CHIN 4198-4199) is recommended for all Chinese majors, and required for students who wish to be considered for departmental honors. The seminar prepares students to consult Chinese reference works, both traditional and modern. Students engage in one-on-one tutorials and seminar meetings to discuss literary criticism and original research. By the end of the course, students complete a thesis chosen from a wide variety of topics, from Christianity to Nüshu script.
Sample Honors Theses
- 2026
- Camryn Yi: "An Exploration of Wen Tong’s Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in His Poetry" (Advisor: J. Chaves; Readers: H. Zhang; H. Dong)
- 2025
- Eliza Cormier: "Linguistic Sovereignty: National Identity in Taiwan’s Presidential Rhetoric" (Advisor: H. Zhang; Reader: M. Wei)
- Lauren Wahlmark: "Steeped in Words: The Influence of Tea Culture in Tang and Song Dynasty Poetry" (Advisor: L. Chen; Readers: J. Chaves; H. Dong)
- 2024
- Nicolas Gangi-Saroukhanioff: "Writing the Revolution: Literature and Communism in Mao’s China and the German Democratic Republic" (Advisor: J. Chaves; Reader: L. Chen)
- Easton Weizer: "Brand Localization in the Chinese Market: A Linguistic Analysis and Categorization of Name Translation Strategies" (Advisor: H. Dong; Readers: M. Wei, P. Zhang)
- 2023
- Jake Messick: "China's Forgotten Simplification Scheme: A Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of the Failure of the Second Round of Simplified Chinese Characters" (Advisor: H. Dong; Reader: H. Zhang)
- 2022
- Andrew Butt: "Maidens, Matchmakers, and Men: Exploring Gender, Passion, and Morality in a Selection of Feng Menglong’s Short Stories" (Advisor: J. Chaves; Reader: L. Chen)
- 2021
- Steven Bernstein: "Bao Zheng: Comparing History with Myth" (Advisor: L. Chen; Readers: H. Dong, M. Wei)
- Jackson Smith: "Ah Q in the 21st Century: The Presence of New Historicism in the Rereading of The True Story of Ah Q" (Advisor: Q. Zhou; Readers: L. Chen, H. Zhang)
- Yichen Xie: "The Parrot Cumbered By its Own Flair: A Study on Wen T'ing-Yun and the 'Lowbred' Early Tz'u-Poetry" (Advisor: J. Chaves)
- 2020
- Rui Jia Zheng: "Nüshu script: A space for idealism" (Advisor: H. Dong; Reader: L. Chen)
- Katie Jarrett: "China's language policy and its effect on bilingual Tibetan speakers" (Advisor: H. Dong; Readers: H. Zhang)
- 2019
- Andrew Allard: "Linguistic exchanges between Chinese and Khmer from Prehistory to Modern Cambodia" (Advisor: H. Dong)
- Elizabeth Telford: "A Look at Christianity in China as Portrayed through Wu Li’s Poems on the Seven Deadly Sins" (Advisor: J. Chaves)
- 2017
- Mark Schaefer: “Ghosts and Social Critique in Yu Hua’s The Seventh Day” (Advisor: L. Chen; Reader: H. Dong)