Deepen your knowledge of all things Chinese, lighting the way to abundant careers in today’s global age. You’ll master spoken and written Mandarin systems with guidance from Carthage’s Target Language Experts — native Chinese speakers who bring energy and authenticity to their classes. You’ll also be steeped in the culture, politics, religion, and economy of China and broader East Asia. Majors also study in a Chinese-speaking country for at least a semester.
The Chinese program at Carthage goes beyond mastering the language. It is a four-year program with curriculum courses in Chinese history, film, politics, culture, and Asian religion.
Carthage offers a major and minor in Chinese. Students who study Chinese at Carthage will enjoy small classes, individualized attention, and a program centered on helping students achieve their personal and professional goals. You’ll be guided by dedicated professors and Target Language Experts, who bring authenticity to their teaching as native speakers from Chinese-speaking countries and regions like Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore.
Courses are designed to cultivate skills for the workforce, and all majors study abroad in a Chinese-speaking country for at least a semester.
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<img src="/live/image/gid/72/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/88,495,1825,2232/36018_Lorin_Bucur_26.rev.1665690123.jpg" alt="Lorin Bucur in front of Machu Picchu, picture for student voices profile." width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/72/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/88,495,1825,2232/36018_Lorin_Bucur_26.rev.1665690123.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/72/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/88,495,1825,2232/36018_Lorin_Bucur_26.rev.1665690123.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1737" data-max-h="1737" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “My 8-year-old self was a nerd who always had her head in books — I am sure she’d be insanely surprised to see that I am pursuing a career outside of ‘Librarian Studies.’”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/2094-">Lorin Bucur</a> ’26</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/32/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/35147_IMG_3841.rev.1660748364.jpg" alt="Lily Lourigan ?25" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/32/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/35147_IMG_3841.rev.1660748364.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/32/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/35147_IMG_3841.rev.1660748364.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2400" data-max-h="3200" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “I received the Modern Language Scholarship for Chinese. This scholarship means everything to me since I would not be attending Carthage without it.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/1805-lily-lourigan">Lily Lourigan</a> ’25</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/24/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,612,792/33037_Laura-Xiu-Hung-24.rev.1643922764.jpg" alt="Laura Xiu Hung ?24" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/24/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,612,792/33037_Laura-Xiu-Hung-24.rev.1643922764.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/24/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,0,612,792/33037_Laura-Xiu-Hung-24.rev.1643922764.jpg 3x" data-max-w="612" data-max-h="792" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “My classmates and professors make the environment fun and engaging, which really benefits my learning. Carthage professors are clearly passionate about the subjects they teach, and it’s easily reflected in the students’ learning.”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/1511-laura-xiu-hung">Laura Xiu Hung</a> ’24</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
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<img src="/live/image/gid/37/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,280,1170,1448/36393_4861_163701665847155.rev.1668707554.jpg" alt="Maya Zenner" width="183" height="183" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/37/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,280,1170,1448/36393_4861_163701665847155.rev.1668707554.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/37/width/183/height/183/crop/1/src_region/0,280,1170,1448/36393_4861_163701665847155.rev.1668707554.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1170" data-max-h="1168" loading="lazy"/>
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</div><div class="blockquote__content"><div class="blockquote__quote"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon icon-round-left-quote" width="48" height="33"><use xlink:href="#icon-round-left-quote"/></svg><p> “I chose Carthage primarily because of its <a href="/admissions/undergraduate-students/small-classes-big-deal/">size</a> and the <a href="/academics/majors-minors/">majors</a> offered here. I came from a very small high school, so Carthage’s size made it a very easy transition. The smaller class sizes appealed to me as well, as I feel that I can better get my questions answered quickly. The beautiful view of <a href="/about/location-and-map/lake-michigan-photography/">Lake Michigan</a> also helped!”</p></div><footer class="blockquote__footer"><span class="blockquote__author"><a href="/live/profiles/2170-">Maya Zenner</a> ’25</span></footer></div></blockquote></div>
Courses you’ll take
All classes in the major are taught in Chinese. Here’s a sampling of required and elective offerings:
If you test into a course and then earn a “C” or better, you can earn up to 12 free retroactive credits. That’s three times more than you’ll get from any AP or college-level class that offers college credit!
Outside the classroom
Chinese Lunch Table
During the weekly Chinese Lunch Table, students chat in Chinese with each other, professors, Target Language Experts, and international students from China.
Chinese Club
Chinese Club is a student-run organization that hosts meetings and events for students interested in China. Expand your knowledge of China and its culture outside of class. International students from China are regular and integral members of the club.
Field Trips
The Chinese program organizes field trips every semester to locations like Chinatown and the Chinese American Museum of Chicago. Experience first-hand cultural practices, tea ceremonies, Chinese cooking, and calligraphy demonstrations.
J-Term and Study Abroad
Faculty from various academic departments at Carthage regularly lead J-Term study tours to China. Students of all majors can study the country’s incredible history, growing economy, and rich culture. Modern language majors are also required to spend at least one full semester abroad.
Even if you’ve never taken a Chinese class, if you plan to major or minor in it at Carthage, you can compete for a Modern Languages Scholarship. Awards cover up to $27,000 per year.
China, which has the second-largest economy in the world, is on the rise. Chinese, spoken by 1.3 billion people, is the second largest language (next to English) in the world.
Studying Chinese at Carthage leads to jobs in business, marketing, healthcare, computer science, recruiting, teaching, interpreting, tourism, and more.
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