UNI offers the Chinese Studies Certificate to help students gain language competence and build a stronger resume (See the attached flyer).

The courses under the certificate program also fulfill the UNI foreign language requirement and count as elective credits. 

Official Webpage https://chas.uni.edu/langlit/certificates/chinese-studies

Enrollment Page https://online.uni.edu/online-programs/certificates-endorsements/chinese-studies

Coordinator Email:     elena.dobrila@uni.edu     Instructor Email: Dr. Penny Wang  congcong.wang@uni.edu

Total Credit Hours 

Language Courses: 12 Credits

Culture Courses: 1-3 Credits  

Language Courses

• Chin 1001 Elementary Chinese I    (4 credits)

• Chin 1002 Elementary Chinese II   (4 credits)

• Chin 1011 Intermediate Chinese I   (4 credits)

• Chin 1059 Intermediate Chinese Reading and Writing  (4 credits) 

• Chin 1059 Chinese Conversation and Culture  (4 credits) 

• Chin 1059 Pre-Intermediate Chinese  (4 credits) 

Culture Courses 

• Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese Conversation   (1 credit)

• Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese Culture    (1 credit)

• Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese Film    (1 credit)

• Chin 1086 Studies in Business Chinese (1 credit) 

• Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese Art and Calligraphy (1 credit) 

• Chin 1060 Introduction to Chinese Culture: <Variable Topics> (UNIFI)

• English 1120 Literature: China (GenEd UNIFI & East Asia GenEd Certificate)

Fall 

Chin 1001 Elementary Chinese I (Online) Foreign language credits, elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate  (Offered in every spring and fall semester)

Chin 1002 Elementary Chinese II (Online) Foreign language credits, elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate  (Offered in every spring and fall semester)

 * An intermediate to advanced level Chinese course  e.g., Chin 1059 Pre-intermediate Chinese (Online) or Chin 1059 Intermediate Chinese Reading and Writing (Online) 

Chin 1086 Studies in Art and Calligraphy (online) elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate (Offered in every spring and fall semester)

Eng1120/Chin 1050 Introduction to Chinese Literature (Online, 3 cr) UNIFI, elective credits, East Asian Studies Certificate and Chinese Studies Certificate

Spring 

Chin 1001 Elementary Chinese I (online, 4 cr) Foreign language credits, elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate  (Offered in every spring and fall semester)

Chin 1002 Elementary Chinese II (online, 4 cr) Foreign language credits, elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate  (Offered in every spring and fall semester)

Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese Film (online, 1 cr) elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate (Offered in every spring and fall semester)

 * An intermediate to advanced level Chinese course  e.g., Chin 1059 Post-Elementary Chinese (Online) or Chin 1011 Intermediate Chinese I (Online) 

Chin 1060 Introduction to Chinese Literature (Online, 3 cr) UNIFI, elective credits, East Asian Studies Certificate and Chinese Studies Certificate

Summer 

Chin 1060 Introduction to Chinese Literature (Online, 3 cr) UNIFI, elective credits, East Asian Studies Certificate and Chinese Studies Certificate

Note: Students who want to take a language course in the summer, may enroll in the fall class but complete the course work in the summer.  

Q&A

1. What are the benefits of the Chinese Studies Certificate? 

Mandarin Chinese is one of the most widely used languages in international business and education. This certificate program helps students develop strong communication skills and cultural awareness in Mandarin, while also providing formal recognition to support job applications. Rather than simply listing language credits, students who earn this certificate before graduation will have a competitive advantage when applying for scholarships, internships, and jobs. The certificate can be submitted to future employers as a credential in place of a transcript. 

.

2. As a senior, can I earn the certificate within a year before graduation? 

Yes. You can enroll in multiple Chinese courses in a semester and meet the requirement within a year. For example, you can take a Chinese language class and a culture class in the fall semester and two Chinese courses in the spring semester as independent study. You can also complete the required coursework during the winter and summer break and only enroll in the required courses. That way, you can focus on your major coursework during the fall and spring semester while completing the required credits for the certificate during the break. This method helps you earn a higher overall GPA. 

Example

Chin 1050 Introduction to Chinese Culture in the summer 

Chin 1001 and Chin 1086 in the fall semester 

Chin 1002 and Chin 1001 （independent study) in the spring

You can earn the certificate in the spring 

.

3. I am a high school student. Our high school does not offer Mandarin Chinese. Can I enroll in the UNI Chinese courses? 

Yes. You can enroll in any of the Chinese language classes offered by UNI and earn college credits. All of the Chinese language courses fulfills the foreign language requirements and you can transfer these credits to a different university. For high school students to earn the Chinese Studies Certificate, you need to enroll as a UNI student after graduating from high school and declare the certificate although you can transfer the credits to other universities. 

.

4. Is the certificate program available to online students including DMACC students? 

You don't have to be a full-time or part-time UNI student to enroll in the program. You can enroll in the Chinese Studies Certificate Program as an online student through Continuing Education and pay per credits you take. This might be the cheaper option. Contact Mallory if you have any application questions Mallory DeSantiago | Online & Distance Education   mallory.desantiago@uni.edu 

DMACC students can enroll in any Chinese language classes and earn the Chinese Studies Certificate. 

.

5. What classes do I need to take to earn the Chinese Studies Certificate? 

You need to complete 12 Chinese language credits and 1 culture credits at UNI to earn the certificate (See attachment) 

For example, you will need to take any 3 of the Chinese language classes (e.g. Chin 1001 Elementary Chinese I, Chin 1002 Elementary Chinese II, Chin 1011 Intermediate Chinese I, Chin 1059 Intermediate Chinese Reading and Writing) and 1 culture class (e.g. Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese <culture/ film/ conversation>, Chin 1050 Introduction to Chinese Culture, Chin 1060/Engl 1120 Introduction to Chinese Literature). You might not need to take Chin 1001 and/or Chin 1002 if you are not a beginner. You can enroll in Intermediate level course directly, but you need to complete three Chinese language courses and one cultural course at UNI to earn the certificate.  

.

6. Can I take Chin 1011 before taking Chin 1002? 

Yes. Any Beginning II and Intermediate Chinese classes are multilevel courses which provide small group instruction and independent study options. You can choose to take the course via Zoom or asynchronously via elearning. 

.

7. I do not live in Cedar Falls. Can I earn the certificate online?

Yes. All the Chinese language courses are offered fully online. You can choose to take the course synchronously or asynchronously. You don't have to be on campus to take a Chinese class. The course provides a flexible schedule. 

.

8. What does the beginning Chinese course cover? 

The beginning Chinese course focuses mainly on oral communication in Mandarin Chinese. The course prepares students to hold a basic conversation on a variety of topics such as greeting, self-introduction, family, ordering food, talking about hobbies, etc. There are no written tests. Students need to develop a foundation of communication skills before moving on to reading comprehension. 

.

9. Can I take Chin 1001 and Chin 1011 in the same semester? 

Yes. You can request to take two Chinese language courses in one semester. If you are at the beginning level, you can take Chin 1001 as a full-semester course and Chin 1011 as an independent study. If you need to request an overload, please contact the instructor. Your request will be reviewed on a case-to-case basis, but we support hardworking students to complete the certificate sooner.  

.

10. How do I declare the Chinese Studies Certificate?

If you have met the prerequisites for the Chinese certificate, please declare the certificate if you would like it listed on your transcript. You can use this link https://registrar.uni.edu/sites/default/files/forms/fillable_declaration_of_curriculum_form_3.30.2022.pdf to complete and sign  the declaration of curriculum and then send it to the  registrar@uni.edu for processing.

.

11. How can I request an overload, so I can add one or more Chinese classes to my schedule? 

Please use this form to request an overload: https://java.access.uni.edu/StudentAcademicRequests/admin-view . The registrar office will process your request and then Elena Dobrila <elena.dobrila@uni.edu> can enroll you. 

.

12. I have an internship/student teaching during my last semester in UNI. Can I complete the coursework ahead during the summer/winter break and just enroll in Chinese credits in the fall/spring semester, so I can focus on my job in my senior year? 

Yes, you can do that. 

13. I have taken Chinese classes in high school, can I transfer credits to the certificate program? 

If you have taken AP Chinese tests at high school or college level Chinese classes, UNI may accept these credits. Even you need to complete three Chinese classes, you don't have to retake Chin 1001 Beginning Chinese I but can begin with Chin 1002 Elementary Chinese II, Chin 1011 Intermediate Chinese I depending on your proficiency level. We will make sure each student enrolled will continue to improve. 

14. I am studying at a different institution. Can I only enroll in this certificate program offered by UNI? 

Yes. The student can enroll in the certificate by completing an enrollment form through Online & Distance Education. If you have questions about the form or process for enrolling, contact online@uni.edu for assistance. 

15. I am a businessperson and travel Internationally. Is the program delivered synchronously or asynchronously? 

The program is completely online with both synchronous and asynchronous components, as we have a lot of students who work for companies all over the world. We have designed a very flexible and personalized program to meet diverse needs. For beginning to intermediate Chinese classes, each class provides a synchronous and asynchronous option. Students can choose which study plan works best for them. The synchronous group participates in a weekly speaking practice on Zoom. However, some businesspeople cannot attend the weekly speaking practice due to time conflicts or time zone differences and some are taking the classes from Europe. We provide them with another option to practice speaking with a tutor and complete recorded speaking videos for grading. They can send their questions via text or video mail on social media platforms and get immediate feedback. The asynchronous group also has more options to use advanced technology such as virtual reality to do immersive one-on-one speaking practice. The asynchronous group completes more recorded video homework than the synchronous group, but our learning models help them reach the same level of speaking fluency by the end of the semester. 

All cultural courses or reading-and-writing oriented courses are delivered asynchronously through Blackboard. It has a discussion board function to allow students to share text messages on a discussion board. Students can also post images, ppt, videos and links through its blog function. Quizzes are automatically granted with a flexible time schedule. This design allows great flexibility for businesspeople. 

16. How do I add a second-half semester course such as Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese Film? 

You need to email registrar@uni.edu to request an Add-Course Form and return to registrar@uni.edu.  Click on the link for the form 1_add_form.pdf 

17. I am a VA and my employer sponsor for my education. How can I enroll in the certificate program? 

More information about VA benefits at UNI may be found here: https://registrar.uni.edu/military-and-veterans-education-benefits