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)

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

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

HUM 3124 Non-Western Culture: China (LAC)

Spring 2023

Chin 1001 Elementary Chinese I (online) Foreign language credits, elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate  

Chin 1002 Elementary Chinese II (online) Foreign language credits, elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate  

Chin 1086 Studies in Business Chinese (online) elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate

Fall 2023 

Chin 1001 Elementary Chinese I (online) Foreign language credits, elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate  

Chin ____ 2nd level Chinese (pending) 

Chin 1086 Studies in Chinese Culture (online) elective credits and Chinese Studies Certificate

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 prepares students to develop communication skills and cultural awareness in Mandarin Chinese as well as provides a written proof in support of students' job application. Instead of showing language credits, students with this certificate in hand before graduation will be in a more competitive position in their scholarship, internship and job application. You can submit the certificate instead of a transcript to your future employer. 

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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

HUM 3124 in the summer

Chin 1001 and Chin 1086 in the fall semester 

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

You can earn the certificate in the spring 

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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. 

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4. Is the certificate program available to DMACC students? 

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

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

You will need 12 Chinese language credits and 1 culture credits (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>, HUM 3124 China).  

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.  

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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.

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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. 

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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 would enroll as a non-degree seeking student. This would require a non-degree seeking application with the Office of Admissions to update the student's new status within the UNI system. They would then complete the courses needed for the certificate. Once the certificate is completed, the student would contact their Record Analyst in the Registrar's Office who would confirm the certificate requirements were fulfilled. The Registrar's Office would then put the certificate on the student's transcript and could mail it to the student. If you need help with this process, please contact Kim Bock <kim.bock@uni.edu> Office of Academic Advising. 

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 will need to fill out and email this form "1_add_form.pdf (uni.edu)" to the register's office. 

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