Global China Studies
Available only to the Class of 2029 and beyond. China is at the forefront of global change, and this major prepares you to engage meaningfully with its future. Through rigorous training in cultural and intercultural competency, historical understanding, and analysis of contemporary society, you’ll be equipped to lead in contexts where a deep knowledge of China is essential. Conversely, understanding how the world sees China is just as important a skill and a lens through which to reflect on its culture and history. Drawing on the university’s location in Jiangnan (the historically rich region south of the lower Yangtze), an interdisciplinary curriculum, and the wide-ranging expertise of its faculty, Global China Studies at DKU provides students with a clear, grounded approach to studying China from both within and outside. The program’s structure enables our students to integrate fieldwork, language acquisition, and critical thinking in ways no other place can match. While the major is intellectually located in the twenty-first century and content highly relevant to modern China, it also draws from elements of China’s earlier periods that are crucial to understanding China today and to illuminating pressing twenty-first century challenges. This includes the formation of China’s modern borders under the Qing Empire, China’s role in pre-twentieth century global trade, the Qing Empire’s responses to rebellion and reform, the long tradition of the centralizing state in China, and a history of economic revolutions and interventions in the environment dating back more than a thousand years. Graduates of this major can pursue advanced degrees focusing across the humanities and social sciences. They will be especially well-prepared for graduate degrees related to China and work in a wide range of jobs where knowledge of China and Chinese is an advantage, including government work, the NGO world, as well as higher education and the private sector, particularly in global companies and educational joint ventures with operations in China.Major Requirements
(Not every course listed is offered every term, and the course list will be updated periodically. Please refer to the online Course Catalog for Courses offered in 2025-2026.)Global China Studies
Divisional Foundation Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| SOSC 101 | Foundational Questions in Social Science | 4 |
| ARHU 101 | The Art of Interpretation: Written Texts | 4 |
Interdisciplinary Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| GCHINA 108 | From Empire to Nation | 4 |
| GCHINA 205 | Modern Chinese Politics | 4 |
| GCHINA 305 | Visual China | 4 |
| GCHINA 390 | Arts of China | 4 |
| GCHINA 490 | China’s Economic Transition | 4 |
Disciplinary Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| GCHINA 202 | Modern Chinese Politics | 4 |
| GCHINA 304[86] | US/China Relations | 4 |
| GCHINA 306 | Traditions of Power: Historical Origins of Modern China | 4 |
| For Chinese learners, [87]demonstrate proficiency in Chinese language by completing the following courses[88] | 4 | |
| CHINESE 402A | Advanced Chinese – Issues in Modern China 2 – A | 2 |
| CHINESE 402B | Advanced Chinese – Issues in Modern China 2 – B | 2 |
| And choose one of the following courses | 4 | |
| HIST 201 | History Methods and Research | 4 |
| SOSC 102 | Introduction to Research Methods | 4 |
| SOSC 206 | Qualitative Research Methods | 4 |
| STATS 101 | Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods | 4 |
| And a minimum of three courses from at least two of the following categories, including one course at the 300-level or above. Students exempt from CHINESE 402B and 402B must complete four courses | 4 | |
| Chinese Arts and Letters | 4 | |
| ARTS 217/HIST 217 | Arts of China | 4 |
| GCHINA 203/ART 203 | Visual China: Modern Chinese History and Culture through Film | 4 |
| LIT 223/CHINESE 423 | Topics in Modern and Premodern Chinese Literature | 4 |
| MEDIART 208 | Chinese Mass Media | 4 |
| China’s Global Engagements | 4 | |
| POLSCI 303 | International Politics of East Asia | 4 |
| POLSCI 398-2 | Special Topics in Chinese International Relations | 4 |
| POLSCI 316 | Sino-African Relations in History and Present | 4 |
| POLECON 302/GCHINA 301 | China’s Economic Transition | 4 |
| Chinese History and Thought | 4 | |
| PHIL 226/HIST 226[89] | History of Chinese Philosophy | 4 |
| HIST 301 | SChina and the Silk Roads World: 500-1500 | 4 |
| RELIG 302 | Chinese Religion and Philosophical Thought on the Environment | 4 |
| GCHINA 204 | Politics of Art and the Art of Politics in China | 4 |
| Suzhou and the Jiangnan Region | 4 | |
| GCHINA 206 | History of Suzhou | 4 |
| HIST 205 | Shanghai: From Treaty Port to Metropolis | 4 |
| CULANTH 206[90] | China Stories: Local Cultures and Communities | 4 |
| LIT 310 | Translating Kunqu for the Global Stage | 4 |