Our goal is to promote an enhanced understanding of the nations of East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

Academics

China Studies

The University of Pittsburgh has a long history of involvement in the field of Chinese studies, dating from the pre-World War II era. At present there are 13 China specialists on the University's faculty and a large number of graduate students working on higher degrees in Chinese studies.

Members of the China faculty are engaged in many different research projects ranging from the early history of Chinese civilization to the economic culture of present-day China. The music, literature, Chinese thought systems, and visual arts of China are well covered by China specialists in the humanities faculty. The wealth of these combined interests is reflected in the faculty-produced Contemporary Chinese Societies, a CD-ROM about Chinese culture and society, which recently won the prestigious Buchanan Prize   (Columbia University Press).

The Chinese Studies Program maintains active relationships with academic institutions throughout the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan. Our teaching and research programs are thus enriched by numerous long- and short-term academic exchanges and collaborative projects.

Academic Programs and Degrees

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Studies Program has faculty members in the following disciplines: anthropology, art history, economics, education, film and media studies, history, language and linguistics, law, library science, literature, musicology, public and international affairs, political science, religious studies, and women's studies. Courses with Chinese content are offered in these fields at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The program thus allows students to gain a background in Chinese Studies from a liberal arts and career-oriented perspective. Individual departments offer the BA, MA, and PhD degrees with concentrations on China. Also, the Asian Studies Center grants an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in East Asian Studies that combines a focus on China with advanced language training and an integrated course of study in the social sciences and humanities.

Undergraduate and graduate certificates in Asian studies can be earned by students enrolled in regular departmental majors by fulfilling requirements in Chinese language study and area studies course work related to China.

Language Study

The undergraduate Chinese Language Program comprises four years of course offerings. Each level offers training in speaking, reading, and writing. Classes are small, and most instruction in speaking is provided by native instructors. Topically specialized reading courses are available for qualified graduate students with the requisite skills. Chinese Language Program students have opportunities for study abroad during the summer or the academic year. The Chinese Studies Program and Nationality Rooms Program provide a limited number of Summer Language Travel Awards to assist students who wish to gain field experience by spending a summer in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or the PRC.

Study in China

The University of Pittsburgh is a member of the Council on International Educational Exchange's China Cooperative Language and Study Programs Consortium. Besides semester and academic year opportunities for educational exchange with various universities in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the University sponsors the Pitt-in-China summer program and an exchange program with the University of Hong Kong. Students may also use University-awarded and U.S. Department of Education fellowships for study abroad.

Our extensive set of relationships with Chinese colleges and universities is of great benefit in arranging suitable placements for students with particular interests.

Lectures and Seminars

The Asian Studies Center sponsors regular public lectures and seminars during the academic year, including an ongoing Cho-yun Hsu Symposium on Early China. Special events, such as Chinese cultural performances (art, music, drama, opera), are also held at the University. Please contact the Asian Studies Center if you wish to receive our calendar of events.