The Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations offers undergraduate majors in Chinese and Japanese, minors in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi/Urdu and Japanese, and certificates in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and South Asian Languages and Civilizations, as well as language, literature and culture courses in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Japanese and Korean.

Undergraduate students receive a thorough grounding in the modern language, an introduction to the classical language and literature and a broad familiarity with the literary and cultural history of their selected area.

Students interested in Chinese or Japanese are encouraged to broaden their academic horizon through a double major, combining either language with another field of interest. Likewise, students in all Asian Languages and Civilizations programs as well as programs outside the department can pursue one of the department's minors or certificates as a way of broadening their career options.

Before registering for specific courses, students should consult with a departmental advisor concerning appropriate placement in language classes beyond the beginning level.

In addition to language instruction courses, the department offers several courses taught in English. These courses provide an excellent introduction to the literary and cultural histories of the areas involved. They are open to all interested students and do not require previous study of the language or subjects addressed.

The department strongly encourages all students to participate in Study Abroad to enrich their studies in our programs. For information about programs throughout the world, contact the Education Abroad office.

With a Chinese or Japanese major, you will have skills, information, and concepts that are relevant to careers in virtually every area. Competency in a foreign language is a highly desirable skill in all fields. A knowledge of Chinese or Japanese is particularly beneficial and useful in business, engineering, industry, commerce, the civil or foreign service, law, library science, natural and social sciences, the media, economics, public administration, journalism, government and teaching at all levels. In addition, China and Japan are increasingly sources of a wide variety of excellent careers, as they are among the world’s largest economies and trading partners with the U.S. and Colorado. Students are encouraged to consider combining their Chinese or Japanese language training with courses in these or other fields.

A degree in Chinese or Japanese from the CU Boulder program will provide you with a strong background for advanced study and specialization in a variety of Chinese- and Japanese-related disciplines and other related fields. Many majors elect to spend the first few years after graduation studying or working in China or Japan. There are many opportunities in this area, and ALC makes every effort to facilitate this transition for its students. For example, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET), administered by the Japanese Ministry of Education, sends a large number of US college graduates to teach English in the Japanese school system. Department graduates have had conspicuous success in being accepted to this program.

Career Services offers a number of programs and services designed to help you plan your career, including workshops, internships, and placement services after graduation. For an appointment with a career counselor or for more information, call 303-492-6541, or stop by the Center for Community, N352, 133 UCB. Students looking to utilize their acquired language skills may also explore the career resources page on the Anderson Language and Technology Center website.

Students interested in advanced study of Chinese and Japanese language and literature are encouraged to consider the Chinese MA and Japanese MA in Asian Languages and Civilizations offered by the Department. For further information, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies in Chinese or Director of Graduate Studies in Japanese.

For information on how to apply to CU-Boulder, please visit the Admissions website.