About the China Studies Program

The China Studies Program at the University of Washington provides a broad understanding of the Chinese people and their culture, historical development, and contemporary issues. Language learning and facility are a core element of the program of study. The nearly 40 faculty members in the China StudiesProgram provide extensive course
offerings in the social sciences and humanities, and in some of the professional schools at the University of Washington. The breadth of offerings allows students to select courses to meet career goals in business, government, teaching, and other professions. Three historians focus on the premodern, late imperial, and modern eras of Chinese history, providing background and perspective for all students of China. Political science courses are provided by two specialists examining contemporary Chinese domestic and foreign policy and US-China relations. Two sociologists offer courses on China’s population and social organization.The University of Washington is the leading center for the study of China’s minority peoples, with two anthropologists providing a wide range of course work on contemporary Chinese society. Geographers examine allocational, migration, and environmental issues. A wide range of courses on Chinese literature, poetry, and language are offered by leading specialists in the Departments of Asian Languages and Literature and Comparative Literature. Advanced students may also take courses on China in the School of Law and in other fields (with instructor permission).

The China Studies Program is recognized as one of the best in the country. In addition to the strength of its faculty, the program is enhanced by the collection of the East Asian Library, one of the ten largest in the United States.

Professor Madeleine Yue Dong, Chair – China Studies Program