1. How to fulfill the Chinese Language Requirement
Learning a foreign language is an essential component of a Penn education. At Penn, the language requirement is normally fulfilled by either:
- Successfully completing the second- or fourth-semester level of a language course (as required by each school), or
- Demonstrating equivalent proficiency through a placement exam.
Policies differ among undergraduate schools. Below is guidance specific to Chinese language study, based on the policies of the College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton School, and School of Nursing.
(1)College of Arts and Sciences
To fulfill the foreign language requirement in Chinese, College students must either:
- Place above CHIN 0400 / CHIN 0410 / CHIN 0420 on the Penn Chinese placement/proficiency exam (receiving a score of 650 or above in the placement exam)
OR
- Successfully complete one of the following courses with a letter grade:
- CHIN 0400 Intermediate Chinese II
- CHIN 0410 Intensive Intermediate Chinese I & II
- CHIN 0420 Reading & Writing Chinese II (for fluent speakers)
- Any course at or above CHIN 0500 (excluding Spoken Chinese, Cantonese or Taiwanese courses)
There is no fixed sequence required. Students may take various course pathways based on their placement and learning needs. As long as the student completes one of the designated fourth-semester-level courses (CHIN 0400/0410/0420) with a letter grade, the requirement is fulfilled.
All courses must be taken for a letter grade and may not be double-counted for General Education requirements.
Transfer credit, credit away, or study abroad courses must be officially approved by the Chinese Language Program as equivalent to a Penn course satisfying the requirement.
(2)Wharton School of Business
Wharton students must demonstrate Level II proficiency (second-semester level) in a language other than English. This can be achieved by:
- Place above CHIN 0200 / CHIN 0210 / CHIN 260 on the Penn Chinese placement/proficiency exam (receiving a score of 450 or above in the placement exam)
OR
- Successfully complete one of the following courses:
- CHIN 0200 Beginning Chinese II
- CHIN 0210 Intensive Beginning Chinese I & II
- CHIN 0260 Beginning Business Chinese II
- Any course at or above CHIN 0300 (excluding Spoken Chinese, Cantonese or Taiwanese courses)
Wharton students may take language courses on a pass/fail basis to fulfill the requirement.
Transfer credit, credit away, or study abroad courses must be officially approved by the Chinese Language Program as equivalent to a Penn course satisfying the requirement.
(3)School of Nursing
For students beginning their program Fall 2023 and beyond:
Students must demonstrate Level II proficiency (second-semester level) in a language other than English. This can be achieved by:
- Place above CHIN 0200 / CHIN 0210 on the Penn Chinese placement/proficiency exam (receiving a score of 450 or above in the placement exam)
OR
- Successfully complete one of the following courses:
- CHIN 0200 Beginning Chinese II
- CHIN 0210 Intensive Beginning Chinese I & II
- Any course at or above CHIN 0300 (excluding Spoken Chinese, Cantonese or Taiwanese courses)
For students beginning their program Fall 2022 or before:
Students must demonstrate Level IV proficiency (fourth-semester level) in a language other than English. This can be achieved by:
- Place above CHIN 0400 / CHIN 0410 / CHIN 0420 on the Penn (receiving a score of 650 or above in the placement exam)
OR
- Successfully complete one of the following courses:
- CHIN 0400 Intermediate Chinese II
- CHIN 0410 Intensive Intermediate Chinese I & II
- Any course at or above CHIN 0500 (excluding Spoken Chinese, Cantonese or Taiwanese courses)
Nursing students may take language courses on a pass/fail basis to fulfill the requirement.
Transfer credit, credit away, or study abroad courses must be officially approved by the Chinese Language Program as equivalent to a Penn course satisfying the requirement.
2. Information on Chinese Placement, AP Chinese, SAT II, IB, and HSK
Incoming students who have studied Chinese—including through standardized exams such as AP Chinese, SAT II Chinese, IB Chinese, or HSK—must take the Penn Chinese Language Placement/Proficiency Exam during New Student Orientation (NSO). These external exam scores are not accepted by the Chinese Language Program for placement, credit, or fulfillment of the language requirement.
The Penn Chinese placement exam assesses grammar, reading, translation, writing, and speaking, and is used solely for placement and proficiency determination.
3. Language Placement
Students are strongly encouraged to begin fulfilling the language requirement in their first semester at Penn and to continue their language study in consecutive semesters until the requirement is completed.
All students with any prior experience in Chinese, including formal instruction, home background, weekend school, or self-study, must take the Penn Chinese Language Placement/Proficiency Exam before enrolling in a Chinese course. The only students exempt from taking the placement exam are those who have never studied Chinese in any form.
Placement decisions are made holistically based on the exam results. Students may not enroll in a course below their placement level. Credit will not be granted for doing so. See the College policy at https://www.college.upenn.edu/language-placement
Students are also not encouraged to enroll in courses above their placement level unless they obtain permission from the course instructor. Placement results are valid at the time of a student’s initial enrollment in Chinese courses and are used to guide appropriate course selection.
4. The Language Certificate
Students who wish to continue advanced Chinese language study, but who do not plan to pursue a major or minor, may apply for a Language Certificate in Chinese.
To qualify for the certificate, a student must complete three Chinese language courses beyond the proficiency level — that is, courses taken after successfully completing CHIN 0400, CHIN 0410, or CHIN 0420 — with a grade of B+ or higher in each course.
Eligible courses may include:
- CHIN 0500-level or above language courses
- Advanced content-based Chinese language courses
- Literature or culture courses taught entirely in Chinese
- Approved study abroad courses conducted in Chinese
Students interested in applying should visit Path Forms for submission instructions and consult with the program director regarding eligible courses.
5. For information about Major and Minor in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, please visit the following websites:
https://ealc.sas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/major
https://ealc.sas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/minor