Postgraduate Study in Chinese
Study languages: Make the world your place.
China is the most populous country in the world, with the fastest-growing economy. The Chinese language is the world’s most widely spoken language, used by over one billion people worldwide. Chinese speakers are found not only in China’s mainland, in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but also in Southeast Asia, and in other countries throughout the world.
The Chinese Programme at Otago offers a broad range of papers on Chinese culture (history, society, literature, cinema, for example) and on the Chinese language from introductory level to advanced level. We also arrange in-country study for students in our partner universities in China.
Why study Chinese?
Chinese culture is both rich and far-reaching and today China is the world's biggest trading nation and the second largest economy. As China is an increasingly important business partner of New Zealand, learning Chinese will give you the edge over other candidates for a wide variety of jobs.
Are you just starting uni?
Learn about studying Chinese as an undergraduate at Otago.
Choose a study option
Whether you are advancing your career with our specialised graduate qualifications or pursuing in-depth research and expertise through our postgraduate programmes, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Postgraduate qualifications
Honours, Master’s, PhDs, and other advanced degrees for graduates. Just one additional year of study will earn you a valuable postgraduate degree. Or perhaps you want the depth of a full year of research-only time during a Master’s or to step up to a PhD.
Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons))
A four-year degree focusing on advanced study and culminating in a research project in the final year
Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts)
A two-semester programme of structured coursework, and in some cases supervised research, extending the knowledge and skills gained from the bachelor’s degree
Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis))
A one- or two-year degree entailing a major research project, culminating in a thesis
Graduate Qualifications
Our graduate qualifications are crafted to transition students from foundational studies to advanced, specialised knowledge.
Ready to apply?
Take your expertise to the next level with advanced study.
Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject.
Applications for the Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Chinese are no longer being accepted. The Languages and Cultures programme Kā Reo me kā Tikaka o te Ao Whānui is introducing a new curriculum which will no longer offer honours.
| Papers |
|---|
| CHIN 441 Advanced Topics in Chinese |
| CHIN 451 Studies in Chinese |
| CHIN 452 Studies in Chinese 2 |
| CHIN 490 Dissertation |
The Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) programme in Chinese is the same as the programme for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)).
| Thesis |
|---|
Note: Students who have not completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA(Hons)) in Chinese or a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) in Chinese must complete the required papers for the BA(Hons) in Chinese prior to undertaking the thesis. |
Papers
View a list of all related papers below.
CHIN papers
| Paper Code | Year | Title | Points | Teaching period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHIN131 | 2025 | Introductory Chinese 1 | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| CHIN132 | 2025 | Introductory Chinese 2 | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| CHIN231 | 2025 | Intermediate Chinese 1 | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| CHIN232 | 2025 | Intermediate Chinese 2 | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| CHIN241 | 2025 | Contemporary Chinese Society | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN242 | 2025 | Screening Chinese Cinemas | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN243 | 2025 | Reading Chinese Literature in the World | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN244 | 2025 | Writing China: Texts, Ideas and History | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN250 | 2025 | Practical Chinese: Chinese/English Translation | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN334 | 2025 | Advanced Chinese 1 | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| CHIN335 | 2025 | Advanced Chinese 2 | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| CHIN342 | 2025 | Screening Chinese Cinemas | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN343 | 2025 | Reading Chinese Literature in the World | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN344 | 2025 | Writing China: Texts, Ideas and History | 18 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN441 | 2025 | Advanced Topics in Chinese | 20 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN451 | 2025 | Studies in Chinese | 20 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN452 | 2025 | Studies in Chinese 2 | 20 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN490 | 2025 | Dissertation | 60 points | Not offered in 2025 |
| CHIN590 | 2025 | Research Dissertation | 60 points | Not offered in 2025 |
Contacts
School of Arts
Languages and Cultures Programme
Web otago.ac.nz/chinese
This information must be read subject to the statement on our Copyright & Disclaimer page.
Regulations on this page are taken from the 2025 Calendar and supplementary material.
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