Admission

BA Program

Why study the humanities at Chongqing University?

How do we understand the reality of the sensible world? What are the origins of those important features which frame the modern society? In what sense do the Greeks believe in the power of fate or destiny? How do the New Culture Movement profoundly influence the literary traditions of China? In this program you will explore many different aspects of the human world and society from a critical perspective.

Since the Renaissance, studia humanitatis or studia humaniora is the name for the system of humanistic education. In the educational system and the establishment of modern academic disciplines, however, the totality of the traditional humanities has been gradually weakened. The aim of the undergraduate program in the Liberal Arts College, Chongqing University, is partly to restore the tradition of humanities, balancing between the specialized study that the modern university and society demand, and the broad, systematic view that the traditional education of humanities provides.

Specializations

History, philosophy, and literature are all disciplines that encompass wide ranges of study. In the Liberal Art College, our faculty embodies this depth and breadth. Below is a list of our areas of specialization. For more information you can visit websites of our faculty members.

Ancient Chinese Literature

Chinese Classical Studies

Classical Political Philosophy

History of Ancient China

History of Modern China

Modern Chinese Literature

Phenomenology

Science Fiction Studies

Multifaceted program

In general, the humanities are studied at Chongqing University, and particularly in the Liberal Arts College, as an organic and interrelated system. There are various advantages of this to the undergraduate students. Studying philosophy, for instance, alongside another subject such as history and Chinese literature can provide opportunities for further investigation or work in an interdisciplinary area you have a developed interest in, without too early getting the tunnel version of a specific area. Besides that, given that most undergraduates have not studied humanities as major before, this approach can diminish the risk in taking up an unknown discipline.

In the first two years of the program, you will study a wide range of courses, which not only include subjects like philosophy, literature, and history, but also social sciences. Only at the end of the second year you have to choose the major (history, philosophy, and Chinese language and literature) that will determine which bachelor's degree you will get; and after that, you will begin the more specialized studies in accordance with your major. Surely, courses offered by other faculties in the college will still be open to you. As well as the subjects on the timetable, there would also be many academic interest groups such as German philosophical classics reading and ancient languages learning (western and eastern).

Application requirements

General information for applying Chongqing University, including information for scholarships, can be found at: Application Guide for Undergraduate Programs for International Students

Chinese language requirements

As applicants can see in our website, the undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the Liberal Arts College are not aimed at enhancing the language skills of Chinese learners. Since courses in the college (Chinese literature, history and philosophy) are mostly taught in Chinese, and college teachers will not level standards down to suit the needs of international students, applicants must meet higher than usual Chinese requirements: HSK test takers applying the Liberal Arts College need an HSK 5 (≥210) certificate and a minimum score of 60 in each section.

Additional entry requirements

Personal Statement: Besides personal statements needed for applying Chongqing University (no more than 500 words), applicants should offer more detailed personal statements (no more than 1500 words in Chinese) for applying the college. The ‘longer’ personal statement should focus on applicants’ understanding of Chinese culture in general, and their knowledge of Chinese literature, history or philosophy.

Writing Sample: A writing sample (no more than 5000 words in Chinese or 3000 words in English) allows more precise evaluation of an applicant’s academic competitiveness, for he or she has to write theses as the local Chinese students do. Applying our undergraduate programs does not demand a writing sample, but we encourage applicants to provide one, so that we could evaluate the qualifications of the applicants better.

Interview: If the application materials meet our expectation, we will arrange interviews to help us assess the applicants more comprehensively.

After your degree

Careers

The study of humanities helps us develop various important skills, such as general problem-solving skills, communication skills, writing skills, and persuasive powers. The undergraduate students in the Liberal Arts College have good career prospects and are very well accustomed to the political and business world. A list of jobs includes public policy professional, journalist, publishing services, financial services, marketing professional, and so on.

Further study

Further study is a popular option among the students of our undergraduate program. If you really enjoy studying your major, postgraduate research will allow you to deepen your knowledge and specialize in certain aspects of it; and if you want to try another subject, your studies will also help in almost all subjects in humanities. Meanwhile, gaining a postgraduate qualification may help you get into the career at which you aim. Many of our undergraduate students have chosen further study in our college or elsewhere at other top universities, both at home and abroad.