Mandarin Chinese is the native tongue of approximately 1.4 billion people and is widely used throughout Southeast Asia as the language of cultural, educational and commercial exchange. The Chinese major is designed to provide students with linguistic and cultural competency to function successfully within a Chinese speaking society. With a structured sequence of language, culture and literature courses, the curriculum is designed to familiarize students with China’s long history of cultural traditions and to prepare students for study, travel, business and if so desired working and living in a Chinese environment. Students who major in Chinese may major in either Chinese Language or Chinese Studies.