the beijing center for chinese studies
Elective Courses
Elective Courses
Elective Courses
Traditional Chinese Philosophy (Fall and Spring)
Course code: TBC 1500
3 CREDITS
Students will investigate ancient Chinese philosophy in a way to lets its own tendencies be sensed and appreciated. Topics include Confucianism, Mencius, Sunzi, Taoism, Legalism, Yin-Yang School, Tung Chung-shu, Chinese Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism. In addition, students learn about the relations among different schools or different thinkers in the same school. Comparisons between Chinese philosophies and Western ones are encouraged.
Modern Chinese History (Fall and Spring)
Course Code: TBC 1121
3 CREDITS
This course introduces students to what happened in China from 1840 to the 1990s. The aim is to learn how the Chinese Empire, a bright and advanced civilization in ancient times, became a semi-colony of the Western powers, and how the Chinese people pushed forward the modernization of China.
China in the World Economy (Fall and Spring)
Course Code: TBC 2200
3 CREDITS
This course examines China’s role in the world economy by linking its historical evolution with contemporary dynamics, highlighting how domestic developments shape global engagement.
Introduction to Chinese Martial Arts (Spring)
Course Code: TBC 1400
3 CREDITS
Learn core forms of Taijiquan and Xingyiquan, explore meditation for focus and balance, and engage directly with Beijing’s martial arts community through guided practice and cultural exchange.
Chinese Art and Culture (Fall)
Course Code: TBC 1410
3 CREDITS
Experience Chinese painting, calligraphy, and seal carving by learning time-honored methods and experimenting with innovative forms that bridge tradition and modern artistic expression.
Classical Chinese Literature in Translation (Spring)
Course Code: TBC 1141
3 CREDITS
This course is a survey of the classical Chinese literature from ancient times to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Students will reach aesthetic appreciations and cultural understandings of classical Chinese literature, and grasp the styles and creative skills of different Chinese poets and writers. They will learn to read literary texts within their particular Chinese social, historical, cultural, and mental contexts.
Modern Chinese Literature in Translation (Fall)
Course Code: TBC 1142
3 CREDITS
This course is a survey of modern Chinese literature from 1918 to the present. It will focus on the fiction, poetry, and essays during the 3 periods (1918-1949; 1949-1976; since 1976) in the 20th Century.
Religions in China (Spring)
Course Code: TBC 2500
3 CREDITS
This course is a survey of various religions in China that may include, not only Confucianism and Taoism, but also Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Manicheism, and popular or “folk” religion. The course will consider the function of these various religions in the development of Chinese society and their significance in Chinese civilization from ancient mythology to contemporary practices and developments.
Daoism (Fall)
Course Code: TBC 2510
3 CREDITS
Discover how Daoism shaped—and was shaped by—China’s politics, culture, and everyday life, and how it evolved alongside other major traditions to form a core pillar of Chinese civilization.