Chinese Language Flagship Program

Why join the Chinese Language Flagship at the University of Mississippi?

China, whose name translates into English as “the Middle Kingdom,” is one of the largest and most populous nations in the world that is a driving force in the world’s economy. As globalization continues to expand in scale and scope, American companies will depend on workers who not only speak Chinese but also have a deep level of cultural understanding to promote their business.

Mandarin is spoken by approximately 1.1 billion people worldwide. Although all Chinese high school students are required to take several years of English, only a small fraction of the U.S. population studies Chinese. The goal of the Chinese Language Flagship Program at UM is to provide its students with the necessary training to transition seamlessly between the languages and cultures of some of the most politically and economically powerful nations of the Pacific Rim, i.e., the United States, China, and Taiwan.

Of the eight Chinese flagship programs found in the nation, the UM program is distinctive in several ways.

• An exclusive curriculum beginning from Day 1 that allows students to make strong, consistent gains every semester. Our summer programs allow students to catch up or jump ahead. Since we run our own domestic and overseas summer programs, students complete 4 years’ worth of instruction by the end of sophomore year, by which time, they reach on average Advanced Low proficiency. These gains are possible precisely because the students move through an exclusive curriculum as a cohort and complete a summer on campus (if needed) and a second summer abroad before their sophomore year. From there, they are ready to return to Taiwan on their own for an additional summer, semester, and/or academic year and to take our advanced level courses that prepare them in all aspects for the Capstone year.

• A strong set of specialized and selective UM programs that students can apply to, and, if accepted, can provide them with a world class education and specialized skills that, along with unheard-of language proficiency, make them extremely competitive in the job market. For example, the following have separate application after admission to UM - Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Croft Institute for International Studies, Center for Intelligence and Security Studies, Trent Lott Leadership Institute, and the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence. Graduate programs and government agencies come to campus and actively recruit these students, setting up meetings specifically for members of these programs. 

Applications are due by January 10