ADMISSION TO PROGRAM -- for prospective students

QUALIFICATIONS (1): Bachelor's Degree and Academic Training

A prerequisite for admission to the Masters Program in Chinese is a Bachelor's Degree in Chinese or a related subject, with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (which is equivalent to a "B" average in letter grade terms). Applicants are expected to demonstrate advanced level skills in the following areas:

1. (1) Advanced proficiency in spoken Mandarin and standard written Chinese;
   (2) Familiarity with major literary/cultural figures and texts;
   (3) Training in the fundamentals of linguistic analysis;
   (4) Basic reading proficiency in classical Chinese.

Applicants who are lacking in one or more of these areas may be admitted conditionally after developing, through consultation with advisers, a program of studies to establish equivalency. Courses prescribed for equivalency may not be credited toward the M.A. degree.

QUALIFICATIONS (2): English Language Proficiency

Applicants are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or other standardized academic proficiency tests. However applicants whose native language is not English, who did not complete their Bachelor's Degree at a college or university in an English-speaking country (English-speaking countries include the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, and Belize), must demonstrate proficiency in English language by taking and passing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. To qualify for admission into San Francisco State University, applicants must have an overall band score of 6.5 in the IELTS, or achieve the following scores in the TOEFL:

• 550 total score on the paper-based test (PBT)
• 213 total score on the computer-based test (CBT)
• 80 total score on the internet-based test (IBT)

The above TOEFL/IELTS scores are required of all non-native speakers and international students applying to San Francisco State University, and cannot be waived under any circumstances. The TOEFL/IELTS requirement holds regardless of citizenship or residency status -- non-native speakers who are U.S. citizens or Green Card holders still must take the TOEFL/IELTS exams.

APPLICATION PROCESS

In order to assess whether applicants meet acceptable standards and have fulfilled prerequisites, both the Division of Graduate Studies and the Chinese Program are involved in the application review process. Therefore, your application materials should be divided into two separate packets, and sent to the following divisions:

• MATERIALS TO BE SENT TO THE DIVISION OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Application materials required by the Division of Graduate Studies are described at the Division of Graduate Studies website. To complete this portion of the application, you will need to fill out an online admissions form. In addition, you will need to send in official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) for all colleges and universities attended, and provide immunization records. International students must also send in TOEFL scores, proof of financial resources, and complete a U.S. immigration SEVIS form. All materials required by the Division of Graduate Studies should be sent to:

Division of Graduate Studies
Administration Building 254
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
U.S.A.

• MATERIALS TO BE SENT TO THE CHINESE PROGRAM

In addition, the Chinese Program also requires the following supplementary documents:

Chinese Program Graduate Advisor
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
U.S.A.

The analytical Statements of Purpose in Chinese and English do not have to be identical translations of each other, but should cover similar content. The two essays will be used to gauge your written proficiency in the two languages, and to evaluate your writing skills and capacity for organization and analysis. In your Statement, be sure to explain the following:

1. Why do you want to pursue graduate studies in Chinese?
2. What kind of prior training and/or work experience do you have that qualifies you for the program?
3. Why did you choose the Chinese Program at San Francisco State University?
4. What courses do you plan to take if admitted into San Francisco State, and why? What research do you plan to undertake?
5. How does masters level coursework figure in your long-term career planning?

In addition, let the Statement reflect your motivation, your background knowledge, and your level of linguistic sophistication. Statements must be in the form of a coherent essay divided into paragraphs arranged according to theme and topic. Treat the Statement of Purpose as an essay, not a question and answer form. Do not submit bullet point answers to the questions hinted above.

Letters of recommendation should be signed and sealed by the referee. The Chinese Program will not accept recommendations by email, nor will it consider letters that are unsigned, open or unsealed.

The deadline for application is usually May 1 for Fall semester admission, and November 1 for Spring semester admission. Application deadlines, however, are subject to change on a yearly basis -- check the Division of Graduate Studies website for specifics. International students are encouraged to apply well before the closing date, as the issuance of U.S. visas at overseas consulates may be a time-consuming process.

APPLICATION FOLLOW-UP

After you have submitted your online application, you will be issued a Student Identification Number and a Password, using which you can access your application file online and check the status of your application.

Be sure to log in and check on your status frequently, to see if your application materials have arrived and to see if your are missing any documentation. When all of the documents required by the Division of Graduate Studies have been received, your file will be sent to the Chinese Program for Department Review.

Note that the Chinese Program will not begin review of your application until all of the required documents are in place -- the Chinese Program will not consider applications that are only partially complete. However, a complete application packet does not guarantee admission -- admission into the Chinese M.A. Program is becoming increasingly competitive, and the Program reserves the right to select only the best candidates out of the pool of applicants.

The whole process, from completion of file to department admissions decision, normally takes about three to four weeks. If more than one month has elapsed since the application deadline and your file still has not been sent for Department Review, contact the Division of Graduate Studies to see why it is being held up.

If your application is successful, you will receive an official notice from San Francisco State University informing you of your admission into the Master Program in Chinese. You should receive this notice by early July for Fall semester admission, or early January for Spring semester admission, provided that all application materials were submitted prior to the application deadline. If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive an official letter to that effect within the same timeframe.

Once admitted, you should contact the Chinese Program Graduate Advisor to seek mandatory advising on courses to take in the following semester. During advising, you will be asked about your prior training, desired courseload, preferred length of study, and available hours. Prior to advising, read the "Advancement to Candidacy" section of this website to familiarize yourself with course offerings and required paperwork.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Q: Do I need to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)?
A: No, the GRE is not required for admission into the Masters Program in Chinese.

Q: Can native speakers of Chinese from China, Taiwan or Hong Kong apply to your program?
A: Yes, as long as you have the required academic credentials (see description of prerequisites above). We do not discriminate against applicants based on race or national origin.

Q: What do you mean by B.A. in Chinese or related subject? If my undergraduate major is Business, but I am a native speaker of Chinese, can I apply?
A: We do not set limits on which majors can apply and which cannot, but we do require that students admitted into the Masters Program in Chinese possess the following skills:

• Advanced proficiency in standard spoken and written modern Chinese
• Training in Classical Chinese (¥j¤å¡B¤å¨¥¤å)
• Training in linguistics

The closer to Chinese your major is, the more of the requirements you will have satisfied in the process of studying for a Bachelors Degree in your subject. If you are a native speaker of Chinese, I would assume you have advanced proficiency in standard spoken and written modern Chinese -- mention this in your Statement of Purpose, and in the Chinese version of your Statement of Purpose, show us that you are indeed capable of sophisticated essay writing in Standard Chinese. If you were educated to high school level in a Chinese-speaking country, you will most likely have studied Classical Chinese in school -- again, mention this in your Statement of Purpose, so that we have a better understanding of your background. As for linguistics, we require that you have taken a course such as Chinese Historical Phonology (ÁnÃý¾Ç) in a Chinese Department, or English linguistics (e.g. phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, etc.) in an English or Foreign Languages department. If you have not taken linguistics, but satisfy the first two conditions, we may grant you conditional admission, and require that you complete FL 325 Foreign Language Linguistics in your first year of study.

Q: When I was an undergraduate in China, I took English language courses such as pronunciation and grammar. Would any of these count as a "linguistics" course that is required for admission?
A: No. A "linguistics" course is not a language course. A "linguistics" course should provide training in the scientific analysis of language data. Most linguistics courses have the word "linguistics" or a subdiscipline of linguistics (e.g., phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, etc.) in their course title.

Q: My TOEFL score is 548, just two points shy of your requirement. I have taken the TOEFL exam many, many times, and this is the best I can do. I am so, so close! I really want to study in your program. Can you waive the TOEFL requirement for me?
A: No. The TOEFL requirement is set by the Division of Graduate Studies, and judging from past experience, they do not seem to make exceptions for anyone. To the best of my knowledge, no applicant has ever been successful in getting the TOEFL requirement waived. The Chinese Program will not support TOEFL waivers.

Q: I took the TOEFL in 1985, and received a grade of 642, well above your required threshold of 550. But this was more than 20 years ago. Can you waive the university requirement that TOEFL grades must be no more than two years old?
A: No. The TOEFL requirement is set by the Division of Graduate Studies, and judging from past experience, they do not seem to make exceptions for anyone. To the best of my knowledge, no applicant has ever been successful in getting the TOEFL requirement waived. The Chinese Program will not support TOEFL waivers.

Q: I am a U.S. citizen, but I was born in China, and Chinese is my native language. Do I need to take the TOEFL?
A: If your native language is not English, and you have not completed a Bachelors Degree in an English-speaking country (i.e., USA, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, The United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, or Belize), then you need to take the TOEFL, even if you are a U.S. citizen. In other words, whether or not you need to take the TOEFL is based not on citizenship, but on native language and education. U.S. citizenship or residency does not exempt you from the TOEFL.

Q: I have a B.A. degree in Chinese from China, and I have been teaching Chinese language in the United States for over twenty years. Can you waive any of the courses required for the M.A. in Chinese based on my past training and work experience.
A: No -- rules are rules. As a general principle, the answer to any question asking for a waiver of standard university requirements is going to be "no".

Q: I graduated from the MA TESOL Program at SFSU last Spring, and I was wondering if some of the required/elective courses could be waived..
A: No. There are no course waivers in the Chinese M.A. Program. All 10 courses (30 units) have to be completed.

Q: I graduated from university in China many years ago, and it is very difficult for me to get college transcripts. Can you waive the college transcript requirement for me, considering that I have been teaching Chinese in the U.S. for a very long time?
A: No -- rules are rules. As a general principle, the answer to any question asking for a waiver of standard university requirements is going to be "no".

Q: Do you accept letters of support in email or Xerox format?
A: No. Letters of recommendation need to be hard copies containing the original signature of the referee. Email and Xerox copies are not acceptable. Also, make sure you send us the actual letters, not just a list of people willing to serve as referees -- the Chinese Program will not be able to contact people on your behalf and ask them to write letters for you-- you need to contact these people yourself, and ask them to send the letters to the Department of Foreign Languages prior to the admissions deadline.

Q: Do the letters of recommendation have to be from my college professors? Or can they be from a friend or someone at work? I graduated from college a long time ago, and I don't think my professors remember me.
A: Letters of reference should be from qualified individuals who are familiar with your academic and/or professional abilities -- college professors are in the best position to comment on this aspect of your performance, and as such, we recommend that at least one of your three letters be from a former college instructor. If you are a recent graduate, you may want to have all three letters come from college instructors. If you have been working for a while, you may want to ask your superior at work or someone who can testify to your professional knowledge and work ethic to write a letter for you.

Q: Do you have scholarships or teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA) positions available to help offset the cost of tuition and living?
A: Unfortunately, no -- at least not for incoming students. Incoming international students, in particular, will need to demonstrate that they have the financial means to cover the cost of tuition and living, without receiving any aid from the university. For students that have completed at least one semester of study in the Chinese Masters Program, there are a few scholarships for small amounts (usually not enough to cover tuition/living expenses) awarded on a competitive basis. There are occasional openings for teaching assistantships (TA) and research assistantships (RA) depending on student enrollment, and these, again, are available on a competitive basis only to students already enrolled in the Program.

Q: I've already taken some of the courses required for the Master Program in Chinese at another institution. Can you waive these courses, or can I transfer credit from another university?
A: The answer to this question is complicated, but involves basically three principles: (1) No double dipping; (2) Time constraints; (3) Course level and institution.

"No double dipping" means that you cannot use a course that has counted towards your Bachelor's Degree or other degree or certificate for your Masters Degree at San Francisco State University. In other words, credits cannot be double-counted for multiple degrees.

Time constraints include (A) the fact that you can only count courses that have been taken after you received your Bachelor's Degree; and (B) only courses taken within seven years of the award of your Masters Degree in Chinese can count. In other words, any course that you took before you received your Bachelor's Degree does not count, and any course that was taken more than seven years from the date of your expected graduation will not count.

As for course level and institution, for any course to count, it needs to be a regular university course offered at an accredited university (language schools and summer programs do not count), and the course has to be at a similar level and of similar content to the course you wish to replace. Level and content equivalence will be determined by the Graduate Advisor and the instructor of the course you wish to replace. If course replacement is approved, two forms will have to be filed with the university: the Request for Graduate Program Transfer Unit Evaluation form, and the GAP replacement form.

Q: Can I participate in Study Abroad? If so, how and when do I apply?
A: Yes, Study Abroad is allowed and encouraged. The deadline for California State University Study Abroad Program in Chinese is normally February 1, for Study Abroad beginning in the Fall semester of the same year. Those interested should contact the Office of International Programs for information and application materials. Countries for Study Abroad in Chinese with the California State University include China (Peking University) and Taiwan (National Taiwan University). The program is for an entire year (single semester not possible), and a maximum of 12 units from abroad can be transferred towards the Masters Degree in Chinese (in other words, the remaining 18 units must be taken on the campus of San Francisco State University). In addition to the California State University option, the Chinese Program also has a bilateral study abroad agreement with Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan, the terms of which are more flexible, including study for one semester rather than an entire year.

Q: Can I become a teacher after getting a Masters Degree in Chinese?
A: The Masters Degree in Chinese will qualify you to teach as a Lecturer in a college or university. It will not allow you to teach as a professor in a university, or to work as a teacher in an elementary school, middle school, or high school.

To become a university professor, you will most likely have to pursue doctoral level study and research after you complete your masters, and receive a Ph.D. or Ed.D. degree.

To work as a K-12 teacher in California, you will need to complete a one-year teaching credential course with the Department of Education, and pass a number of tests, including the California Basic Educational Skills Test (C-BEST), and the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (C-SET).

Q: Do you teach traditional or simplified Chinese?
A: Knowledge of both traditional and simplified Chinese is required for masters level study in Chinese at San Francisco State University. Traditional Chinese is needed to read primary texts in classical literature, and simplified Chinese is required for following contemporary scholarship from mainland China.

You will most likely have received training in both traditional and simplified Chinese if you possess a Bachelor's Degree in Chinese from a U.S. institution. If you are from mainland China, make sure you familiarize yourself with traditional Chinese characters by reading publications from Taiwan and Hong Kong, and newspapers such as the World Journal and the Singtao Journal. If you are from Taiwan or Hong Kong, be sure to familiarize yourself with simplified characters and the Hanyu Pinyin romanization system -- these are essential if you intend to teach Chinese language in the United States. If you are from Hong Kong, make sure you work on your Mandarin pronunciation, in addition to brushing up on simplified characters and Pinyin.

Q: How long does it take to finish? Is it possible to finish within one year?
A: It normally takes about two years to complete the Masters Degree. You will be able to graduate after you have completed all 30 units, and if you take 9-12 units per semester, as is the normal courseload for graduate students, in theory you can finish in 3 semesters, i.e., one and a half years. But in practice, not every course that is required is offered every single semester, so due to course scheduling constraints, most students take at least two years to graduate. Some students take even longer, as they have work schedules that conflict with class schedules, and are not able to take every available course at the time it is offered.

Now is it possible to finish within one year, by taking 15 units each semester? The answer is no, due to an administrative constraint. In order to graduate, you need to file something called the GAP form (see "How to Graduate" section). According to university regulations, (1) the GAP form must be filed prior to the semester of graduation, (2) the GAP form cannot be filed in the first semester. In other words: first semester --> second semester (file GAP form) --> (3) third semester (graduate) -- at least three semesters is required.

ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY -- for current students

1. Seek graduate advising every semester

NUMBER	TITLE	UNITS
CHIN 821	Seminar in Modern Chinese Literature	3
CHIN 822	Seminar in Classical Chinese	3
CHIN 824 or	Testing and Assessment in Teaching/Learning Chinese as a Second Language	(3)
CHIN 825	Chinese Linguistics and Teaching/Learning Chinese as a Second Language
CHIN 826 or	Seminar in Chinese Semantics and Morphology	(3)
CHIN 827	Language Change and Dialect Variation
	[Exclusively graduate (not paired) elective course in Chinese]	3
	[Exclusively graduate (not paired) elective course in Chinese, or paired upper division/graduate course in Chinese (students must enroll using the graduate course number)]	3
	[Upper division or graduate electives in Chinese or related subject with approval of graduate advisor]	9
	[Graduate course in research or teaching methods]	3
	----------------------------------------------	-------------
	MINIMUM REQUIRED UNITS	30

Plus Master's Comprehensive Written and Oral Examinations (see below) in two subfields. The student is admitted to the oral examination upon passing the written examination. Both examinations may be attempted not more than two times.

 

3. File the Graduate Approved Program (GAP) and Culminating Experience forms with the graduate advisor

4. Submit an Application for Graduation

5. Complete the Culminating Experience requirement (written and oral comprehensive exam -- see above)

6. File "Report of Completion of Specified Graduate Program Requirements"

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Q: What is CHIN 899 Special Study?
A: CHIN 899 Special Study is an independent study course that is only rarely offered. When it is offered, it is offered only by professors to students who have already studied with that professor in a regular class, who, during that class have demonstrated the ability to carry out independent research. As such, Special Study is never offered to new, incoming students -- you need to have studied with the professor before in order to petition for Special Study. Also, Special Study is offered only when the professor has time to teach an additional course, and when the proposed project matches the research interests of the professor -- professors have the right to say no if these two conditions are not met.

Q: My work schedule clashes with that of the graduate seminars that I need to take. Can I do a CHIN 899 Special Study instead?
A: CHIN 899 Special Study is not designed to allow students to circumvent regular scheduled classes. If your school schedule clashes with your work schedule -- you need to choose one or the other.

Q: There is a partial overlap between my work schedule and the timing of certain classes. Is it okay if I miss the first half hour of a particular class.
A: No, it is not okay. Most classes require full attendance and attendance for the full duration of the class. Study in a degree program requires commitment, an important part of which is arranging your schedule so that you can come to all classes that you are registered for.

Q: Do you have any sort of job placement after graduation?
A: The short answer is no. From time to time, prospective employers email us with job vacancies, and we forward these on to our students and alumni. Other than that, there is no job placement system.