Chinese | French | Italian | Japanese
CHINSE 260
Great Novels of China
Selected works from among the most acclaimed classic Chinese novels and modern Chinese fiction. Books include Monkey, Dream of the Red Chamber and works by Lu Hsun, Lao She and others. Classroom discussions. Readings in English. No knowledge of Chinese required. Distribution I Area: Philosophical and Humanistic Studies.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits.
CHINSE 276
Chinese Cinema
This course is an introduction to movies made in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with particular attention to questions of cinematic style and technique. At the same time, it locates Chinese film in an international context, interpreting it with reference, on the one hand, to European, American, and Japanese film and, on the other, to changing economic, social, and political circumstances over the course of the last century. The course is taught in English; no knowledge of Chinese is necessary.
2 Lect Hrs, 2 Disc Hrs, 4 Credits
Distribution I Area: The Arts
CHINSE 301
Advanced Chinese
A course in written and spoken Chinese beyond the intermediate level. This course aims at developing students’ reading comprehension and speaking proficiency through the study of materials on contemporary China. The Pinyin romanization system will be practiced in the classroom for accurate Mandarin speech. Prerequisite: CHINSE 202 or equivalent.
Distribution II Area: World Languages
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits
The Major
Majors are required to take a minimum of ten departmental courses at the 300 or 400 level. At least five of these must be taken at UMass Boston. Students choosing to major in French may to a large extent design a program which reflects their own interests and objectives. Only three specific courses (or their equivalents) are required of all students:
1. French 30l Composition et stylistique
2. French 302 Initiation à la littérature et à la civilisation françaises I
3. French 303 Initiation à la littérature et à la civilisation françaises II
Beyond this three courses, majors may group the remaining seven required courses on one of two tracks:
1. The track in French literature requires at least five upper-level literature courses, representing at least three different centuries; plus at least two upper-level courses in languages or culture.
2. The track in French language and culture requires at least five upper-level courses in language or culture; plus at least two upper-level courses in literature.
Other requirements for majors:
• Students must attain a 2.0 GPA in the major by the time they graduate.
• No upper level course may be taken for major credit on a pass/fail basis.
• Students should see the departmental advisor to majors or chairperson at least once per semester.
The Minor
Students majoring in another discipline may minor in French. They should discuss their program with the departmental chairperson or advisor to majors/minors. Minimal requirements include:
• Intermediate competence (French 20l-202 or equivalent)
• French 30l Composition et stylistique (or equivalent)
• Three additional courses at the 300 or 400 level, in French language, literature or civilization.
Italian Studies Requirements
A minimum of 30 credits beyond the intermediate sequence (Italian 201-202) is required. Students choose one of the two following major tracks:
I. Italian Literature and Language. ALL STUDENTS MUST TAKE:
A. Italian 301 (Advanced Composition and Conversation) and Italian 305 (Language of Modern Italy), and
B. Italian 311 and Italian 312 (Introduction to Italian Literature, I and II)
The remaining six courses will be distributed as follows:
C. Two courses at the 300-level (period courses)
D. Two courses at the 400-level (genre courses)
E. Any two courses (in English or Italian) from department offerings, subject to advisor's approval.
II. Italian Studies. ALL STUDENTS MUST TAKE:
A. Italian 301 (Advanced Composition and Conversation) and Italian 305 (Language of Modern Italy), and
B. Italian 311 and Italian 312 (Introduction to Italian Literature, I and II)
The remaining seven courses will be distributed as follows:
C. Two courses, one at each level, from the 300- and 400-level offerings.
D. Italian 260 (Tradition and Change in Italian Culture) or equivalent, subject to departmental approval.
E. Four courses taken from departmental offerings in English. With the permission of the chairperson of the Italian Department, students can substitute one art course and one history course, if they wish, for departmental offerings in this category. These must be chosen from the following list:
Art 311 (Early Italian Renaissance Art)
Art 312 (Late Italian Renaissance Art)
Art 313 (Baroque Art and Architecture in Italy
History 334 (Italy from 1815)
History 317 (Mussolini and Italian Fascism)
The Minor
Students majoring in another discipline may minor in Italian. They should discuss their program with the departmental chairperson. Minimal requirements include:
1. Intermediate proficiency (Italian 201 and 202)
2. Italian 301 (Advanced Composition and Conversation), or Italian 305 (Language of Modern Italy)
3. One course to be chosen from the departmental offerings in English
4. Two advanced courses (300 level or above) to be chosen from the departmental offerings in Italian.
JAPAN 250
Modern Japanese Literature
Selected readings in modern Japanese fiction with emphasis on the major writers: Tanizaki, Kawabata, Mishima, and others. Readings are in English, and no knowledge of Japanese is required. Distribution I Area: Philosophical and Humanistic Studies.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits.
JAPAN 252
Traditional Japanese Literature
Selected readings in classical literature including fiction, Waka poetry, and Haiku. Readings are in English, and no knowledge of Japanese is required. Distribution I Area: Philosophical and Humanistic Studies.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits.
JAPAN 270
Introduction to Japanese Culture
An interdisciplinary introduction to traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. The course investigates the origin and historical development of major aspects of Japanese culture, through reading materials written by Japanese and non-Japanese specialists as well as English translations of original texts, along with lectures, visual presentations and discussions. No knowledge of Japanese required. Distribution I Area: Historical and Cultural Studies.
Distribution II Area: World Languages.
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits.
JAPAN 301
Advanced Japanese
A course in written and spoken Japanese beyond the intermediate level. The main goal is to develop reading proficiency by extensive exposure to different types of written material. Building-up vocabulary as tool for intellectual communication will also be emphasized, together with the acquisition of additional 200 kanji, making the cumulative total to about 750. Prerequisite: Japanese 202 or equivalent.
The programs in Chinese and Japanese both also offer opportunities for independent study and research for qualifying students who wish to pursue advanced studies in language, literature and culture.