Learning Chinese in the Bachelor's Program Business Administration
The Bachelor's Program Business Administration at the University of Mannheim is internationally-oriented: On the one hand, because of the obligatory semester abroad, on the other hand, because of the intense study of a foreign language. Choose Chinese and learn Mandarin, the official language of China, in the second and third semester.
No language skills are required for the language option Chinese. However, the number of participants is limited. The following courses are available:
- Basic level
- Advanced level
- Business Chinese*
Semester abroad
Then take the opportunity to spend your semester abroad in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Singapore. You can also apply for the “Future Leaders” double degree program, in which you will spend four semesters in Mannheim and four semesters at the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. At the end, you will receive bachelor's degrees from both universities. **
A study visit to a Chinese-speaking region allows you to improve this challenging language and at the same time experience the culture first-hand. Therefore, we provide you with all the necessary language skills in the previous semesters.
*very good language skills required
**Application in the second semester
China is omnipresent in our everyday life – how is there a better way of getting to know the world’s second largest economy than by learning its language? Through Chinese classes, I have not only been able to get to know the language, but also to gain an impression of the culture and daily life. In this way, the course prepares me perfectly for the semester abroad in China which I aim for.
As a child with Chinese roots, I have been visiting Chinese School since primary school and after the Abitur, I spent a semester abroad at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. Despite the semester abroad, I have been able to take away a lot from the course “Business Chinese” and don’t feel insufficiently challenged. Because you don’t learn in day-to-day life how to write a Chinese resume or how to conduct business calls. Fortunately, the University of Mannheim is connected to one of the top universities in China: for example, you can apply for a semester abroad or the Double Degree Program “Future Leaders” at Peking University. Since I would like to work in China in the future, I won’t miss this unique opportunity and will definitely apply for it.
The small and focused group of students has been of great value to all of us. Especially the classroom feeling and the many interactions with our Chinese lecturer have offered variation to my university life as a business administration student. In addition, the course has given me a better understanding of the Chinese language and culture. Contrary to the German language, Chinese has little grammar and uses pictorial spelling. In this way, it is possible to learn the language in a much more intuitive and quicker manner than most would expect. My tip: don’t get intimidated, just try it yourself!
Foreign Language Skills Chinese: Curriculum
Required skills
In the first semester of the bachelor's program, all students choose a foreign language which they deepen in the second and third semester. A language test is carried out for the assessment and admission to the desired course, based on the existing language proficiency.
The number of participants in the language courses – except for English – is generally limited. The allocation is carried out based on the test results. The number of applicants is usually so high that during the first semester we perform a test on general knowledge about China. The test determines who will be admitted to the beginner's Chinese course. There is no previous knowledge required for the Chinese language option. An additional course offer ensures that all students have acquired solid language skills after completing their studies.
How to apply
During the first Bachelor semester you will get information about all the options in the “Foreign Language Skills” module. The choice of a language takes place immediately afterwards (via Portal 2).
Study plan
Beijing
Beijing University 北大简介 | Experience reports from students
Tsinghua University | Experience reports from students
Shanghai
Fudan University | Experience reports from students
Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Experience reports from students
Tongji University, School of Economics and Management | Experience reports from students
Guangzhou
Sun Yat-sen University | Experience reports from students
Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong | Experience reports from students
Hong Kong Baptist University | Experience reports from students
The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Experience reports from students
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Experience reports from students
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Experience reports from students
The University of Hong Kong | Experience reports from students
Taiwan
National Chengchi University | Experience reports from students
National Sun Yat-sen University | Experience reports from students
National Taiwan University | Experience reports from students
Singapore
Nanyang Technological University | Experience reports from students
National University of Singapore | Experience reports from students
Singapore Management University | Experience reports from students
