The Chinese Studies program at the University of Melbourne is one of the largest Chinese programs in Australia. The language subjects (taught at a range of levels, from beginner to advanced) are designed to maximise acquisition of the language and to develop their communication skills in various types of texts, interactional contexts and strategic aspects of meaning making. The curriculum also allows students to develop a broad understanding of cultural, social and historical aspects of China. Chinese language subjects are organised in a progressive sequence (of units) from Chinese 1 through to Chinese 10. Entry and exit points are determined by the student's background in the language, placement testing, prerequisites or at the discretion of the Chinese Studies program. Students normally progress through the subjects in consecutive order. Mid-year entry is also possible into subjects with even numbers, subject to appropriate prior experience and approval from the head of the Chinese Studies program.

Applicants are required to complete Grade 12 in one of the listed schools  (min GPA 8.5/10) and be awarded the Upper Secondary Education Graduation Diploma in Vietnam (Bang tot ngiep Trung hoc Pho thong (High School Graduation Certificate issued by the Ministry of Education and Training).