Overview | Academics | Cost | Location | Life Abroad | Student Voices
Offered by the Council for International Education and Exchange (CIEE), the Advanced Chinese Studies program provides students with 4-7 semesters of Mandarin Chinese the opportunity to develop advanced communicative skills in Mandarin Chinese through small classes, tutors, and language clinics; understand contemporary economic and political issues affecting China and the affects of China as a rising power in the world today; and apply skills learned in the classroom to understand the environment outside through independent fieldwork and volunteer opportunities.
Known for its economic prowess and long history of foreign influence, Shanghai is China's financial and industrial capital. The last decade has seen massive development in this metropolis of over 19 million; construction of the city's infrastructure and transportation system is constant. With an elevated light rail, the world's first commercial high-speed maglev train, and 13 subway lines, the city boasts one of the fastest growing rapid transit systems in the world. Those in search of old Shanghai, however, can still find the legacy of its magnificent past.
Known for its economic prowess and long history of foreign influence, Shanghai is China's financial and industrial capital. The last decade has seen massive development in this metropolis of over 19 million; construction of the city's infrastructure and transportation system is constant. With an elevated light rail, the world's first commercial high-speed maglev train, and 13 subway lines, the city boasts one of the fastest growing rapid transit systems in the world. Those in search of old Shanghai, however, can still find the legacy of its magnificent past.
Visa
A student visa is required. U.S. citizens must have a U.S. passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the program. CIEE will provide you with visa information.
Orientation
IAP expects you to be an active participant in preparing yourself for your study abroad experience. As a participant on an IAP program, you will receive a pre-departure orientation, either in-person or online. The type and format of this orientation will vary by program and will be provided to you upon acceptance to the program.
Students will participate in a CIEE Online Pre-Departure Orientation. Meeting with students online, the Academic Director and Program Coordinator share information about the program and site, highlighting issues that alumni have said are important, and giving students time to ask any questions before leaving home. The online orientation allows students to connect with others in the group, reflect on what they want to get out of the program, and learn what others in the group would like to accomplish.
A mandatory weeklong orientation session, conducted in Shanghai at the beginning of the program, introduces students to the country, culture, and academic program, as well as provides necessary logistical information about adapting to life in Shanghai. Students also take their language placement exam at this time to determine their appropriate Chinese language level. Required and optional workshops and local excursions are led by CIEE staff. Students also meet individually with the Academic Director to finalize course registration and preview assigned materials for their required courses. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.
Housing
Participants select one of two housing options. While every effort is made to accommodate the first choice, CIEE is unable to guarantee any housing option prior to the start of orientation week. Chinese Host Families- Chinese host families are located within five to 15 minutes from campus by public transportation. Students have their own room in the host family apartment and share the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Students are invited to most family meals, but should budget for their own lunches, some weekend meals outside the home, and most meals during group field trips and individual travel. Chinese family members speak Chinese only. This option is highly recommended for students who want to live in an entirely Chinese language environment and to make rapid progress in Chinese language.
Campus Residence Hall with Chinese Roommate- Students are paired with a Chinese student from the University. The Campus Residence Hall is a five-story facility located on the ECNU campus and has a common lobby with 24-hour security and laundry facilities. There is a student computer room and study lounge on every other floor, as well as a kitchen and bathrooms on each floor. The residence hall is within a 10-minute walk from the CIEE Study Center, where students can meet with faculty and staff and use library and computer facilities, and is within walking distance to a light rail and other public transportation. Meals are not included in this housing option and are the responsibility of the student. Three meals a day are available in the campus cafeterias at a moderate price.
Both housing options are equipped with Internet access via a broadband DSL connection. A limited number of computers are available in the CIEE Study Center and Campus Residence Hall, and nearby Internet cafes offer access for a low hourly fee. Students are encouraged to bring a wireless-enabled laptop as the CIEE Study Center has wireless access.
Excursions and Activities
A variety of field trips complement classroom work, including visits to local Chinese companies and factories, government agencies, media groups, traditional Chinese clinics, museums, temples, and other sites. Group cultural activities include an acrobatics show, a river cruise along the Bund, a bike ride through the French Concession, a Chinese and CIEE student talent show, international student sporting events, and group meals with Chinese roommates and families. A weekend trip to cities in neighboring provinces exposes students to locations outside of Shanghai. A number of non-credit optional courses are offered to program participants, including Chinese martial arts, cooking, calligraphy, chess, music, and Shanghai dialect.
The weeklong field trip is led by the Academic Director and full-time CIEE Chinese Language Instructors and is designed to take students off the tourist track and into the interior of China. Students have the opportunity to put their language skills to the test in authentic learning situations and under the guidance of instructors. These trips may include living with host families in small towns or the countryside.
In the fall semester, the field trip takes students to Jiangxi Province, with possible visits to Mt. Jinggang, an important site in the history of the Chinese Communist Party. The trip also includes a visit to a scenic place to escape from foreign tourists, or to Wuyuan, known as one of the most beautiful villages in China and famed for its organic tea production.
In the spring, students join the language faculty and visit the Three Gorges in Sichuan and Hubei provinces, to explore life in small towns and villages along the Yangtze River.
Insurance
You will be enrolled in the UW System required health insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and the cost of the insurance coverage is included in program fees.
On-Site Support
CIEE Resident Director
Returned Student Network
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Established in 1951, East China Normal University (ECNU) is one of China's key institutions of higher learning that specializes in teacher education, and is nationally known for its Chinese language and literature program. It enrolls more than 16,000 students and 1,000 international students. The University is located on the bank of the Liwa River northwest of the city. Known as the "Garden University" for its beautiful grounds, students have access to campus facilities including a library, playing fields, basketball courts, recreation center, small shops, and restaurants.
Established in 1998, the CIEE Study Center at East China Normal University is centrally located and close to Shanghai's large commercial areas. The Advanced Chinese Studies program is designed to help participants gain a deeper understanding of China today through complete immersion in an intensive and Chinese-only environment.
All courses and related language clinics and tutoring sessions are taught in Mandarin Chinese by native and fluent non-native speakers. All students take accelerated language courses that focus on rapid language acquisition and are designed to move students ahead at least two Chinese language levels in all four Chinese language skills.
The Advanced Chinese Studies program is designed to advance students through two levels of Mandarin Chinese each semester, and will help students develop their Chinese communicative skills through small and one-one one classes, peer tutors, and nightly language clinics. Students apply skills learned in the classroom to better understand contemporary China. This program is appropriate for students who want to work professionally in China or in a China-related career following their undergraduate studies.
Core courses typically meet twice per week for two hours. Some courses include required site visits in Shanghai, generally arranged for Fridays. Students attend required language classes for four hours per day from Monday through Thursday. Class sizes are very small and require active student participation. Most area studies and language classes have between four and eight students. Classes are usually co-taught by head language instructors who introduce new content and assistant language instructors who work with smaller groups of students to focus on accuracy and consistency of pronunciation through daily drills and other exercises. Students learn to develop extended discourse and defend their opinions on concrete, abstract, professional, or specialized topics. Students are required to participate actively and to speak only in Chinese whenever possible.
Program Web Page(s)
www.ciee.org/study/programOverview.aspx?pID=1789#1rightForYou
Course Equivalents
Use the links below to see a list of courses that students have taken on this program before and the UW equivalents. Note: this list only includes pre-approved courses for your program and may not be an exhaustive list of courses or departments. You will get instructions on the course equivalent process after acceptance.
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