Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
CIEE Study Center Syllabi
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.
CIEE Courses
Chinese Language Courses
Students who elect to enroll in a Chinese language course are placed in one of the below levels based upon the results of on-site proficiency tests.
CHIN 1001 SCGC
Chinese—Beginning I
This course establishes a solid foundation in modern standard Mandarin Chinese language through the integration of all five skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. Characters, vocabulary, and grammatical patterns are learned through communicative contexts. Textbook: Wu Zhongwei 吴中伟, ed. Dangdai Zhongwen: keben 1 当代中文•课本1 (Contemporary Chinese: textbook, vol. 1). Beijing: Sinolingua Press, 2003; Wu Zhongwei, ed. Dangdai Zhongwen: lianxi ce 1 当代中文•练习册1 (Contemporary Chinese: exercise book, vol. 1). Beijing: Sinolingua Press, 2003; supplementary texts.
CHIN 1003 SCGC
Chinese—Beginning II
(Prerequisite: one semester of college-level Chinese language study)
This course continues to develop students’ Chinese language ability through the integration of all five skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. Vocabulary and grammatical patterns are learned through communicative contexts. Textbook: Wu Zhongwei, ed. Dangdai Zhongwen: keben 2 (Contemporary Chinese: textbook, vol. 2). Beijing: Sinolingua Press, 2003; Wu Zhongwei, ed. Dangdai Zhongwen: lianxi ce 2 (Contemporary Chinese: exercise book, vol. 2). Beijing: Sinolingua Press, 2003; supplementary texts.
CHIN 1005 SCGC
Chinese—Beginning for Heritage Learners
This course provides heritage learners, who have some Chinese-speaking proficiency, the opportunity to hone their reading and writing skills through written assignments on contemporary Chinese topics. Students also continue to improve their Chinese-speaking skills through communicative contexts. This course requires enrollment of at least four heritage learners to open. Textbook: Wu Zhongwei, ed. Dangdai Zhongwen: keben 1-2 (Contemporary Chinese: textbook, vol. 1-2). Beijing: Sinolingua Press, 2003; Wu Zhongwei, ed. Dangdai Zhongwen: lianxi ce 1-2 (Contemporary Chinese: exercise book, vol. 1-2). Beijing: Sinolingua Press, 2003; supplementary texts.
CHIN 2001 SCGC
Chinese—Intermediate I
(Prerequisite: two semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
This course continues to develop students’ Chinese skills in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. Students’ linguistic knowledge is reinforced and expanded through class activities with increasing sophistication. Rigorous practice of spoken and written Chinese in communicative activities is conducted. Textbook: Liu Xun 刘珣, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: keben 3 新实用汉语课本•课本3 (New practical Chinese reader: textbook, vol. 3). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2012; Liu Xun, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: zonghe lianxi ce 3 新实用汉语课本•综合练习册3 (New practical Chinese reader: workbook, vol. 3). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2011; supplementary texts.
CHIN 2003 SCGC
Chinese—Intermediate II
(Prerequisite: three semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
This course continues to develop students’ Chinese language abilities in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. Students’ linguistic knowledge is reinforced and expanded through class activities with increasing sophistication. Students are also required to comprehend and produce paragraph-level Chinese. Rigorous practice of spoken and written Chinese in complex communicative activities is conducted during class. Textbook: Liu Xun, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: keben 4 (New practical Chinese reader: textbook, vol. 4). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2004; Liu, Xun, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: zonghe lianxi ce 4 (New practical Chinese reader: workbook, vol. 4). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2004; supplementary texts.
CHIN 2005 SCGC
Chinese—Intermediate for Heritage Learners
This course provides heritage learners, who have intermediate level of Chinese-speaking proficiency, the opportunity to hone their reading and writing skills through written assignments on a wide variety of contemporary Chinese topics. Students also continue to expand their Chinese-speaking skills through complex communicative activities. This course requires the enrollment of at least four heritage learners to be held. Textbooks: Liu Xun, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: keben 3 (New practical Chinese reader: textbook, vol. 3). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2003; Liu Xun, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: zonghe lianxi ce 3 (New practical Chinese reader: workbook, vol. 3). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2012; Liu Xun, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: keben 4 (New practical Chinese reader: textbook, vol. 4). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2011; Liu, Xun, ed. Xin shiyong Hanyu keben: zonghe lianxi ce 4 (New practical Chinese reader: workbook, vol. 4). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2004; supplementary texts.
CHIN 3001 SACS
Chinese—Advanced I
(Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
This course emphasizes understanding of formal writing, as compared to the spoken language students learned in their second year. Students are expected to discuss and write about serious topics, such as those related to contemporary social problems. Textbook: Zhuang Jiaying 庄稼婴and Zhang Zengzeng 张增增. Xin shijiao: gaoji Hanyu jiaocheng (shang, xia) 新视角:高级汉语教程(上、下). Beijing: Peking University Press, 2007; supplementary texts.
CHIN 3003 SACS
Chinese—Advanced II
(Prerequisite: five semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
This course emphasizes understanding formal writing, as compared to the spoken language students learned in their second year. Students are expected to be able to discuss and write about serious topics, such as those related to contemporary social problems. Textbook: Wu Chengnian 吴成年. Du baozhi, xue Zhongwen: zhongji Hanyu baokan yuedu (xia ce) 读报纸，学中文:中级汉语报刊阅读(下册). Beijing: Peking University Press, 2004; supplementary texts.
CHIN 4001 SACS
Chinese—Advanced High I
(Prerequisite: six semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
This course emphasizes developing skills for making speeches or writing essays on complex topics. Students of this level are expected to express themselves not only fluently and accurately, but also with sophistication. Textbook: Wu Chengnian. Du baozhi, xue Zhongwen: zhun gaoji Hanyu baokan yuedu (shang ce) 读报纸，学中文:准高级汉语报刊阅读(上册). Beijing: Peking University Press, 2006; supplementary texts.
CHIN 4002 SACS
Chinese—Advanced High II
(Prerequisite: seven semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
The course enhances students’ skills in developing speeches or writing essays on complex topics. Students at this level are expected to express themselves not only fluently and accurately, but also with sophistication. Depending on enrollment, this course may be structured to the individual needs of students. Textbook: Wu Yamin 吴雅民. Dubao zhi Zhongguo: baokan yuedu jichu (xia) 读报知中国:报刊阅读基础(下) (Learning about China from newspapers: elementary newspaper reading, vol. 2). Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2006; instructor developed materials.
CHIN 4901 SACS
Chinese—Superior I
(Prerequisite: Chinese language proficiency of Advanced High or above according to ACTFL Guidelines)
The course aims to train students’ abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills at the superior level. Students at this level are expected to apply Chinese in both formal and informal settings. Students are trained to develop discourse in Chinese with coherence and cohesiveness. Students are also expected to communicate with accuracy, fluency, and sophistication. Depending on enrollment, this course may be structured to the individual needs of students. Textbook: Instructor developed materials.
East Asian Studies Elective Courses—in English
Students on this program must choose two or more East Asian Studies elective courses.
EAST 3002 SBLC / ECON 3002 SBLC
China’s Economic Reforms
(Prerequisite: previous college-level coursework in economics)
This course introduces students to both the domestic and international aspects of China’s economy. It explores the political, social, and cultural forces shaping China’s modernization and how the country’s businesses are interacting with the world marketplace. It also provides students the knowledge of processes of reforms in different economic aspects in China and strives to help them understand the macroeconomic and microeconomic characteristics of the Chinese economy. In this course, students come to understand the economic mechanism in the so called “Socialist Market Economy,” and gain a better understanding of the achievements and challenges that China is facing in its further economic reform and modernization. By the end of the semester, students are expected to analyze the Chinese economy using practical methods appropriate to China’s current economic situation. Instructor: Dr. Xu Mingqi, Deputy Director of the Institute of World Economy and Director of Department of International Finance, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences
EAST 3003 SCGC / HIST 3001 SCGC
Modern Chinese History
The first half of this course will survey chronologically the various eras of modern Chinese history, ranging from the late-Qing to Hu Jintao. The second half will build on the first half by focusing on the historical developments that have taken place in modern China in the areas of economic development; historical and dialectical materialism; crime and capital punishment; women, gender and sexuality; health and environment; international relations; and non-mainstream perspectives. Many questions will be raised in class discussion, such as: “What were the major causes of the collapse of the Qing Dynasty?”, “What was the May 4th Movement and how did it shape modern Chinese?”, “What were the social and political forces that culminated in civil war?”, “What was the nature and significance of China’s nascent 20th century nationalism?”, “What was the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution and how did they shape Chinese history?”, and “Despite all the changes in China over the last century, how does the past continue to influence the present?” Instructor: Dr. Josef Gregory Mahoney, Associate Professor of Politics, East China Normal University
EAST 3004 SCGC / INRE 3001 SCGC
China’s International Relations
(Prerequisite: previous coursework in political science, international affairs, macroeconomics, or permission from the instructor)
This course offers an analysis of China’s foreign policy and China’s relations with the U.S. and other major players in international affairs—the EU, Japan, and India. It consists of three interrelated parts: a basic understanding of Chinese foreign policy; discussions of Sino-European, Sino-Japanese, and Sino-Indian relations, with the most important third party (U.S.) factor taken into account; and lastly, a focus on important issues in Sino-U.S. relations from a Chinese foreign policy perspective. Instructor: Dr. Zhang Tiejun, Associate Research Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiaotong University
EAST 3005 SCGC / SOCI 3001 SCGC
Issues in Chinese Society
China’s transition to a market economy and return to the global community have huge impacts over the lives of its people, as well as the rest of the world. While covering other fields such as anthropology, political science, gender studies, and urban studies, this course mostly employs a sociological perspective to examine issues in contemporary Chinese society. Topics examined include not only these well-known aspects of Chinese society such as guanxi and face, collectivism and family-centered culture, but also the emerging civil society, ongoing sexual revolution, and increasing social polarization that are more likely associated with the enormous social change over the past three decades. Students are asked to critically and creatively think about change and continuity in contemporary China in relation to the dynamic and complex interaction of local factors and global forces. Instructor: Dr. Wei Wei, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, East China Normal University
EAST 3006 SCGC / POLI 3001 SCGC
Political Development in Modern China
The first half of this course will survey chronologically the major eras of modern China’s political change and development, from the Late Qing to the present day. The second half will focus on different aspects of Chinese political practice and development, including exploring the relationships between nationalism, Marxism and Confucianism; elite politics and Leninism; threats to Party rule; democratic development; constitutional developments and rule of law; the “China Model;” and “decentralized authoritarianism.”
Many questions will be raised in class discussion, such as: “Who and what have been and are the central political forces in China during the modern period and how might we understand them?”, “What were the central political conflicts between the Kuomintang and the CPC?”, “What are the fundamental similarities and differences between the Maoist and post-Maoist eras?”, “What are China’s prospects for democracy and the development of the rule of law?”, and “What is the “China Model” and what is “decentralized authoritarianism,” and how are these concepts if not practices shaping China and the world today?” Instructor: Dr. Josef Gregory Mahoney, Associate Professor of Politics, East China Normal University
EAST 3201 SCGC / CINE 3201 SCGC
Chinese Film and Society
(All films are subtitled in English. All works are read in English.)
This course examines Chinese cinema from its infancy to contemporary period within a social, political, and cultural context, focusing specifically on films produced in mainland China. It aims to 1) help students gain an understanding of some of the social, political, cultural, and economic changes that have taken place in China in recent years; 2) help students cultivate a greater interest in the history and extraordinary development of Chinese cinema, and in cinemas beyond Hollywood; and 3) present mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan as a culturally interconnected region through tracking recent cross-border activities in Chinese language cinema and introducing students to new ways of thinking about national cinema and culture. While acknowledging the importance of examining Chinese cinema in the general framework of national tradition and identity, this course also emphasizes the transnational or pan-Asian nature of Chinese film productions at present. In this way, it is hoped that the course not only helps students cultivate a greater command over current trends and debates in analysis and theorization of Chinese cinema, but also help facilitate students’ understanding of Chinese cinema and culture in the context of globalization. Instructor: Dr. Sun Shaoyi, Professor of Film and Media Studies, School of Film and Television Art and Technology, Shanghai University
Elective Courses—In Chinese
CHIN 1001 SACS
Communicative Chinese
(This course is required for students with no previous Chinese language knowledge and who do not enroll in “Chinese—Beginning I.”)
This course is designed for beginning-level Chinese learners to develop practical oral communicative skills in Chinese. The course is function-oriented. A range of practical topics such as introducing oneself, discussing daily routines, how to make acquaintances, entertaining guests, shopping, negotiating price, asking for directions, seeing a doctor, etc. will be introduced in class. Class instruction emphasizes communication, interaction, performance, and group work. Interactive classroom activities such as role-plays, interviews, group discussions, and trips outside the classroom will be used to encourage students to use Chinese in meaningful contexts. Students will complete a number of speaking tasks, including regular oral assignments, in-class oral activities, oral exams, as well as occasional real-life speaking activities during fieldtrips outside the classroom. Beginning-level Chinese learners who intend to continue formal study of the language should enroll in “CHIN 1001 SCGC Chinese—Beginning I.” Textbook: Instructor developed materials.
CHIN 3011 SACS
Business Chinese
(Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Chinese language study, or heritage learners with consent of the instructor)
This course focuses on advancing students’ knowledge of modern Chinese business, including its environment, traditions, corporate culture, as well as improving student’s ability of listening, speaking, and reading Chinese through case studies on multinationals companies in China, such as IKEA, Starbucks and Wal-Mart. The instructor will focus on the issue of the localization of multinational companies. Students will be assigned to collect information, analyze specific cases, and make oral presentations on issues discussed in class. The course includes a fieldtrip led by the instructor to the IKEA office in Shanghai. The goal is to teach students how to use Chinese to express their opinions on business topics through practice and real cases. Textbook: Yuan Fangyuan 袁芳远. Chenggongzhidao: zhongji shangwu Hanyu anli jiaocheng 成功之道：中级商务汉语案例教程 (Business Chinese for success: real cases from real companies). Beijing: Peking University Press, 2005. Instructor: Dr. Li Qingyu, Associate Professor, College of International Chinese Studies, East China Normal University
CHIN 3012 SACS
Classical Chinese
(Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Chinese language study, or heritage learners with consent of the instructor)
Classical Chinese has influenced many aspects of modern Mandarin Chinese. Many common words used today, both in speech and writing, derive from classical roots. As such, knowledge of classical Chinese provides important insights into sophisticated usage of the language and greatly improves students’ literary appreciation and proficiency. Textbook: Yao Meiling 姚美玲, Gudai Hanyu 古代汉语 (Classical Chinese). Shanghai: East China Normal University Press, 2010. Instructor: Dr. Yao Meiling, Professor and Associate Dean, College of International Chinese Studies, East China Normal University
EAST 4021 SACS / INRE 4021 SACS
Global Issues in China
(Prerequisite: six semesters of college-level Chinese language study, or heritage learners with consent of the instructor)
This course is designed for students placed in “Chinese—Advanced High I” and higher levels and is facilitated in Chinese, with course material provided in Chinese characters and Pinyin transliteration to facilitate reading for content. The course is designed to introduce the important role China plays in a global context and to help students understand Chinese perspectives on global issues that affect the world today. Instructor: Dr. Liu Jun, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, College of International Relations and Regional Studies, East China Normal University
Organizational Internship
INSH 3003 SACS
Organizational Internship
(in English)
The Organizational Internship course is taught in English. Company internship sponsors may include both English and Chinese language work environments, depending on available position and qualifications of the student. This course provides students with guidelines and support for participating in a real world office environment in China. The course focuses on current issues facing their managers, peers, and professional office staff, and prepares students to be better equipped to work with co-workers and supervisors when stepping into a full-time job upon graduation. Students will be assigned to an internship project with a company in Shanghai. The internship sponsors, which vary each term depending on participating organizations and available positions, may include local Chinese companies and multinational companies, as well as international small and medium sized enterprises and nonprofit organizations. Lectures cover overall policies and procedures that may be applied to any company in China, including work ethics, staff behavior, corporate values, and techniques used in the office to work smoothly and efficiently with co-workers. The instructor is the facilitator for classroom discussions and individual student guidance. The subjects covered in the class entail real issues facing the interns and their company sponsors, with an emphasis on practical approaches and methods to solve workplace issues and challenges. The course requires 15 hours with the instructor in class and five to seven hours one-on-one with the instructor or mentor, and 100-120 hours at the internship site, in addition to 25-30 hours working on academic assignments, for a total of 145-160 hours. Recommended credit for this course is 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours. Instructor: Charles Mo, former Vice Chairman for American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, CFO for Nike China, and COO for Coca-Cola Shanghai
INSH 3006 SBLC
Organizational Internship
The course requires 15 hours with the instructor in class and five to seven hours one-one-one with the instructor or mentor, and 200-240 hours at the internship site, in addition to 50-60 hours working on academic assignments, for a total of 270-320 hours. Recommended credit for this course is 6 semester/9 quarter hours. Students should confirm approved credit transfer with their home school advisor before enrolling in this course.
Independent Research
INDR 3003 SACS
Directed Independent Research(spring semester only)
(Prerequisite: placement in “China—Advanced High I” or above)
INDR 3003 SCGC
Directed Independent Research(spring semester only)
(in English)
CIEE supports qualified study abroad students who wish to pursue an academically rigorous independent research project while in Shanghai. Interested students must submit a research proposal including a clearly defined research topic, explanation of research plans, description of preparation in the planned area of study, list of resources, tentative outline of a final paper, and suggested schedule of progress. Students complete a total of 135 hours of research and meet regularly with an academic advisor to complete an academically rigorous, ethically sound, and culturally appropriate research project and final paper. Approval for participation in Directed Independent Research must be obtained from the center director and the student’s home institution prior to arrival on the program. In Shanghai, students may pursue independent research in Asian studies, business, economics, film studies, gender studies, history, international relations, literature, management, marketing, politics, religious studies, and sociology.
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