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.
Language Courses
Students who elect to enroll in the Chinese language course are placed in one of the below levels based on results of on-site proficiency tests.
CHIN 1001 SHSU
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 1M 当代中文•练习册1 (Contemporary Chinese: exercise book, vol. 1). Beijing: Sinolingua Press, 2003; supplementary texts.
CHIN 1002 SHSU
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 SHSU
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 SHSU
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 of 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 2002 SHSU
Chinese–Intermediate II
(Prerequisite: three semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
This course continues to develop students’ Chinese abilities in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. Students’ linguistic knowledge is reinforced and expanded through class activities of 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 SHSU
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, 2012; 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, 2003; 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 SHSU
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 in China. 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 3002 SHSU
Chinese–Advanced II
(Prerequisite: five semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
This course emphasizes the understanding of 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 in China. 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 SHSU
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 at 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 SHSU
Chinese–Advanced High II
(Prerequisite: seven semesters of college-level Chinese language study)
The course enhances students’ skills of 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 SHSU
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.
Electives—in English
BUSI 3001 SHSU
The Changing Nature of Business in China
This course emphasizes the various manners in which business is conducted in China today. Topics include joint ventures, state-owned industries, and private Chinese and foreign firms. Particular attention is paid to general working conditions, current foreign investment policies, and environmental regulations. Case studies are presented. The course also covers the practical elements of doing business in the People’s Republic of China, including important cultural concepts such as guanxi (connections) and mianzi (face). Classroom instruction is supplemented by site visits and guest lecturers. Instructor: Jack Marr, Advising Director, Stern School of Business, New York University in Shanghai
BUSI 3003 SHSU / MKTG 3001 SHSU
Marketing Management and Methods in East Asia and Emerging Markets
Marketing is a company-wide undertaking that drives an organization’s vision, mission, and strategic planning. Marking is about learning the overall shape of the market, deciding who the firm wants as its customers, which needs to satisfy, what products and services to create and offer, what prices to set, what communications to send and receive, what channels of distribution to use, and what partnerships to develop. Marketing deals with the whole process of entering markets, establishing sustainable and advantageous positions, and building loyal customer relationships. To achieve this, all departments must work together: designing the right products, furnishing the required funds and accounting for their use, buying the right inputs, and producing quality products. At the same time, the traditional marketing mix is being transformed across many industries by new information technologies, and as a result, some of the “traditional wisdom” is being turned on its head. We will look at cutting-edge theory in modern marketing management to be applied across a spectrum of industries and institutions—both business to consumer and business to business/institution, and see how this theory is applied through recent case studies both in China and abroad. We will have a particular focus on timely issues such as CRM (Customer Relationship Marketing), the impact of information technology on all areas of business and marketing, specific issues in China, Asia, and emerging Markets, the implications and opportunities created by the global economic crisis, and effectively integrating the marketing mission into the organization across all functions with their often conflicting perspectives. Instructor: Jack Marr, Advising Director, Stern School of Business, New York University in Shanghai
INSH 3003 SHSU
Organizational Internship
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 SHSU
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.
Electives—in Chinese
CHIN 1004 SHSU
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 SHSU Chinese—Beginning I.” Textbook: Instructor developed materials.
CHIN 3011 SHSU
Business Chinese
(Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Chinese language study, or heritage learners with consent of the instructor)
This course focuses on increasing students’ knowledge of modern Chinese business including its environment, traditions, and culture. The course aims to improve students’ ability to read business related articles, examine statistical information, and review business documents such as invoices, business contracts, and brochures introducing new products. Instructors teach students how to use their oral and written Chinese skills to express their opinions on business topics. Through the course, students become familiar with modern business related Chinese materials, improve their usage of Chinese in the actual work place, and enhance their ability to communicate using business vocabulary and terminology. 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
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