Accelerated Chinese Language

Location & Culture

Perched on the banks of the Huangpu River and the East China Sea, Shanghai is China’s largest city by population, and a global hub of culture, commerce, and finance. Massively redeveloped over the past 20 years, the city boasts many of the world’s latest and greatest. The list includes: uber-tall buildings stretching up in the new financial district; and the world’s fastest-growing rapid-transit system featuring the world’s first commercial high-speed Maglev train.

Activities

Join classmates for a thrilling acrobat show, a river cruise, group meals, and more.
Explore Chinese history and arts with visits to museums, art exhibitions, and plays.
Step back in time with visits to traditional water towns like Wuzhen and Zhujiajiao, lined with narrow cobbled lanes, stone bridges, canals, and rich history.
Travel to nearby beautiful historic cities like Suzhou – called Venice of the East for its many canals, and famous for its classical gardens and silk industry – or Hangzhou, known for the natural beauty of its mountains and lake, and its textile and high-tech industries.
Get hands-on cultural experience by learning Chinese cooking, calligraphy, martial arts, music, or mahjong.
Venture off for a weekend to Hangzhou, Wuzhen, or Nanjing – one of China’s four ancient capitals and major commercial centers.

EXCURSIONS

Silk Road Trade Route – fall. This famous premodern route enabled the exchange of merchandise, as well as religion, culture, and art. Students travel from the head of the northern route in Xi’an to Dunhuang, the City of Sands, a desert oasis at the junction of the northern and southern trade routes. Ideal for majors in Chinese language and culture, literature, history, religion, anthropology, and geography.

Tea and Horse Road – spring. This ancient network of mountain paths connected the tea-growing regions of southwestern China to Burma and India by mule caravan through the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and Tibet. Students may travel to Lijiang and Shangri-La, seat of a Tibetan autonomous prefecture near the border of Tibet. Ideal for majors in Chinese language and culture, literature, history, religion, anthropology, and geography.

Global Business in China – Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta Region. Explore one of the world's leading international financial centers and see how Hong Kong retains different political and economic systems from mainland China, with a diverse international population. Students visit companies, attend lectures on business development and industry, take a city tour, cruise Victoria Harbor, and visit a local Daoist temple. Ideal for majors in international business, finance, and economics.

Convergence of Cultures – Taiwan. Some of the most traditional forms of Chinese culture are preserved on Taiwan, which maintains a thriving civil society with a democratic political system and capitalist economy. See why this culture is described as a blend of Chinese and Japanese cultures, with traditional Confucian beliefs and contemporary Western values. Visit the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, aboriginal communities, Kaoshiung, and the night markets of Keelung. Ideal for majors in international affairs, political science, and economics.

PROJECTS

Volunteering. Opt to travel to rural interior China, where you can give your time and energy while you connect with villagers and other Chinese people.

Kick your Chinese language skills into high gear.

One-on-one classes. In addition to daily classes, you'll meet individually with your language instructor for 30 minutes, four times a week.
Peer language tutors. Join a qualified ECNU student for one-on-one tutorials of at least one hour, twice a week.
Chinese language clinic. Professional Chinese language instructors lend a hand with unique problems in your study with 90-minute sessions, offered four times a week.
Target language activities. Join CIEE teachers, peer tutors, and resident staff in an informal setting that encourages students to use their Chinese language skills.

INTERNSHIP

Study abroad students participating in the Organizational Internship course 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. Course curriculum includes class introduction, placement interview, coached work, and final presentation to earn three academic credits. See the course section for more detail.

Daily Life

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HOUSING

Homestays: Chinese host families speak only Chinese, making this a great way to fast-forward your language skills. Students have their own bedrooms in the host family apartment, and share the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Host apartments are a 15- to 45-minute walk or commute by public transportation from campus.

Residence Halls: Students choose to live with a Chinese ECNU student – and speak only Chinese – or with another CIEE student in a five-story hall on the ECNU campus. There are shared kitchens and bathrooms on each floor, plus study areas, and laundry facilities. The hall is a 10-minute walk to CIEE and close to public transportation.
MEALS

Homestays: Students are invited to most meals, but should budget for lunches and some weekend meals.

Residence Halls: Students are responsible for meals. There are moderately priced cafeterias on campus.

Shanghai, China

Where You'll Study

A

CIEE SHANGHAI

On the downtown Putuo campus at East China Normal University.
B

EAST CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY

Downtown Putuo campus
C

Getting Around

Students walk or use public transportation to get around the city.

Program Details

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What you need to know

The program details

Established in 2012, this program is designed to provide participants with a strong foundation in Chinese language and a deeper understanding of China today through intensive Chinese language coursework and cultural immersion, complemented by a wide selection of area studies courses in various disciplines.

The program is open to students with all levels of language skill, from students with no experience to those with superior level proficiency, although it is not for native Chinese speakers. Students take two accelerated courses that focus on rapid language acquisition and are designed to move students ahead at least two levels in all four Chinese language skills. Students take up to one elective in English, and those with four or more semesters of college-level Mandarin may take a Chinese language elective or area studies course taught in Chinese instead.

Chinese language students take part in the CIEE Community Language Commitment, a graded component in which students agree to speak Chinese at required times.

East China Normal University (ECNU). Established in 1951, ECNU is one of China’s key institutions of higher learning. Nationally known for its Chinese language and literature program, the university hosts more than 32,000 students, including almost 5,000 international students, at its two campuses.

CIEE Shanghai. ECNU has hosted CIEE since 2001. You’ll find CIEE on ECNU’s downtown Putuo campus – known as the “Garden University” for its beautiful grounds – on the Liwa River.

Chinese language courses are taught by the CIEE language director, full-time CIEE faculty members, and graduate students from ECNU School of International Chinese Studies. A committee of specialists in teaching Chinese as a second language holds these courses to the highest educational standards.

Chinese language elective courses are taught by faculty from the ECNU. Other elective courses are taught by faculty from ECNU, Fudan University, Jiaotong University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and other Chinese academic and government institutions, and professionals from the private business sector.

Academics

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Academics

CLASS FORMAT

The semester is 15 weeks long, including a one-week orientation, 12 weeks of instruction, a one-week group cultural excursion, a one-week program break for independent travel, and typically, one national holiday. English-language elective courses take place once a week for three hours in the afternoon. Class size ranges from five to 20 students. Chinese language electives meet twice a week for two hours. Average class size is four students. Course-related field trips are scheduled on Fridays and occasionally on weekends. Chinese-language classes take place Monday through Thursday, for four hours. Classes have an average of five students, and participation is important. Classes are typically co-taught by head language instructors and assistant language instructors. Students also meet with peer tutors for structured tutorials for at least two hours per week. All Chinese language courses and area studies electives are managed by CIEE and specially designed for CIEE study abroad students only. Some area study courses may include a limited number of ECNU students to increase cross-cultural and academic exchange.
GRADING

Elective courses: Students are graded on exams, homework, participation, and attendance. Professors may assign exams, quizzes, research papers, and individual and group oral presentations or projects. Language classes: Student are assessed based on daily homework and quizzes, written and oral unit tests, and written and oral mid-term and final exams. The following letter grades are assigned: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, F.
ACADEMIC CULTURE

Accelerated language courses are demanding. Held Monday through Thursday for four hours, these classes average about five students, making participation key. Language classes typically are co-taught by head language instructors, who introduce new content and assistant language instructors, who focus on accuracy and consistency through drills. In addition, students meet weekly with their instructor for one-on-one classes, and with peer tutors for a minimum of four hours per week, total. More hours can be arranged. English language elective courses take place once per week for three hours. Class size ranges from five to 20 students. Chinese language electives meet twice a week for two hours. Average class size is four students. Course field trips are scheduled on Fridays, and occasionally weekends.

Eligibility

OVERALL GPA

Students need to have a GPA of at least 2.5.
Program Requirements

1 semester of college-level Chinese area study is recommended. Students who are citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan ROC, Hong Kong SAR, or Macau, please contact a CIEE Study Abroad Advisor for details.

Curriculum

Program Credit

Total semester credit: 15 semester/22.5 quarter hours
- Students with special approval can take up to 18 semester/27 quarter hours
Total academic year credit: 30 semester/45 quarter hours

Students enroll in three classes per semester:

Two 6-credit Chinese language courses at appropriate level
- Each Chinese language course: Contact hours - 90; credit – 6 semester/9 quarter hours per course
One 3-credit elective course taught in English or Chinese, choice of:
- Elective course: Contact hours - 45; credit - 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours per course
- Directed Independent Research: Contact hours - 45 (including 100 - 120 hours of research); credit - 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours
- *Organizational Internship: Contact hours - 45 (including 100 - 120 work placement hours); credit - 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours

CIEE may place students in language courses based on results of language proficiency exams.

*Students enrolling in the internship course are required to change their student visa to an “S2 Visa” in order to comply with Chinese labor law. Recipients of the S2 Visa are not allowed to leave and re-enter the mainland of China without obtaining a new visa. You may not reapply for either a student or S2 Visa after leaving mainland China, so if you leave before your program ends, you will not be able to re-enter and continue participation. Fees associated with this process are estimated to be $150 USD. Students pursuing the internship are responsible for paying this fee. The application process for an internship visa includes: approval from internship sponsor, approval from Chinese host institution, East China Normal University, and a visa-change application to the Chinese authorities.

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 canceled due to insufficient enrollment.

SPRING 2019 COURSES

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CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES

Students on this program can select one Business/East Asian studies elective course in English instruction or Chinese elective course in Chinese instruction or Organizational Internship.

BUSINESS ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

These business electives are designed for students with a major or minor related to international business or economics. Students on this program must have completed three or more semesters of college-level microeconomics or macroeconomics, accounting, finance, management, or marketing to be eligible.

EAST ASIAN STUDIES ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

CHINESE ELECTIVE COURSES (IN CHINESE)

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

INTERNSHIP*

INSH 3003 SACS: Organizational Internship

*Students enrolling in the internship course are required to change their student visa to an “S2 Visa” in order to comply with Chinese labor law. Recipients of the S2 Visa are not allowed to leave and re-enter the mainland of China without obtaining a new visa. Fees associated with this process are estimated to be $150 USD. Students pursuing the internship are responsible for paying this fee.

FALL 2019 COURSES

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Students enroll in two Chinese language courses and an additional elective, internship, or directed independent research project.

CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES

BUSINESS ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

Students on this program can select one East Asian studies/Business elective course in English instruction or Chinese elective course in Chinese instruction or Organizational Internship.

EAST ASIAN STUDIES ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

CHINESE ELECTIVE COURSES (IN CHINESE)

INTERNSHIP*

INSH 3003 SACS: Organizational Internship

*Students enrolling in the internship course are required to change their student visa to an “S2 Visa” in order to comply with Chinese labor law. Recipients of the S2 Visa are not allowed to leave and re-enter the mainland of China without obtaining a new visa. Fees associated with this process are estimated to be $150 USD. Students pursuing the internship are responsible for paying this fee.

Scholarships

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Scholarships & Grants

CIEE offers more than $8 million in scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.

Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:

Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
Stohl International Undergraduate Research Scholarships
CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant

To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application. Learn more at the Scholarships & Grants section of our website.

See more scholarship info

Dates, Deadlines & Fees

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Dates, Deadlines & Fees

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.

YOUR FEE INCLUDES:

Tuition
Housing
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
One-week orientation – an introduction to Chinese culture, your academic program, and the city, plus practical information about living in your host city
Full-time program leadership and support in your host city
Field trips and cultural activities
Overnight excursions
Insurance and other travel benefits, with CIEE iNext
24/7 emergency on-site support

No Hidden Fees

Program	Application Due	Start Date	End Date	Fees & Housing
Spring 2019 15 weeks		Feb 24, 2019	Jun 8, 2019	$16,450 Click to Close Program Fees CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits. Participation Confirmation = $300 * Educational Costs = $13,681 Housing = $2,090 * Insurance = $167 Visa Fees = $212 Total Fees = $16,450 Estimated Costs Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration. Meals not included in program fee = $1,200 International Airfare = $1,170 Local Transportation = $200 Books & Supplies = $50 Personal expenses = $2,100 Other = $150 Total Estimated Costs = $4,870 Financial Aid CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $5 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, MSI grants, Gilman matching grants, and Pell matching grants. See Scholarships This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time. Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed. * non-refundable direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students * includes breakfast and dinner during the week and most weekends for homestay students
Fall 2019 15 weeks	May 1, 2019	Sep 1, 2019	Dec 14, 2019	$16,450 Click to Close Program Fees CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits. Participation Confirmation = $300 * Educational Costs = $13,681 Housing = $2,090 * Insurance = $167 Visa Fees = $212 Total Fees = $16,450 Estimated Costs Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration. Meals not included in program fee = $1,200 ^† International Airfare = $1,170 ^†† Local Transportation = $200 ^††† Books & Supplies = $50 ^†††† Personal expenses = $2,100 Other = $150 ^{†††††} Total Estimated Costs = $4,870 Financial Aid CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $5 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, MSI grants, Gilman matching grants, and Pell matching grants. See Scholarships This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time. Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed. * non-refundable direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students * includes breakfast and dinner during the week and most weekends for homestay students ^† for students in residence halls; students placed in homestays should budget $550 for lunches ^†† round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure ^††† students enrolled in internships should budget $500 ^†††† language books and area studies readers are free ^{†††††} onsite visa change/extension fee (this includes the cost of the required medical/physical exam at a designated Chinese Hospital); for academic year students or for those that do not receive a multiple entry visa or a visa to cover the duration of the program pre-departure.
Spring 2020 15 weeks	Nov 1, 2019	TBD*	TBD*
Academic year 2019-2020 15 weeks	May 1, 2019	Sep 1, 2019	TBD	$30,289 Click to Close Program Fees CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits. Participation Confirmation = $300 * Educational Costs = $12,715 Educational Costs = $12,715 * Housing = $2,090 ** Housing = $2,090 * Insurance = $167 Visa Fees = $212 Total Fees = $30,289 Estimated Costs Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration. Meals not included in program fee = $1,200 ^† Meals not included in program fee = $1,200 ^†† International Airfare = $1,170 ^††† Local Transportation = $200 ^†††† Local Transportation = $200 ^{†††††} Books & Supplies = $50 ^{††††††} Books & Supplies = $50 ^{†††††††} Personal expenses = $2,100 Personal expenses = $2,100 Other = $150 ^{††††††††} Expenses during break = $3,000** ^{†††††††††} Total Estimated Costs = $11,420 Financial Aid CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $5 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, MSI grants, Gilman matching grants, and Pell matching grants. See Scholarships This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time. Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed. * non-refundable direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students * direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students ** includes breakfast and dinner during the week and most weekends for homestay students *** includes breakfast and dinner during the week and most weekends for homestay students ^† for students in residence halls; students placed in homestays should budget $550 for lunches ^†† for students in residence halls; students placed in homestays should budget $550 for lunches ^††† round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure ^†††† students enrolled in internships should budget $500 ^{†††††} students enrolled in internships should budget $500 ^{††††††} language books and area studies readers are free ^{†††††††} language books and area studies readers are free ^{††††††††} onsite visa change/extension fee (this includes the cost of the required medical/physical exam at a designated Chinese Hospital); for academic year students or for those that do not receive a multiple entry visa or a visa to cover the duration of the program pre-departure. ^{†††††††††} academic year students who wish to stay onsite are responsible for arranging their housing and meals during the semester break

*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.

To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, ask your college or university study abroad advisor if your school charges additional fees for study abroad.

Looking for funding?

See Our Scholarships

Our Staff

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Our Staff

Steve Chao

Director

Steve Chao earned his Ed.D from Saint Louis University.
Laura Harris

Manager of Student Services and Administration

Before joining CIEE, Laura gained experience in international student advising and program administration at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jia Ma

Chinese Language Director

Jia Ma holds a master's degree from East China Normal University.

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Accelerated Chinese Language

Information for term Accelerated Chinese Language

Application deadline, and cost information.

Application Deadline

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

Application Deadline

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

Application Deadline

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

Application Deadline

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

Overview

Share this Program

Follow our Travels:

Learn about Chinese business

Get off the tourist track

Live with a Chinese host family

hours to Beijing by high speed train

residents

universities and colleges

Location & Culture

Your Destination

Program Blogs

Activities

EXCURSIONS

PROJECTS

INTERNSHIP

Daily Life

HOUSING

MEALS

Shanghai, China

Where You'll Study

A

CIEE SHANGHAI

B

EAST CHINA NORMAL UNIVERSITY

C

Getting Around

Like what you're seeing so far?

Program Details

What you need to know

Academics

Academics

CLASS FORMAT

GRADING

ACADEMIC CULTURE

Eligibility

OVERALL GPA

Program Requirements

Curriculum

SPRING 2019 COURSES

CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES

BUSINESS ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

EAST ASIAN STUDIES ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

CHINESE ELECTIVE COURSES (IN CHINESE)

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

INTERNSHIP*

FALL 2019 COURSES

CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES

BUSINESS ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

EAST ASIAN STUDIES ELECTIVE COURSES (IN ENGLISH)

CHINESE ELECTIVE COURSES (IN CHINESE)

INTERNSHIP*

Scholarships

Scholarships & Grants

Dates, Deadlines & Fees

Dates, Deadlines & Fees

YOUR FEE INCLUDES:

No Hidden Fees

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Fees & Housing

Program Fees

Estimated Costs

Financial Aid

Program Fees

Estimated Costs

Financial Aid