The CIEE Study Center at Peking University is one of the oldest and most recognized intensive Chinese language programs. The Peking University Center for Teaching Chinese houses over eight different language levels and many other elective courses that benefit the specific needs of each student. Intensive language courses coupled with individual language tutorials, diversified field trips, modern housing facilities, and experienced on-site staff, make the CIEE Study Center in Beijing an incredible place to study and learn cross-cultural skills under the auspices of the most famous university in China.

What You'll Learn
The Intensive Chinese Language program is designed to enable high intermediate and advanced language students to increase their language proficiency and knowledge about China and Beijing's important role in Chinese society. This is achieved through intensive Mandarin training, weekly interactions with Chinese peer tutors and other local Chinese, a local family visit, and group excursions. This program is ideal for independent students looking to explore Beijing and its local culture outside of classes.

Program Snapshot

• Choose from the largest selection of Chinese language electives in China at the prestigious Peking University; ideal for advanced and heritage language learners
• Improve your Mandarin through 20 hours of in-class language coursework per week and one-on-one tutorials with Peking University peer tutors
• Learn from educators trained in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language
• Immerse in Chinese culture by visiting the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, and an area outside Beijing such as Xi'an or Hangzhou
• Live with a Chinese family in a homestay

Subject Areas

• Chinese Studies/Chinese Culture
• Classical Chinese Literature
• Contemporary Chinese Culture
• Contemporary Chinese Literature
• Cultural Studies
• Mandarin Chinese
• Political Science

Eligibility Requirements

• Overall GPA 2.75
• 3–8 semesters of college-level Mandarin Chinese or equivalent
• 1 college-level Chinese area studies course recommended
• Peking University will not accept students who are citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan ROC, Hong Kong SAR, or Macau. This includes those who are permanent U.S. residents.

Academic Program

The CIEE Study Center at Peking University (PKU) was founded in 1980. The Intensive Chinese Language program offers students an opportunity to improve their fluency in spoken and written Mandarin Chinese through intensive language training. Students may also elect to take one course in English to supplement their understanding of China. Electives in English are offered in the areas of culture, business, and politics.

Peer Language Tutor Program
The CIEE Peer Language Tutor program is a unique hallmark of the program and ensures that students' linguistic and cultural fluency progresses throughout their stay. CIEE students are paired with PKU students for weekly one-on-one Chinese language tutorials for a total of three hours per week. These tutorials provide students extra conversation practice in Mandarin and guidance with homework assignments, while giving students an opportunity to befriend and be a part of the lives of their Chinese peers. Past students have stated that their peer tutors were one of the best and most unique aspects of the CIEE program. In addition to the tutors, students may also be paired with a local Chinese "buddy" who helps the student adapt to and understand student life.

CIEE Chinese Language Advisory Board
The CIEE Chinese Language Advisory Board (CCLAB), made up of specialists in the learning and teaching of Chinese, serves to promote the highest standards of education at the CIEE Study Centers in Greater China. Specifically, the Board advises CIEE administrators and offers guidance to CIEE teachers on curriculum issues such as goals and objectives, instructional innovations, assessment, and progress and program evaluation. Additionally, the Board offers its expertise on ways to integrate language courses into area studies curricula, encouraging the use of Chinese in area studies courses. Through close communication with both CIEE staff and members of U.S. sending institutions, the Board plays a pivotal role in providing course articulation for the CIEE Study Centers in Mainland China and Taiwan.

Academic Culture

Students attend language classes from Monday through Friday for a total of 20 hours a week. Individual schedules vary depending on course levels. Typical classroom size for core language classes varies from 10 to 20 students. Elective classes typically have 20 to 40 students, depending on the topic.

Please note that a student's class level does not necessarily correspond with the years the student has spent learning Chinese. Broad language levels at PKU consist of multiple sub-levels to allow students with similar language proficiency to be grouped together in one class. Typically, several sub-levels exist for each broad language level. Therefore, course syllabi and content vary from course to course within each level at PKU's International College of Chinese Language Studies.

The CIEE semester program ends in accordance with the typical U.S. academic calendar as early exams are arranged for CIEE students. However, the language classes at PKU continue for one month past the end date of the CIEE program each term. Depending on the date of the Lunar New Year, there is approximately a two-month break between the end of the fall semester and the start of the spring semester during which academic year students may travel around China and other parts of Asia. Other than these occasions, students should limit travel to nearby destinations on weekends or reserve more extensive travel until after the program has ended.

Where You'll Study:

Peking University

As one of China's most prestigious universities, Peking University was founded in 1898 and has a long tradition of scholarly excellence and political activism. Its primary mission is to train scholars for advanced research in the natural and social sciences. More than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled. The PKU campus comprises a blend of modern buildings and traditional Chinese architectural structures and is celebrated for its beautifully landscaped grounds and lake.

Program Requirements

A full course load ranges from four to five courses for the semester and eight to ten courses for the academic year. All students take Readings in Chinese, Spoken Chinese, the Language and Culture Practicum, and one to three other courses, depending on the level of the individual student's Readings in Chinese course. Students are placed at their level based on a language placement exam taken during orientation.

Because of PKU's strict adherence of matching test score values to course placement in the PKU's College of Chinese Language Studies, students may find difficulty in switching classes after the placement process. Therefore, students are advised to study their past textbooks and know their characters prior to taking the placement test. Students may also take one elective taught in English.

Recommended Credit

semester: 16 semester/24 quarter hours
academic year: 31 semester/46.5 quarter hours

Duration

• Academic Year: 44 weeks early September - late May
• Spring: 15 weeks early February - late May
• Fall: 15 weeks early September - mid-December
• Academic Year: 44 weeks early September - late May
• Spring: 15 weeks early February - late May

CIEE Fees - Check the CIEE website for current fees.
CIEE program fees, inclusions, and estimated additional costs, are outlined below. Please note that CIEE reserves the right to adjust its fees in the event of significant change in exchange rates or other factors beyond its control. The actual cost of the programs may vary slightly for students from different institutions.

Online Pre-Departure and On-Site Orientations
Students begin their study abroad experience in Beijing before even leaving home--by participating in a CIEE Online Pre-Departure Orientation. Meeting with students online, the Resident Director shares 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. The CIEE goal for the pre-departure orientation is simple: to help students understand more about the program and site, as well as their goals for the program, so that they arrive to the program well-informed and return home having made significant progress toward their goals.

A mandatory orientation session conducted on site at the beginning of the program introduces students to the country, the culture, the local community and environment, and the academic program. Students take a language placement exam during this time as well. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.

Housing & Meals

Housing is included in the program fee. Students live in either the Foreign Student Complex (Shaoyuan) at PKU, in an off-campus facility located within a 15-minute walk from the South West Gate, or with a homestay family. Due to limited space, students are placed at the off-campus facility only after all rooms in the on-campus dormitory have been filled. Students may not live in private accommodations outside of CIEE-arranged housing facilities during the duration of the program. Students on the semester program living in the on-campus dormitories or off-campus housing have the opportunity to take part in a three-week homestay experience.

Living conditions in both the on-campus and off-campus housing facilities are comfortable, yet simple, providing such standard amenities as beds, desks, television, private bathroom, and Internet access. Kitchens are not available at either facility. Students are housed two to a room; single rooms are not available.

Students also have the unique option to have a homestay experience with a local Chinese family. Each family has a family member who is currently working at PKU or is a retired PKU faculty member. Chinese host families are located 15-20 minutes from campus by public transportation. Students have their own room and share the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Students are invited to family meals twice a week, but should budget for all other meals on the program. Chinese family members speak Chinese only. This option is highly recommended for students who want to live in an entirely Chinese language environment and are motivated to make rapid progress in Chinese language outside of class.

Housing for academic year students between the fall and spring semesters is arranged and included in the program fee.

Meals are not included in the program fee and are the responsibility of the student. Students usually eat at the many diverse cafeterias available on campus. In addition, there are also several affordable restaurants on and off campus.

Internet

There is Internet access in the PKU library and computer center. However, Internet access can be quite erratic and slow. Students can also access the Internet from their dormitory rooms for a small fee by opening a personal account at the computer center. CIEE pays for the first month of Internet access. Internet availability in each homestay varies. Students are encouraged to bring wireless-enabled laptops.

Cultural Activities

Cultural Activities and Field Trips
Guided field trips are organized to historic and cultural sites in and around Beijing, such as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, the Artist Colony, and various other temples. There are additional site visits to supplement the area studies course. Cultural activities may include the Beijing Opera and an acrobatic performance. Classes in calligraphy, painting, taijiquan, and traditional Chinese musical instruments are also offered.

Cultural Reimbursement Program
As a means of encouraging students to enrich their study abroad experience, CIEE offers a Cultural Reimbursement Program. Through this program, students are reimbursed for their participation in such cultural activities as Chinese film screenings, theater performances, traditional music concerts, and visits to local museums and historic places of interest. Students are encouraged to invite peer tutors to such events when possible.

Immersion

Short-Term Homestay Experience
Students may take part in an optional short-term homestay experience for two to three weeks. This allows CIEE students to experience both the student and Chinese family living environment while in Beijing. Each homestay provides a private room, Internet access, and laundry facilities.

Extended Cultural Excursion
An extended cultural excursion to Xi'an, Hangzhou, Nanjing, or Henan allows students to learn about areas outside of Beijing and to utilize their Chinese language skills under the leadership of the Resident Director. The location is selected prior to each term and changes each semester. Several Chinese students accompany the group to help foster a Chinese-speaking environment during the trip. Students are expected to maintain their language commitment during all program activities.

Target Language Meals
To encourage students to use their Chinese in an informal setting, CIEE arranges bimonthly group meals for students, their language teachers, peer tutors, and resident staff. Students attending the optional meals are encouraged to speak only Chinese with their teachers and peers.

Message from the Colleges of the Fenway
Global Education Opportunities Center

Please be aware that study abroad involves two application deadlines - the application deadline for "the Council on International Educational Exchange" (CIEE - the provider of this study abroad program), and the deadline to seek approval from your home campus Study Abroad Director (in order to receive credit for participating in this program). 

In general, you will need to inform your home campus Study Abroad Director by the "Application Deadline" indicated below.  By pressing on the "Apply Now" button, you will begin the process of notifying your home campus Study Abroad Director of your intent to study abroad.  In order to participate in this program, you will also need to follow the application instructions of CIEE, as indicated above.

Keep in mind that if it appears that a deadline date has already passed for the time that you wish to study abroad, you should still make contact with both your Study Abroad Director and the program provider, by pressing on the "Request Info" button and stating clearly your desired dates.  While it can never be guaranteed, there are cases when last-minute requests can be accommodated.