One-on-one tutorial. Explore a topic that interests you and learn the technical language you need to turn your knowledge into a senior thesis or graduate school application when you’re back home. In Beijing, past students have explored LGBTQ Life in China, Beijing City Planning, Film Censorship in China, and more.
Middlebury in Beijing
Middlebury in Beijing: At-A-Glance
Fall
- Arrival: 08/27/2025
- Departure: 12/13/2025
- Recommended Credits: 16
- Application Deadline: March 15
SPRING
- Arrival: 02/20/2026
- Departure: 06/06/2026
- Recommended Credits: 16
- Application Deadline: October 1
Get the best of the best—Middlebury’s excellence in language teaching, and CET’s 40+ years of experience in China. You apply through Middlebury and receive a transcript from Middlebury, but the program is open to students from all schools.
Academics at Middlebury
Semester
Snapshot
- 16 hours/week of Chinese learning
- One-on-one tutorial
- Specialized electives
- Full-time language pledge
- Out-of-class learning & assignments
- Traveling Seminar
Immersive Learning in Beijing
Intensive curriculum. When you’ve studied Chinese for a few years, you need specialized attention to take your skills to the next level. Under a full-time language pledge, take on a one-on-one research tutorial, Experience Beijing (a course that has you exploring the city as part of class), and two elective courses. Electives are different each semester, but past courses have included Chinese Politics, Chinese Theater, and Classical Chinese.
Traveling Seminar
Each semester, we take students on a hands-on learning excursion that explores an area outside of the city. Previous seminars in Beijing have included a week-long experience in Xi’an where you can experience both the ancient origin of the Silk Road and the center of the modern One Belt One Road initiative. Through site visits, lectures, and discussions with local residents, you examine a new place through a lens of political, economic, and historic globalization.
Traveling Seminar: Learning on the Road
Each semester, we take students on a hands-on learning excursion to explore another side of China. Previous seminars in Beijing have included a week-long experience in Xi’an where you can experience both the ancient origin of the Silk Road and the center of the modern One Belt One Road initiative. Through site visits, lectures, and discussions with local residents, you examine a new place through a lens of political, economic, and historic globalization.
Traveling Seminar: Learning on the Road
Each semester, we take you on a hands-on excursion to another side of China, with mornings spent exploring on your own or with fellow students plus guided activities. There are activities focused on themes like economics, history, and art. In the afternoons, conduct field research on a topic of your choice. No term is exactly the same—past groups traveled to Shanghai, Xi-an, and Chengdu. In just five days, this seminar blends academic exploration with the freedom to discover more of China.
You might be interested in:
Housing and Meals
- Dormitory
- Live with a CET peer
- 2 people/room
- En suite bathroom, communal kitchen, pay for washer access
- Wifi access, A/C, linens, basic furnishing, shared laundry rooms
Living Like a Local
Local Roommates. Your roommate is a CET-selected student from our host university, Capital Normal University. Let them show you their favorite spots around the city. Learn which apps to download for daily life in Beijing or ask what slang locals have been using lately. Sharing a room with a local roommate brings language learning into your home life and gives you instant insider’s access to the city. Learn more about living with local roommates.
Eating in Beijing. For meals, take your pick of the budget-friendly campus cafeterias and neighborhood restaurants. And don’t forget to find your favorite spot for Peking Duck—you’re living in Beijing after all. Feeling like a home-cooked meal? Have a night in with your roommate and trade cooking tips as you prepare dinner together in the dorm shared kitchen. Learn more about accommodating your dietary needs in Beijing.
Life in Beijing
- Known locally as: 北京 Běijīng
- Population: 21.89 million
- Local Currency: Chinese Yuan, aka renminbi
- Famous for: The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Peking Duck, northern Chinese accent, major transport hub
Historical and cultural sites meet the modern comforts of a globalized, first-tier city. And as the country’s capital, you can find communities, cultures, and cuisines from all over China. Hop on a bikeshare to study at a new café near campus. Grab dinner with your roommate at their favorite restaurant in Beijing, then meet more friends for a night of karaoke. Get lost in the hutongs (traditional alleyways) and see everything from traditional tea houses to artfully-curated shops and even snack streets. And on the weekends, explore more of China via high-speed rail.
Experience Beijing
Around the city. Each term, the program offers different activities that let you see the city, learn about Chinese culture, or just unwind with your local roommates. Enjoy hot pot with classmates and language partners. Learn kung fu with your roommates from a master of martial arts. Take a day trip to hike an unrestored section of the Great Wall with the entire cohort. And there’s even more to see on your own.
On-site Staff
Kate Monroe
Assistant Director
How to Apply
Have a question? Get in touch!
Tara Strauch
Student Services Coordinator
202.349.7325
[email protected]