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 and Film Censorship in China.
Middlebury in Beijing
Middlebury in Beijing: At-A-Glance
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Fall
- Arrival: 08/21/2024
- Departure: 12/07/2024
- Recommended Credits: 16
- Application Deadline: March 15
SPRING
- Arrival: 02/12/2025
- Departure: 05/31/2025
- 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.
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Housing and Meals
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- Dormitory
- Live with a CET peer
- 2 people/room
- En suite bathroom, communal kitchen, paid washer access
- Free or paid wifi access, A/C, linens, basic furnishing
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 China. Take your pick of the budget-friendly campus cafeterias, try every nearby noodle shop, or find your favorite neighborhood restaurant. Feeling like a home-cooked meal? Have a night in with your roommate and trade cooking tips as you prepare dinner together in one of the communal kitchens.
Life in Beijing
- Known locally as: 北京 Běijīng
- Population: 21.54 million
- Local Currency: Chinese Yuan, aka renminbi
- Famous for: The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Peking Duck, northern Chinese accent, major transport hub
You can’t experience China without spending time in Beijing. 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. Join retirees playing mahjong in city parks. Dabble in the online gaming culture and make some friends along the way. Explore the hutongs (traditional alleyways) after class. Use your language skills to haggle at the Pearl Market. And on the weekends, explore the rest of China with friends via high-speed rail.
Experience Beijing
Around the city. Each term, the program offers different extra-curricular activities that let you see the city, learn about Chinese culture, or just unwind with your classmates and roommates. Enjoy hot pot with classmates and language partners. Explore the city during a scavenger hunt. 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.
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On-site Staff
Kate Monroe
Assistant Director
"Not only have I improved, but I’ve become confident using Chinese with local people. I can honestly say even though I’m not completely fluent, language no longer provides a barrier to doing any of the things I want to do or going to any of the places I want to go."
— Anonymous student evaluation
How to Apply
Have a question? Get in touch!
Tara Strauch
Student Services Coordinator
202.349.7325
[email protected]