Our goal is to offer every course every term, but sometimes factors like faculty availability and program enrollment keep us from reaching that goal. If you’re concerned about needing to enroll in one particular course, please contact us!
Semester study abroad students at CET Beijing are hard-working and dedicated to immersing themselves in Chinese culture to improve their language skills. With an intensive curriculum, a full-time language pledge, and a local roommate who brings language practice into your home life, you will see language gains that astonish you.
You are placed into the appropriate level of Chinese language for a total of 17 recommended credits.
You are placed into one of these 17-credit courses:
You are placed into this 14-credit course:
Then you choose one of these 3-credit electives:
You are placed into one of these 11-credit courses:
You also take this corresponding 3-credit course:
Then you choose one of these 3-credit electives:
Beijing as your classroom. Your classes get you practicing your Chinese out in the city, where it counts. At least twice a semester, you have a week-long language practicum. You focus in-depth on a topic like the lives of Chinese senior citizens, youth dating culture, or gender equality.
Test your language skills in Chengdu and Shanghai during two 5-day Traveling Seminars with CET Beijing. Each term is different, but in Chengdu you might learn about ancient literature, see conservation efforts in action at the local panda research center, and then try hot pot on its home turf. In Shanghai, you could dig into urban planning, visit a local company, and cruise down the Pearl River. Return to Beijing with a deeper understanding of regional cultures and a more comprehensive familiarity of China at large.
Local Roommates. You live alongside a local student from 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.
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.
Zhu Li
Director of China Programs
Drew Kunard
Resident Director
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We arrange for you to live in a dormitory with a CET peer. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, and other management costs.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
We guide you step-by-step through the visa process. You’ll need to do the legwork, but we pay the consular fees if you obtain your visa through the service we recommend.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan through GeoBlue that even includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you on site.
You’ll receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and CNU. If your home institution requires a School of Record transcript, CET is able to provide one through the University of Minnesota.
Local Cost of Living. Day-to-day cost of living has increased in recent years and is now generally considered on par with US cities. Some meals and transit are often cheaper, but western comforts (restaurants, coffee, etc.) cost about the same or more than they do in the US.
Estimated out-of-pocket expenses:
• Pre-requisites: None. Open to students of any Chinese level, including absolute beginners
• Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
• Open to students from any US college or university
• GPA: 3.0 or higher is recommended, students with lower GPAs will be asked for a faculty recommendation to supplement their application
• Open to all levels of Chinese, from absolute beginner to advanced
This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Upload a scan of your passport to your CET Compass account. This should be a single scan that includes the signed signature page and the photo/personal details page. Don’t have a passport yet? Let us know and we can help advise you.
This is an online form that your current or most recent language instructor completes to help us get an idea of your language level. Use the link in your CET Compass account to send the recommendation request.
This is an online form that your study abroad office completes to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of your CET Compass account.
Your CET Compass account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Student Services Coordinator
202.349.7325
[email protected]
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.
Over the years, we’ve built a strong network of locally-based faculty that we’re proud to call our peers. These faculty make up our Academic Consultation Board—a select group of local voices and thought leaders that help advise and shape components of the CET Jordan program.
Board members support the program in many ways, including but not limited to: