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!
CET Beijing Study Abroad
CET Beijing: At-A-Glance
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Fall
- Arrival: 08/24/2023
- Departure: 12/10/2023
- Recommended Credits: 17
- Fee: $17,490
- Application Deadline: May 1
SPRING
- Arrival: 02/16/2024
- Departure: 06/01/2024
- Recommended Credits: 17
- Fee: $17,490
- Application Deadline: November 1
Fall
- Arrival: 08/24/2023
- Departure: 12/10/2023
- Recommended Credits: 17
- Fee: $17,490
- Application Deadline: May 1
SPring
- Arrival: 02/16/2024
- Departure: 06/01/2024
- Recommended Credits: 17
- Fee: $17,490
- Application Deadline: November 1
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.
Academics in Beijing
Semester
Snapshot
- Pre-requisites: None
- 20 hours/week of Chinese learning
- One-on-one sessions
- Full-time language pledge
- Out-of-class learning & assignments
- Host University: Capital Normal University
Curriculum & Syllabi
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:
You also take this corresponding 3-credit course:
Then you choose one of these 3-credit electives:
- BJ/LANG 420: Advanced Chinese Newspaper
- BJ/LANG 440: Advanced Business Chinese
- BJ/LANG 455: Independent Study
Your Chinese will grow by leaps & bounds
Intensive language learning. You take 20 hours/week of Chinese language classes with some of the best teachers in the field. Your hours are broken up between core classes, where you focus as a group on grammar, drill, and discussion, and supplementary hours where you get more individualized attention. Twice a week, you have a one-on-one with an instructor to cover anything you’re struggling with in class or engage in further discussion about what you’re learning.
Beijing as your classroom. Study abroad is about experiencing it all. 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, Chinese holidays, or China’s environmental problems.
Housing and Meals
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- Dormitory
- On-campus housing
- 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
Language Partners. Language buddies are CET-picked students from Capital Normal University. Each week, meet on-campus for a guided discussion session to practice your Chinese. Then, explore Beijing together on the weekends. Check must-sees like the Forbidden City or National Museum of Art off of your list. Then, enjoy a bowl of zhajiangmian (noodles with garlic sauce) at a local restaurant. Language partners give you instant insider’s access to the city and best of all, a group to see it with.
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 Peking Duck spot—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: 21.54 million
- Local Currency: Chinese Yuan, aka renminbi
- Famous for: The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Peking Duck, northern Chinese accent, major transport hub
People flock to Beijing to experience the cultural and political capital of China. Historical and cultural sites are everywhere – including 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites – the standard local accent makes it a great place to study language, and the accessible public transportation makes it easy for students to get around. Spend a semester experiencing incredible food, meeting wonderful people, and enjoying a front row seat to China’s developments.
Experience Beijing with CET
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. Learn traditional Chinese painting techniques. See a Chinese improv show. Make dumplings then devour them for dinner. And there’s even more to see on your own.
A Weekend Away. Enjoy worry-free travel with CET-hosted trips that take you out of Beijing. You might join your roommates on a trip to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors, Hangzhou to hike around the visit beautiful West Lake, or travel to Nanjing to walk on the ancient city wall. Every term is different. Half the fun is getting there. Playing cards on an overnight train ride is a great way to make new friends.
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Student Resources
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On-site Staff
Zhu Li
Director of China Programs
Drew Kunard
Resident Director
"The academics are really challenging, of course, but we were able to explore a wide variety of topics in class that were really relevant to the culture, both in Jordan and in the wider Middle East. Combining that with the conversations I had with my Jordanian language partner meant that I could learn about almost any aspect of the environment and the people."
— Annaliese Gould,
Carleton College | Fall student
Carleton College | Fall student
Program Fees
Fall/Spring
$17,490
What's Included
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.
More on finances
Program Fee Breakdown. Of the total program fee, $14,030 goes to tuition and fees, and $3,460 goes to housing and other student life fees.
Local Cost of Living. Day-to-day cost of living in Beijing is generally cheaper than the United States. Meals and transit are cheaper, but western comforts (restaurants, coffee, etc.) cost about the same or more than they do in the US.
Estimated out-of-pocket expenses:
- Round-trip Airfare: $1,250 - $1,500
- Meals: $1,250
- Personal Expenses: $1,400
- Housing Deposit: $50
- Local Cell Phone Plan/SIM Card: $200
additional resources
How to Apply
We are excited to announce that our mainland China programs have reopened! Hear from current students on the Student Voices blog.
- • 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 preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
- • Open to all levels of Chinese, from absolute beginner to advanced
Complete the application through your online CET account. 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 online CET 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.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous instructors.
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 online account.
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Application
Deadlines
Fall Semester:
May 1
Spring Semester:
November 1
Have a question? Get in touch!
Joelle Leinbach
Student Services Coordinator
202.349.7322
[email protected]
Price Subject to Change:
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.