CET Taiwan: At-A-Glance

Intensive Chinese language classes

Custom internship placements

Share an apartment with local Taiwanese roommates

SPRING

Fall

SPring

CET Taiwan gives you access to the best parts of study abroad—intensive language classes, internship opportunities in Chinese and English-speaking environments, and a location that balances life in a big city with quick getaways to nature. And with Taiwanese roommates that bring language and culture into your home life, it won’t be long before Taipei feels like your new home away from home.

Academics in Taipei

Semester
Snapshot

Curriculum & Syllabi

You combine a 12-credit, direct-enroll language course with one 3-credit elective for a total of 15 recommended credits.

Intensive Chinese Language

You enroll directly with National Taiwan University’s Chinese Language Division (CLD) in a class that meets once daily for 3 hours. CLD looks at your previous coursework and conducts a remote language assessment before the program to place you in the appropriate level.

Note: As short-term residents of Taiwan, students are expected to learn traditional Chinese characters. CLD courses are instructed using traditional characters, with handouts and additional resources in simplified characters.

Electives

Choose one of these 3-credit, English-taught courses to meet a recommended 15 total credits.

A well-rounded program for Chinese learners

Intensive language learning. Whether you are new to the Chinese language or already have several years of college-level experience, you take on an intensive curriculum with small group classes, and plenty of individual attention. Leave Taipei with the knowledge and study habits to set you up for long-term success.

Add on an internship. Taipei’s job market boasts a wide variety of opportunities, including in the political, educational, business, and civil society sectors. If you choose to intern for your elective, the course component complements on-the-job learning to not only build your résumé, but give you the framework and context to take ownership of your experience.

learn more about

Housing and Meals

Living Like a Local

Local Roommates. Want to learn where to get the tastiest mangguo xuehuabing (mango shaved ice)? Which apps are essential to life in Taiwan? Sharing your apartment with students from National Taiwan University instantly gives you insider’s access to the city. And more than that, they help you better understand local culture and give you company to share it with. Learn more about living with a local roommate.

Eating in Taipei. For meals, take your pick of the budget-friendly restaurants and food stalls nearby. Find the city’s best bowl of beef noodle soup or try e-a-jen (oyster omelette), a local favorite. On campus? Try the cafeteria or one of the school’s restaurants and cafés. And don’t forget to try as much as you can at the night markets throughout the city. Learn more about accommodating your dietary needs in Taipei.

Learn more about Summer in Taiwan

Life in Taipei

A paradise for nature lovers, foodies, and entrepreneurs everywhere, there’s no shortage of opportunities to explore what interests you. Take advantage of Taiwan’s status as a key player in the high-tech industry with an internship. Feast at one of the city’s many night markets. Watch a little league game. Bike the riverside. Check out the vibrant music scene. Go surfing at Fulong Beach. On weekends, explore Tainan or hop a flight to Hong Kong.

Experience Taiwan with CET

Around the city. Each term, the program offers different extra-curricular activities that allow you to explore Taipei, experience local culture, or just unwind with your friends. Hike up Elephant Mountain and enjoy panoramic views. Bike up to Tamsui with the local roommates or go on a night market tour. And there’s even more to see on your own.

Student Resources

"I have learned such a deep understanding of the culture of Taiwan. I came in with almost no knowledge and am leaving with a much more nuanced understanding of why the culture is the way it is and how Taiwan evolved into what it is today. Additionally, the language immersion helped me learn Mandarin at a rate not seen in my previous seven years of studying."

— Anonymous student evaluation | Fall student

"I believe the internship course has definitely made me think broader and more deeply into my internship, from at the beginning simply viewing my internship as 'going to work,' to now a view of how it affects my overall human perspective and how I can actually get to know some Taiwanese people in a work setting, a rare opportunity to have."

— Grayson Ross,
University of Texas-Austin | Fall student

"I loved my semester studying Chinese in Taiwan. The classes were small and intensive but also super fun, and there were plenty of opportunities to practice your language skills when you’re out and about. I did an internship along with my language classes, which meant that I had less free time, but I’m glad that I got to experience the work culture there."

— Florina Sutanto,
Wesleyan University | Fall student

"I love having Taiwanese roommates! They are wholly wonderful people and I'm so happy to have the opportunity to live with them and get to know them. They have taught me so much about Taiwan and Chinese and just about being a good person. Overall 10/10 experience."

— Melaura Rice,
Grand Valley State University | Fall student

On-site Staff

Jeremy Friedlein
Interim Director

Chunling Wang
Internships Director &
Office Manager

Melita Percy
Resident Director

Greta Hagedorn
Student Life Coordinator

Owen O’Connell
Academic Coordinator

Wei-Hsin Tsai
Program Assistant

Program Fees

Fall/Spring

$17,990

What's Included

Tuition

All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.

Housing

We arrange for you to live in a shared apartment with a local roommate. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, and other management costs.

Internship Placement & Support

We help you land the internship, make sure you’re prepared for your job, and then stay in close touch with your host organization… all semester long.

Staff Support

From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.

Visa Support

We guide you step-by-step through the visa process. You do the legwork, but we’ll make sure you have the documentation and information you need, when you need it.

Insurance

You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan through GeoBlue that even includes medical evacuation coverage.

Activities & Excursions

The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!

Course Materials

Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you on site.

Transcript

You receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and National Taiwan University at the end of the term. 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, $14,490 goes to tuition and fees, and $3,500 goes to housing and other student life fees.

Local Cost of Living. Day-to-day cost of living in Taipei 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:

additional resources

How to Apply

Eligibility

• 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

Online Application Form

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.

Passport Information

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.

Faculty Recommendation

Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous instructors.

Study Abroad Office Recommendation

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.

Official Transcript

Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.

Application
Deadlines

Spring Semester:

November 1

Fall Semester:

May 1

Have a question? Get in touch!

Annie Belleville

Student Services Coordinator
202.846.7648
[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.

Our goal is to offer every single 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 any one particular course, please contact us! We’ll try our best to get you the course you need.

CET Taiwan: At-A-Glance

Fall

SPRING

Fall

SPring