Why CET Shanghai?

Diverse English-taught electives

Unmatched internship opportunities

Chinese language courses for every level

Live with a Chinese student

Out-of-class learning and assignments

Weekend excursion to the Yangtze Delta region

Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city with something for everyone—from China newbies to those with years of experience under their belt. Dig into China with a wide selection of English-taught electives, including an option to explore a career abroad with a custom internship placement. And whether you only know nĭ hăo or can already hold a conversation, a Chinese language class and local roommate help you make the most of your time in the city.

Academics

Semester
Snapshot

Curriculum & Syllabi

You combine three 3-credit electives with one 6-credit Chinese language course to meet a total of 15 recommended credits.

Electives

You choose three of these 3-credit, English-taught courses to meet a recommended 15 total credits:

Chinese Language

You are placed into one of these 6-credit comprehensive language courses:

Electives in English

Get a 360° view of China with electives that embrace field-based learning and match the academic rigor of your home university. Take Politics and Governance and learn about how China’s government functions at national and local levels. Choose International Marketing and meet with in-house marketing managers for international companies. Or, enroll in Shanghai: Key to Modern China? and visit cultural and historical sites across the city. Fulfill your major or minor requirements, or try something entirely new—the choice is yours.

Advance your Chinese

While Chinese skills aren’t always necessary in an international city like Shanghai, learning the language helps you access local communities and opportunities. Small class sizes, weekly one-on-ones, and passionate instructors keep you challenged on campus, while language practica get you using your Chinese beyond the classroom—interview locals on current events, dine with roommates and teachers at the no-English Chinese Table, and try your hand at Chinese calligraphy. In Shanghai, your learning isn’t confined to the classroom.

Interning in Shanghai

If you enroll in the Internship elective, we take your interests, background, and language abilities and match them with the needs of an organization in Shanghai. With our robust local network, an in-class component that helps you contextualize your role and responsibilities, and the support of on-site faculty and staff, you do more than add a line on your résumé—you learn to navigate an international workplace with professionalism and take ownership of your own experiences.

"Coming to China, my main goal was to learn Chinese. However, I think being in China, living with a Chinese roommate who has very limited English, and just meeting new people and ideas, has cultivated a new sense of confidence in my Chinese skills that I wouldn’t have gotten in the United States. I was put in situations where I was flustered, excited, etc., and being able to use the knowledge of the Chinese language I do have is an opportunity beyond the classroom."

— Hailey Lipman,
Wake Forest University | Fall 2019

Housing & Meals

COVID Modifications

Because of precautions CET is taking related to COVID-19, your housing experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the COVID playbook page for more information.

You share a double room with a local roommate or a triple suite with one local roommate and one other CET student. Either way, your housing is furnished and each room or suite has its own bathroom. The same building houses a shared kitchen space and a study room. Your classrooms and the cafeteria are just a 2-minute walk away. And when you want to explore a different neighborhood or head to your internship site, the subway station is just across the street from the university gate.

Local Roommates

Your roommate is a CET-selected student from our host institution, Donghua University. Want to learn where to get the best shengjianbao (fried breakfast buns)? What mobile apps make life in Shanghai easier? Where to study off campus? Which buses to avoid during rush hour? Sharing a room with a local student gives you instant insider’s access to the city. But more importantly, it gives you someone to share the city with.

Eating in Shanghai

For meals, do as the local students do and eat at the budget-friendly campus cafeterias, try nearby food stalls, or find your favorite neighborhood restaurant. And don’t forget to eat all the xiaolongbao you can (steamed soup dumplings)—you’re living in Shanghai after all. Feeling a home-cooked meal? Have a night in with your roommate and trade cooking tips as you prepare dinner together in the dorm’s shared kitchen.

Learn more about Summer in Shanghai

Life in Shanghai

CET Shanghai students enjoy the perks of living in a city that is both cosmopolitan and culturally rich—plenty of modern amenities, diverse communities, and a history worth exploring. Take a stroll in the French Concession to see where East meets West. Chat with shop owners. Line up at Shanghai’s famous hole-in-the-wall noodle spots. Start your international network in the city’s buzzing business scene. There’s something for everyone in Shanghai.

Activities & Excursions

Around Shanghai

Each term, the program offers different extra-curricular activities that allow you to explore the city and Chinese culture. Follow a local expert on a food tour of the historical city center. Compete in a dumpling-making competition with the campus chef. Get to know Chinese Buddhist culture with a visit to a local temple. And there’s even more to see on your own—spend Saturday people watching at the marriage market, visit Disneyland, or see a show at Yuyintang, one of the oldest underground music houses in China.

A Countryside Weekend

Take a breather from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai with a program-led weekend trip to the rural Yangtze Delta region. Visit smaller towns and learn about the lives of the people who live there. Contextualize class discussions on regional migration, generational change, and the urban/rural divide in public welfare programs. Soak up the fresh air and hospitality of the Chinese countryside. All you have to do is pack your bags—we take care of everything else.

"Every day I am given opportunities to push my limits, try new things, and step outside my comfort zone. I experience the most self growth when challenged, therefore being in Shanghai, especially at my internship, is helping me to become a more mature, self sufficient, and confident person."

— Hannah Wevodau,
Gettysburg College | Spring 2018

On-site Staff

Jeremy Friedlein
Program Development Specialist

Qu Zheng
Academic Director

Allison Rottmann
Academic Director

Zhang Xinjun
Office Manager

Jenny He
Internship Program Manager

Program Fees

Spring 2022

$17,490

Spring 2022: $17,490

Fee Breakdown

Of the total program fee, $14,490 goes to tuition and fees, and $3,000 goes to housing and other student life fees.

Tuition

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

Housing

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

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.

Insurance

You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan with 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!

Visa Support & Fees

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.

Internship Placement & Support

If you choose to intern while in Shanghai, we help you land the internship and make sure you’re prepared. And after you get started, we stay in close touch with your host organization to provide support all semester long.

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 Donghua University at the end of the term. You also have the option to request a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota for an additional fee if necessary.

Estimated
Out-of-Pocket
Costs

Download a Budget Sheet for CET Shanghai (Spring)
Download a Budget Sheet for CET Shanghai (Fall)

How to Apply

Eligibility

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.

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.

Fall deadline:

May 1st

Days until deadline

Spring deadline:

November 1st

Days until deadline

Not sure Fall/Spring semester is right for you? Consider Summer in Shanghai!

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.

Have a question? Get in touch!

Annie Belleville

Student Services Coordinator
Advises on CET programs in Shanghai, Taiwan, and Harbin.
202.846.7648
[email protected]

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.

Why CET Shanghai?