Why
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.
Semester
Snapshot
- Recommended credits: 15
- Diverse English-taught electives
- Chinese language courses for every level
- Internship elective
- Out-of-class learning and assignments
- Host University: Donghua University
Curriculum & Syllabi
You combine three 3-credit electives with one 6-credit Chinese language course to meet a total of 15 recommended credits.
You choose three of these 3-credit, English-taught courses to meet a recommended 15 total credits:
- SH/DEVS 333 Political Economy of Development: China and the World
- SH/EAST 352 Making of Modern East Asia
- SH/ECON 310 International Economics
- SH/ECON 330 The Chinese Economy
- SH/ECON 335 The Chinese Consumer: Remaking the World Economy
- SH/FILM 370 Contemporary Chinese Cinema
- SH/HIST 350 Shanghai: Key to Modern China?
- SH/HIST 355 Comparative History of Economic Thought
- SH/INTS 350 Internship: Bridging Theory and Practice (150 hours. 3 credits.)
- SH/LITR 380 Chinese Literature Today: Cannibals, Consumption, and Global Capitalism
- SH/MKTG 360 International Marketing
- SH/POLI 340 Politics and Governance in China
- SH/URBN 353 Globalization and the Chinese City
You are placed into one of these 6-credit comprehensive language courses:
Electives in English
Advance your Chinese
Interning in Shanghai
"I felt like this program gave me the fullest possible exposure to China in the limited time we had abroad, and I am so grateful for that. They gave us the tools and understanding to foster genuine connections with Chinese people across several walks of life, including different age groups, professions, and regions."
Haverford College | Fall 2018
& Meals
- Dormitory
- On-campus housing
- Live with a local roommate
- 2-3 people/room or suite
- En suite bathroom, communal kitchen, paid washer access
- Wired internet access, mini fridge, A/C, linens, basic furnishing, TV
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.
Life in
- Known locally as: 上海 Shànghăi
- Population: 26.32 million
- Local Currency: Chinese Yuan, aka renminbi
- Famous for: The Bund, soup dumplings, major transport hub, plentiful job opportunities, economic and financial center of China
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.
"My time in Shanghai taught me how vast and interconnected the world really is. It improved my direct communication skills in a way I don’t think I would have in the US, and I now know how to adapt to many different obstacles. And I even learned about the reasoning behind cultural difference, not just that it exists."
Gettysburg College | Spring 2018
On-site Staff
Qu Zheng
Academic Director
Nova Shao
Resident Director
Allison Rottmann
Academic Director
Zhang Xinjun
Office Manager
Jenny He
Internship Program Manager
Jeremy Friedlein
Program Development Specialist
Program
Spring 2021
|
$17,490
Spring 2021: $17,490
Of the total program fee, $14,090 goes to tuition and fees, and $3,400 goes to housing and other student life fees.
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We arrange for you to live in a dormitory with a local roommate. 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.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan with 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!
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.
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.
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you on site.
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
- Round-trip Airfare: $1,050 - $1,250
- Meals: $1,450
- Personal Expenses: $1,300
- Local Cell Phone Plan/SIM Card: $200
- Local Transportation: $100
- 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.
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.
Spring deadline:
November 1st
Fall deadline:
May 1st
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.