Dickinson in China

Beijing Programs

• Dickinson’s Beijing program offers an intensive study of Chinese language, culture and society. The program, open to students who have completed at least two years of college-level Mandarin Chinese, is conducted at Peking University in Beijing.

• Peking University is most prestigious and boasts the most beautiful campus in the country. Of the 13,000 students who attend the university, approximately 1,000 are foreign, and Americans represent a small minority. Thus, those who attend through Dickinson’s program will find themselves studying side-by-side with students from all over the world.

• In the fall, students in the Dickinson program embark upon a dozen field trips to historical and cultural sites in and around Beijing. These excursions, including a climb atop the Great Wall, a visit to a tea house and attendance at various traditional Chinese performances, help students to experience Chinese culture.

Programs and Courses
Program participants may study overseas in the fall or for the full academic year. Additionally, students with no preparation in Mandarin Chinese may participate in a summer program, usually offered in June.

During the fall semester students take a special course, which provides an overview of Chinese culture and society, and they take three intensive language courses offered by Peking University. Courses are conducted entirely in Chinese.  Students who remain for the spring semester and who have gained sufficient language proficiency may elect to take non-language courses at the university.

The China Practicum
This five-week program is an intensive summer course that allows non-Chinese-speaking students to take part in classroom study and field trips in China.

Lectures, conducted in the morning, cover topics such as Chinese history, society and arts. Afternoons and weekends are reserved for travel to sites such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. During the evening, participants enjoy traditional Chinese entertainment, including opera and a tea house. Each student has a Chinese university student as a partner.

Please click here for more information about the 2008 China Practicum summer program.

Academic Credit
Students who successfully complete the fall semester language and culture courses can receive up to 4.5 Dickinson credits. An additional 4.5 credits can be earned through successful completion of the spring semester, including non-language course work at Peking University. The summer practicum carries one credit.

On-Site Administration
While at Peking University, students in Dickinson’s fall and academic year programs are supported by an on-site director. Dickinson faculty members serve as on-site directors for the summer practicum.

Housing
Participants in the fall and academic year programs can choose between a home stay and the regular University dormitory. Host families are near campus and are carefully chosen by the program. Living conditions in the dorm are basic, with double rooms and shared bathrooms. Washing machines and cooking facilities are available on each floor. Students who attend the summer practicum are housed on the campus of Beijing Language and Culture University.

Quick Facts

* This is the program fee for 2008-09; the program fee for 2009-10 will correspond to on-campus tuition and fees and will be determined during spring 2009.

Program Fee Includes
• tuition and fees
• room
• pre-departure and on-site orientations
• academic excursions

Program fee does not include primary health insurance, board, airfare, passport, visa, immunizations, optional travel, personal expenses, housing during vacations, books and supplies.

Special Requirements
2.8 GPA
Students must complete at least two years of college-level Chinese prior to studying in Beijing

Links

For more information, contact
Prof. Rae Yang, On-Campus Coordinator
Department of East Asian Studies
Dickinson College
P.O. Box 1773
Carlisle, PA 17013-2896
Phone: (717) 245-1403
E-mail: yang@dickinson.edu