Curriculum Overview CET's Beijing Chinese Studies & Service-Learning Program is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of Chinese culture, history and issues of contemporary significance, while allowing them the flexibility to focus on specific topics of their choosing. The program accommodates all students, with varying degrees of Chinese background, by offering core and elective area studies courses, Chinese language classes and service-learning opportunities.
All students take the core course, 21st Century Beijing, taught in English.
All students take Chinese Language, taught in Chinese. These classes include weekly one-on-one tutorial sessions for each student. All levels, including heritage learners, can be accommodated.
Students take 1 or 2 electives, taught in English. Electives include faculty-led excursions in and around
Beijing.
Students can do service-learning or community service. Students may earn credit for their service-learning by enrolling in a Social Problems and Service-Learning course taught by CET faculty.
Courses & Sample Schedule Fall and spring students take Chinese language, 21st Century Beijing, and either 2 electives or 1 elective and service-learning.
A fall or spring course schedule might look like this:
21st Century Beijing (3 hours/week)
Chinese Language (11 hours/week)
Politics of China (3 hours/week)
Uneven Globalization and China's Environment (3 hours/week)
21st Century Beijing (3 hours/week)
Chinese Language (11 hours/week)
Chinese History from 1800 to the Present (3 hours/week)
Summer students take Chinese language, 21st Century Beijing, and 1 elective. They may also elect to take the service-learning course in addition to these requirements.
A summer course schedule might look like this:
21st Century Beijing (5 hours/week)
Chinese Language (6 hours/week)
Chinese History from 1800 to the Present (5 hours/week)
Continuers CET
welcomes students to spend more than one semester at the program.
Continuing for multiple terms is a great way to maximize your academic
and cultural experiences. After receiving a solid foundation in the
first semester (fall, spring, or summer), students can easily transition
to an additional semester for added language learning and maximized
cultural exposure. For further academic focus, students in their second term may design and enroll in an Independent Study course in lieu of one area studies elective. Interested students should contact CET for details.
Credits & Transcripts Each area studies course is intended to be worth the equivalent of one semester-long course taken at the home institution. Fall and spring Chinese language classes are intended to cover the equivalent of one semester of college-level Chinese, and summer Chinese language classes are intended to cover the equivalent of one quarter (or half-term) of college-level Chinese. While CET recommends credit for each of its courses, actual credit is awarded by the student's home institution. CET issues transcripts to students; students must apply for credit at their home institution. For more information about transcripts and CET's recommended credit system, click here.
Chinese Studies Advisory Board Chinese Studies & Service Learning in Beijing and Chinese Studies & Internship in Shanghai program area studies courses are monitored by CET's Chinese Studies Advisory Board. The board offers expertise in faculty selection, course offerings, experiential learning and the maintenance of high academic standards.
The assistance provided by CET's Advisory Board includes:
Meeting at least once annually to discuss the current state of CET's Chinese Studies programs and offering advice on specific curriculum, teaching and program issues.
Visiting CET's Chinese Studies programs in order to evaluate the area studies curricula and suggest improvements.
Serving as Chinese Studies program faculty during any given term and acting as mentors to other instructors while on site.
Current advisory board members, all of whom are experts in various China-related academic fields, are:
Dr. Rebecca Clothey, Drexel University School of Education Assistant Professor
Dr. Dorothy Borei, Guilford College Professor of History Dr. Ken Hammond, New Mexico State University Associate Professor of History and Department Head
Dr. Scott Kennedy, Indiana University Assistant Professor of Political Science
Elizabeth D. Knup, Kamsky Associates, Inc. Former American Co-Director, Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies
Dr. Nancy Riley, Bowdoin College Professor of Sociology
Dr. Helen Schneider, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Assistant Professor of History
Dr. Yan Sun, Gettysburg College Assistant Professor of Visual Arts
