Semester Curriculum The 15-week fall and spring program is based in Ho Chi Minh City. The program carefully balances Vietnamese language and Vietnamese studies courses. It also takes learning out of the classroom by offering service-learning placements, independent study courses and a traveling seminar to north and central Vietnam.
First, students take an intensive Vietnamese language course that includes a one-on-one tutorial. Next, students take Introduction to Vietnamese Studies. In addition, students take a service learning placement or an independent study course. Finally, students take a social science or humanities elective. All Vietnamese studies courses are taught in English by US or Vietnamese faculty.
Service-Learning Placement (6 hours/week) or Independent Study (3 hours/week)
Elective (3 hours/week)
*Note:Due to enrollment in some levels, a student may substitute the Intensive Vietnamese group class for a level-appropriate one-on-one. As this arrangement is
more efficient and demanding of the student, these one-on-one classes will meet fewer hours.
Summer Service in Rural Vietnam Summer Service in Rural Vietnam allows students to work alongside Vietnamese students to improve their community, while gaining a deeper understanding of the issues facing contemporary Vietnam.
The program starts in Ho Chi Minh City with roughly ten days of intensive Vietnamese language and area studies training. While in Ho Chi Minh City, students take advantage of all modern Vietnam has to offer--guest speakers from international NGOs, easy access to goods, a variety of foods, etc.
Then, students go to two distinct areas in Vietnam and participate in community service projects. Students live with and work alongside
local Vietnamese peers during the program. The service projects are identified by the community and usually involve teaching at elementary schools, and building and renovating within the village in order to improve its infrastructure. Students typically do construction projects in the morning and teach in the afternoons. Previous infrastructure projects have included:
Constructing the first-ever toilet for an elementary school.
Building a three-bedroom brick house for a needy family that previously lived in a one-room shack. The students helped in all aspects of building the house: digging the foundation, carrying building supplies and laying brick.
Renovating an elementary school by repainting doors and walls, cleaning desks, paving walkways, building a fence and creating a fish pond.
Students return to Ho Chi Minh City for
the days in between the two service project assignments.
Life in the rural areas offers a very unique perspective. Rural locations provide contrast to modernized Ho Chi Minh City--depending on the exact location, access to amenities varies greatly. Students might experience frequent power outages, little to no internet access, and limited goods. In all locations, students should be prepared for early mornings, bike access to the work site, and quite a bit of physical labor. Flexibility is a must for navigating rural Vietnamese life.
Throughout the program, students take the
interdisciplinary core course Issues
in Contemporary Vietnamese Society as an academic foundation for
the issues they will be confronting during their service.
Heritage Learners Every term CET
accepts students into its programs who have gained Vietnamese language
skills from their home environment. These students - many of whom have
advanced oral skills but beginning writing skills - have special needs
in the classroom. CET successfully tailors classes to meet these
students' needs. Feel free to call CET if you are concerned about
getting the appropriate language instruction!
Credit & Transcripts Upon written
request, CET and Hong Bang Private University issues official
transcripts listing each course taken and the number of hours attended.
Credit for the program must be requested from the student's home
institution and will be granted at the institution's discretion. CET students generally receive a full semester's worth of credit for their semester abroad. Transcripts for any CET program that a student has
attended will not be issued if the student has a remaining account
balance. Click here for more information about CET's recommended credit system.
