15-week Fall one-semester program 45 regular/90 intensive -contact hours Chinese Language Instruction (Sept. 1 – Dec. 19, 2007)
15-week Spring one-semester program, 45 regular/90 intensive -contact hours Chinese Language Instruction (Mid- Feb./ May 23, 2008)
6-week Summer program, 45 contact hours Chinese Language Instruction (June 1- July 19, 2008)
The China Study Abroad Program offers students the opportunity to study in the dynamic capital city of China—Beijing.
Students on the program will take an intensive Mandarin Chinese course at Beijing Language and Culture University--China’s primier institution for teaching foreigners Chinese. Students will also go on weekend excursions to sightseeing spots in and around Beijing and a group trip to a different refion of the country. Semester and summer students will also have the opportunity to do independent traveling. After an in-country orientation students enroll in language classes and other coursework. Students will develop a network of expatriates and international students from around the world.
Semester and summer terms students may also take elective courses in Chinese Area Studies.
SEMESTER CHINESE LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES COURSES
CHI 101 ELEMENTARY CHINESE( 45 contact hours, 3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours).
This course is designed for students who have no prior experience in learning Chinese or have learned pinyin and mastered a small vocabulary, but cannot express themselves in fluidly in complete sentences.
CHI 101/102 INTENSIVE ELEMENTARY CHINESE(90contact hours, 6 semester/ 9 quarter credit hours).
This more rigorous and fast-paced course is designed for students who have no prior experience in learning Chinese or have had one-semester of Chinese. Student may have learned pinyin and mastered a small vocabulary, but cannot express themselves in fluidly in complete sentences.
All Chinese language classes are taught by trained faculty at Beijing Language and Culture University’s College of Advanced Chinese Training. All Chinese Area Studies courses are taught by Western scholars residing in Beijing or local English-speaking Chinese scholars. All students with the exception of complete beginners will receive a placement exam before the start of the term.
CHI HIST 380 MODERN CHINESE HISTORY: from 1839-present(48 contact hours, 3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours).
It is impossible to truly comprehend the profound changes going on in China today without first coming to grips with China’s recent past. This course uses primary documents, visual sources, lecture, and discussion to understand China’s modern history. Beginning with China’s “Century of Humiliation” at the hands of the European colonial powers, China embarked on a long journey to reclaim its place as a strong, wealthy, and independent nation. As China (re)emerges in the 21st century, this goal seems ever closer. But even with prosperity and development, the problems of the past have a way of persisting into the present. This course seeks to place the tremendous changes in contemporary China within the context of the last 200 years of Chinese history. One other aspect of this course will be a spotlight on the relationship between China and Africa and African-Americans in Chinese history and China’s place in a global narrative of anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism.
CHI LIT 370 SURVEY OF CHINESE LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION(48 contact hours, 3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours)
This course is a survey of the Chinese literature from the Confucian and Daoist classics to the present. It will focus on the fiction and poetry. This course is meant to introduce students to Chinese literary forms and its evolution by highlighting some of its major writers and traditions. Students will have the opportunity to explore their own ideas of what the development of the Chinese literature represents. No Chinese language ability is required, though students are expected to learn the basics of spelling and pronouncing Mandarin Chinese names. All lectures and readings are in English.
CHI SOC 350 CONTEMPORARY CHINESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY(48 contact hours, 3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours)
This course will be a general introduction to contemporary Chinese society with a focus on social changes in the twentieth century. Topics covered include political life, changes in economic production, organization of work, family life, gender and sexuality, consumption, youth culture, media and popular
culture.
BEI INTER 300 BEIJING INTERNSHIP(3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours)
Qualified students gain work experience in a career-related professional environment in Beijing. All internships are monitored.
SUMMER CHINESE AREA STUDIES COURSES
CHI HIST 380 MODERN CHINESE HISTORY: from 1839-present(3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours).
This a survey course on the history of modern China. The temporal focus of the course covers the century and a half from the forceful opening of China in the Opium War of 1839-42 to the year 2000. There may be mention of events and periods on either side of these guidelines, but these decades are the main concern of this course. During this period, the Chinese people dispensed with a form of government that had been used for three thousand years, attempted to establish a modern republican government, participated in two world wars, two civil wars, and finally established their version of a socialist state. In the broadest of contexts, the overall goal of this course is to provide you with a Sino-centric view of this historical process and its consequences for the Chinese people.
POLI SCI 390 MODERN CHINESE POLITICAL STATE AND SOCIETY(3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours).
This is a survey course on history, culture, and politics of modern China. Since it covers China during the “modern” era, we will discuss what a “modern” state is, try to decide when China became one, how China’s particular brand of communism promoted the development of “modern” state-ness and whether this kind of communism has disappeared from “Olympic” China, a state ruled by a Communist Party with a mixed command and market economic system.
This course will explore these questions by studying the Chinese state from the slow disintegration of the 2000 year old imperial system from the mid-1800 through the tumultuous civil war to the victory of the Chinese Communist Party, lead by Mao Tsetung in 1949 to its near-collapse during the tumultuous Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976 and its renewal under Deng Xiaoping’s Four Modernizations program. Has this new form of “consumer communism” erased the traditional Confucian belief system? Has it erased the last remaining vestiges of Mao Tsetung Thought from either domestic or foreign policy?
INT BUS 330 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS(3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours).
This course examines the fundamental theories and techniques that are used by managers of multinational corporations when making decisions involving various elements of international production and trade. This course focuses on Country Differences, Cross-Border Trade, the Global Money System, and Global Competition.
BEI INTER 300 BEIJING INTERNSHIP(3 semester/ 4.5 quarter credit hours)
Qualified students gain work experience in a career-related professional environment in Beijing. All internships are monitored.
Please note BSA reserves the right to cancel or alter program and courses without notice.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIPS
An internship project in Beijing is the perfect opportunity for those interested in learning about the nuances of Chinese business culture and building a network with Chinese professionals. BSA’s partner organization oversees the placement of students in their various internships with a staff of highly qualified educators and professionals. They maintain complete oversight of the internship project. Students must write weekly reports and are responsible for a final project at the end of their term for a final presentation. Staff from our partner organization works closely with BSA and the intern to ensure the assignment meets professional standards. Students are placed in internships in a variety of fields. Past students have worked for the Energy Foundation, Beijing Ornamental Animal Hospital, Pacific Islands Foreign Trade Office, The Los Angeles Convention and Visitor Bureau’ s Office in Beijing and others. Contact some of our past participant to hear more about what it is like to intern and study in Beijing--
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Interns usually work 10-12hours a week Monday through Friday. Internships are unpaid. Students must be of Junior or Senior standing when the internship begins. Students wanting placement in a “named” institution must have a GPA at or above 3.5. Students with previous Chinese language skills and on semester terms are given priority placements. Your internship will provide you with a unique experience to interact and assist office personnel in their day-to-day duties, to work on unique projects, to increase your understanding of Chinese business culture, to practice your language skills and to develop business contacts in China.
LEARNING CHINESE
Most BSA students come to China without having any previous Chinese language experience. This is beneficial because students start to learn the language without having developed incorrect pronunciation and intonation that is common with students who have only studied Mandarin in the States. Native English speakers can make all the sounds in Mandarin Chinese. The basic grammatical sentence structure is the same as English-- subject, verb, and object. There is no conjugating verbs in Chinese. Furthermore, students do not find the four tones in Chinese to be as daunting as they first assumed. Tutors are readily available to help students practice. Like anything else, consistent practice will help you advance in the language. Have no fears about studying Chinese--there are about 1.3 billion native speakers here who have already learned the language just fine and so can you.
HOUSING AND LIVING ON CAMPUS
HOUSING. All BSA students are housed in the international dormitory where they will room with either another BSA student or an international student. Dormitory rooms are small and spartan by Western standards, but very comfortable and clean. Each student is supplied with a comforter, blanket, bed sheets, and pillow. These are changed weekly. There is a laundry room located on each floor in the international dorm. A load of clothes can be washed for about .60 cents. Dryers are also available. You may purchase coins for the laundry at the front desk in first floor lobby. There is also a dry cleaners located next to the dormitory. All rooms have a private washroom with western-style toilet and shower area. Rooms have a small refrigerator. 
EATING OUT. Students may purchase a meal pass. Money can be added to the card and used to buy meals at the campus cafeteria. A two-three course meal cost around $2 USD. Students are encouraged to make use of the Chinese cafeteria. There are a number of foreign and Chinese cuisine restaurants on and near campus. It should be noted that most of these foreign restaurants are just as expensive as the ones you find in the States. Chinese food is very cheap and delicious in Beijing--use this opportunity to sample the many different Chinese cuisines!
When eating out make sure your food is well-cooked and hot. You should also carry hand sanitizing lotion and tissues as some restaurants may not provide soap and hot water to wash your hands or paper towels to dry them.
INTERNET. If you bring your laptop computer you may get an Internet connection in your room for around $50 USD a semester. There are Internet cafes and wireless spots located on and near campus. The cost is around $1 USD per/hour. Some cafes just require you buy something to use their wireless connection
ACADEMIC CREDIT
Academic credit is available for language classes, elective courses, and internships. An official transcript from an accredited U.S. university will be issued to the student’s home institution upon successful completion of the program. BSA’s School of Record is Huston-Tillotson University. The School of Record fee is $175 USD and is billed to the applicant and included in the program fee. Please note all program fees must be paid before a transcript is issued.
INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE
All BSA Program participants are automatically enrolled in BSA’s Group Insurance Plan which covers medical evacuation, etc. Participants and their parents will receive a pamphlet of the plan before students depart for China. Students should maintain their existing insurance coverage in the U.S. as BSA’s International coverage only covers international travel in the host country for the specified study abroad period.
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