Summer Intensive Chinese Language
Program not currently active. Please check out other programs in the region
Unique Experiences
Make marked language progress
with 20 hours of intensive classroom instruction plus 3 hours of tutoring each week.
Get an inside look at the city
with visits to treasured places only locals know about.
Volunteer or participate in activities and lectures
that illuminate coursework and heighten your understanding of Chinese culture.
6
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
60,000
restaurants
3,000
years of history
Your Destination
With a population of 22 million and counting, people from all over China and the world have flocked to this cultural center, as China’s economy and international power have grown. A fascinating blend of the very old and the ultra-modern, it’s home to 15th century treasures like the Hall of Supreme Harmony and stunners like Beijing National Stadium, a.k.a. the Bird’s Nest. The jam-packed cosmopolitan city buzzes with a lively arts scene, and boasts a record number of top research institutions and technology companies.
The Culture
Excursions & Activities
- Visit incredible sites loaded with history, like Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
- Choose a theme-study weekend and expand your horizons. You might visit the birthplace of Confucius in Qufu, as you examine traditional Chinese philosophy; visit the bustling port city Dalian to explore urbanization; or visit a village and hike in northern Shanxi province to dig into the environment and rural governance.
- See contemporary art, and musical and theatric performances, or take a day hike near Beijing.
- Learn about contemporary Chinese issues like international economics, cross-cultural communication, sustainability, and film with a special series of lectures given by scholars and other experts.
Projects
- Language Tutoring. To ensure progress in fluency, students are offered tutorials and regular small group Language and Culture Practicum sessions. Tutors practice conversation and help with homework.
- Expert Talk Series: Regular lectures in English by experts in their field.
Program Blogs
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Housing & Meals
Housing
CIEE Beijing offers various housing options, including homestays or residence halls, located in areas with access to the city's center.
Standard: Includes a private bedroom in a homestay or residence hall.
- Homestays: Living with a host family option is ideal for students who want to establish relationships with Chinese people, live in a total Chinese-language environment, and make rapid progress in Chinese language and culture study. Students have their own bedroom and share the living room, kitchen, and bathroom (some have a private bathroom). Host families live within a 45-minute commute of campus. The commute can take more than an hour during heavy traffic hours.
- Residence Hall: Includes a private bedroom in a residence hall in Zhongguanyuan Global Village with one or two roommates (CIEE students or other international students). Residence halls boast comfortable suite-style units that include a shared bathroom, living space, kitchen, and Internet access.
Meals
Homestays: Students are invited to family meals up to 14 times during the week, and should budget for other meals, including lunch on campus.
Residence Halls: Meals are not included. Students typically eat at student cafeterias or at inexpensive restaurants on and around campus.
Academics
CIEE’s Intensive Chinese Language program is designed to help students improve fluency in spoken and written Mandarin Chinese through intensive language training. Students can also take one or two courses instructed in English to enrich their understanding of China’s capital city. Students agree to speak Chinese to encourage language and cultural acquisition. In-class work is augmented with co-curricular visits to the city’s rich variety of cultural institutions and organizations relevant to the course offering.
Chinese language courses are taught by faculty from the Peking University School of Chinese as a Second Language. Electives are taught in English by CIEE faculty. Students receive a certificate of achievement from Peking University after completing the program.
Peking University (PKU) was founded in 1898 and has a long tradition of scholarly excellence and political activism. The prestigious PKU focuses on advanced research in the natural and social sciences. The campus, previously an imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty, hosts 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. PKU has modern classrooms and recreational facilities, many cafeterias, and easy access to mass transit – all within short walking distance.
CIEE Beijing is conveniently located on the campus of Peking University.
Course Information
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.
Scholarships & Grants
CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.
Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
- Wollitzer Merit Scholarships in Area or Comparative Studies
- Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
- CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
- MSI Grant
- The Stephen M. Lew Lifetime Friendship Award
- CIEE Stem Scholarship
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.
What's Included
Tuition
Housing
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext travel protection
24/7 emergency on-site support
Our Staff
Get Started
1
Start an Application
You're one step closer to an amazing study abroad experience!
2
Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.
3
Contact an Advisor
Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.