Shanghai Chinese Language & Culture Program

The Boston University Shanghai Chinese Language & Culture Program offers a semester of study in the vibrant and booming metropolis of Shanghai. Hosted at Fudan University, and working in collaboration with Fudan’s School of Social Development and Public Policy, this program is designed to allow beginning students of the Chinese language and East Asian studies to intensively study Chinese, while also doing coursework in English on traditional and contemporary Chinese culture.

Program Curriculum

Fudan University, one of China’s leading universities, was founded in 1905. The word “Fudan,” literally meaning “heavenly light shines day after day,” suggests inexhaustible self-reliance and industriousness. Fudan confers bachelor’s degrees in 70 academic disciplines and graduate degrees in 225. There are also 25 research stations that offer postdoctoral fellowships. Fudan now has an enrollment of 27,000 full-time degree candidates and the second-largest foreign student population in China—some 2,800 students from around the world. Fudan boasts a qualified faculty of over 2,500 full-time professors and researchers. Visit the Fudan University website for more information.

Required Course

All students enroll in one required course:

  • CAS LC 111/112: Beginning Intensive Chinese (8 credits)
    Essentials of structure, oral practice, introduction to the writing system. Syllabus
    Or
  • CAS LC 211/212: Intermediate Intensive Chinese (8)
    (Prerequisite: CAS LC 112 Second-Semester Chinese, or the equivalent.) Review of structure and grammar, practice in conversation and writing, introduction to reading. Syllabus
    Or
  • CAS LC 311/312: Advanced Intensive Chinese (8)
    (Prerequisite: CAS LC 212 Fourth-Semester Chinese, or the equivalent.) Readings in modern Chinese. Readings and discussion in Chinese of selected nonliterary and literary materials, including newspaper articles, short stories, and essays. Regular compositions required. Syllabus

Elective Courses

Students enroll in two or three of the following courses (taught in English), for a total of 8 elective credits:

Other elective course offerings may be available.

  • CAS HI 365/IR 371: Shanghai: The Key to Modern China? (4)
    (Formerly CAS HI 387.) The social, cultural, political, and economic history of Shanghai is used as a lens to understand the making of modern China.  Themes include the role of city’s colonial past in shaping its history.  Students visit significant historical sights and museums. Syllabus
  • CAS SH 301: Chinese Culture and Society in the Global Era (2) Syllabus
  • SMG OM 467: Global Sourcing and Supply Chain Management (4)
  • The Chinese Marketplace: Globalization and Local Transformations (2)  Syllabus
  • Chinese Diplomacy (2)

Program Details

Requirements
  • Intermediate Chinese courses: minimum of one year of college-level Chinese or the equivalent
  • Advanced Chinese courses: minimum of two years of college-level Chinese or the equivalent
  • Language screening interviews may be required
  • Students are strongly recommended to apply for their passport by the time they apply to the program
  • Admissions requirements for all programs
Program Dates
  • Fall Semester: late August to late December
    • Depart U.S.: August 26, 2012
    • Program Arrival: August 27, 2012
    • Depart China: December 21, 2012
  • Spring Semester: late January to late May
    • Depart U.S.: January 26, 2013
    • Program Arrival: January 27, 2013
    • Depart China: May 31, 2013
Cost
Credits
  • Upon successful completion of the program, students earn sixteen Boston University credits. Students must enroll for a total of sixteen credits.
Housing
  • Program offices are on the campus of Fudan University. Students are housed in the Tonghe International Student Village located on the northern side of campus. Athletic facilities are open to students in the BU program; fees may apply.
Application Deadlines
  • Fall Semester: March 15 
  • Spring Semester: October 1

Download a descripition of the Shanghai Programs.

Program Staff

The Boston University Shanghai Programs are administered by staff at Boston University. A program manager oversees the admissions and pre-departure procedures, and maintains contact with students prior to their arrival in Shanghai. The Boston office also houses the resident director who is responsible for everyday operations.

Staff Profiles
Canaan Boyer, Program Manager

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