Academics

Academic Program

Semester and Academic Year Programs

China in a Global Context
The program is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of China as it emerges to take a more influential role in world affairs. Students are introduced to the language, colonial history, foreign policy, political development, and social issues that have either impeded or given rise to modern China. Language classes and related language clinics and tutoring sessions are taught in Mandarin Chinese, and area studies courses are taught in English.

Academic information and courses can be found at:   China in a Global Context

Business, Language, and Culture
The Business, Language, and Culture program is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of China as it emerges to take a leading role in the global market. Students are introduced to the language, the history of China's economic reforms. China's macroeconomic impact on other economies, and the local business practices that shape and mold the economic development of the nation. Language classes and related language clinics and tutoring sessions are taught in Mandarin Chinese, with business and area studies courses taught in English.

Academic information and courses can be found at:   Business, Language, and Culture

Advanced Chinese Studies
The program is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of China as it emerges to take a leading role in the global economy and a more influential role in world affairs. Students hone their language skills while deepening their cultural, historical, and political understanding of China.

Language classes, language electives, and related language clinics and tutoring sessions are taught in Mandarin Chinese. Area studies elective courses for advanced students, those who have completed two years of Chinese, are taught in English, and area studies courses for advanced high students, those who have completed three years of Chinese, are taught in Chinese.

Students take part in the CIEE Community Language Commitment by speaking Chinese at all times (except in emergencies). This fosters a learning community that contributes to both Chinese language proficiency and understanding of Chinese society.

Academic information and courses can be found at:   Advanced Chinese Studies

Optional Writing Workshop
An optional Writing Workshop is designed to provide a structured, guided forum in which students sharpen their writing skills and learn to articulate logical and persuasive essays in English. Students receive extra credit for attending the workshop in most area studies courses.

Program participants are paired with students from East China Normal University for bi-weekly and hour-long, one-on-one Chinese language tutorials. All tutors are undergraduate or graduate students who major in teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language in the College of International Chinese Studies.

The Chinese Language Director manages an optional language clinic taught by head language instructors designed to assist students who need additional help.

A number of non-credit, optional classes are offered including Chinese martial arts, cooking, calligraphy, chess, music, and Shanghai dialect.

CIEE maintains relationships with a number of different schools, companies, and organizations in Shanghai and may be able to offer a limited number of non-credit internships and volunteer opportunities for qualified students. Although positions are not guaranteed by CIEE, the Shanghai staff assists interested students. Opportunities vary in time commitment and skills required and are only available on a part-time basis. Internship opportunities are limited in number and not offered during the summer.

Resident Director
Justin O'Jack has been a longtime student of the University of California since 1988, receiving his B.A. degree from the Department of History in 1993 and his M.A. degree from the Department of Religious in 2002. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in late medieval Chinese and Tibetan religious traditions. O'Jack served as the Academic Director of the Long Island University China Center in the city of Hangzhou, China for three years before joining CIEE in Shanghai in fall 2006.

Summer Program

Established in 1998, the CIEE Study Center in Shanghai is located near Zhongshan Park. The program is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of China as it emerges to take a leading role in the global economy. The eight-week summer program introduces students with little or no background in Chinese studies to China through language studies and an area studies course. The core course provides a unique perspective on business and society in contemporary China and offers ample opportunities to observe and experience the business and social environment of Shanghai.

Students with 0-2 terms of previous Chinese take their language and core courses East China Normal University.

Students with 1-4 years of previous Chinese take their language and core courses at Donghua University.

Academic information and courses can be found at:   Shanghai Summer Program

Participants are paired with Donghua or East China Normal University students for weekly one-on-one Chinese language tutorials.

The Chinese Language Director and the Chinese Language Coordinator manage an optional language clinic to assist students who need additional help.

A number of non-credit, optional classes are offered including Chinese martial arts, cooking, calligraphy, chess, music, and Shanghai dialect.

CIEE maintains relationships with a number of different schools, companies, and organizations and is able to offer a limited number of work and volunteer opportunities to interested students. Although positions are not guaranteed by CIEE, the Shanghai staff assists interested students.

Resident Director
Lei Chen Wong, originally from New York, graduated with honors from Hamilton College with a concentration in Chinese and Japanese. Lei spent her junior year abroad on the CIEE Study Center program in Tokyo and Hamilton College's language intensive program in Beijing. In 2004, she returned to study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center taking graduate-level courses in Chinese focusing on U.S.-Sino relations and contemporary Chinese society. Those experiences, in addition to her former role as a Resident Advisor, have allowed Lei a smooth transition into her role working with CIEE students in Shanghai.

Registration and Credits

Students participating in this program will be registered at the University of Oregon and will receive UO credits for courses taken in Ferrara. Students' course work will be reviewed and evaluated by appropriate academic departments at the UO. Students must keep detailed records of course outlines, reading lists, exam results, and other work completed to facilitate accurate evaluation by the academic departments at the UO.

Students are responsible for making sure that the courses they plan to take in Ferrara will meet major and minor requirements. Students are advised to consult with their academic advisor about their plans to study in the Italy program.

Course Equivalencies

Only those courses that have been taken by UO students in the last seven years are listed on the equivalency sheet. Courses that do not appear on this sheet will need to be approved for UO credit.

CIEE – Shanghai Equivalencies

Back to Top