Beijing is the capital of China and is the nation's political, cultural, and educational center. A mix of ancient palaces, temples, gardens, tombs, and modern architecture, it is known for both its cutting edge modernity and preservation of ancient sites. The city is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Forbidden City and parts of the Great Wall. Beijing has hosted numerous international and national sporting events, the most notable being the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Beijing hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics, making it the first city ever to host both Summer and Winter Olympics.
Beijing W&M Summer Program Video
Landmarks and Things to Do:
Great Wall of China, Wangfujing is one of the most famous shopping streets in Beijing located in the Dongcheng District; Beihai Park; Jingshan Park is an imperial park which offers views of the Forbidden City.
Program Description:
The College of William & Mary’s summer program in Beijing takes place at Beijing Normal University. This program gives students eight weeks of Mandarin language and cultural immersion and provides an opportunity for students to conduct research in Beijing. Students will have a personal language partner and faculty support for independent research. Students will take courses in Chinese language, literature, and culture, possibly a 1 credit course in martial arts. The program also includes weekly excursions in Beijing, as well as faculty-led weekend excursions to cultural areas outside of Beijing. Past trips have included Inner Mongolia, Wutai Mountain, and Pingyao City.
Students will live in dormitories.
Language Requirements:
One year of college-level Mandarin.
Course Information:
Students will earn 11 credits through the Beijing summer program. Enrollment in language courses is dependent on prior knowledge. Summer courses are:
- CHIN 200/300/400: Intermediate/Advanced Intermediate Chinese; Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing (8 credits)
- CHIN 303: China in the Field (3 credits)
There is a required 1 credit course to be taken in the Spring prior to departure, which you will be registered for following program acceptance. This course is designed specifically for students going on the summer program and is intended to enhance your cross-cultural understanding of Beijing and to cover a variety of pre-departure topics. The scheduling of this course will be dependent on the class times possible for program participants.
The 1 credit pre-trip course will meet Fridays at 3:30-5:30pm EST starting March 22nd in Washington Hall 219. (April 12 will be in Blow Memorial Hall 334)
Courses are taught by W&M faculty and faculty at a local Chinese University. Grades will appear on the W&M transcript and will be included in GPA calculations.
W&M Faculty: Emily Wilcox, Associate Professor of Chinese Studies
Term:
Arrival date: May 24, 2024
Departure date: July 19, 2024
Deadlines:
Application Deadline ($75): Dec 4, 2023
Deposit ($700) deadline: March 8, 2024 (Friday prior to Spring break)
Balance due (final payment): April 1, 2024
Application fee information:
The application fee is due by the deadline and should be paid online at the
GEO Marketplace Store. Whoever is making the payment will need student 93#, email, and phone number. The application fee is refundable in the event that you are not accepted into the program or the program is canceled by W&M.
Program Fees:
2024 Program fee: $7900
Students are responsible for meals, visa expenses and airfare.
To view the estimated costs for this program and important payment information, please visit here.
Reves Summer Scholarships are available for this program.
If applying for a Reves Summer Scholarship, please apply to the W&M faculty-led application BEFORE applying to the Reves Summer Scholarship.
Program Features:
- Welcome dinner
- On-Site Orientation
- Fulfills COLL 300
- Ground transportation
- Farewell dinner
- Re-entry Programming
- Some excursion admissions tickets
- Some day or weekend excursions depending on the program
- CISI Insurance
- Housing
- Wifi- depending on the program. Please check with your Global Education Advisor
- On-site support services
- W&M credits taught by W&M faculty
- Partnership with highly ranked prestigious host university to offer reputable and rigorous academic coursework
- A meal stipend is included to cover some of the meals and water during the week
- Students must be an active W&M undergraduate student in good standing, not on academic or disciplinary probation during time abroad, and eligible to take classes at the W&M Williamsburg campus to study abroad.
- Students currently on-campus must successfully complete 1 credit spring course.
- For more information about eligibility, please visit our Policies that Affect You page.
