China: Nanjing Semester

Nanjing University in Nanjing

Nanjing University, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in China, is a key comprehensive national university.  The University was founded in 1902 as Sanjiang Normal School. Today Nanjing University is one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the country whose students are among China's best and brightest.  This CCIS program is housed on the beautiful tree-lined Gulou campus the university in the heart of the city. The university is convenient to shopping, transportation, and all the city has to offer.

Nanjing University has 21 schools (Humanities, Law, International Business, Foreign Studies, Natural Sciences, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Technology, Geoscience, Life Sciences, and Medicine), 78 undergraduate programs, and more than 213 Master's programs, 9 professional programs, 147 Ph.D. programs, and 23 post-doctoral research stations.  Nanjing University faculty and scientists are nationally and internationally renowned. Of the University's 2,000 plus faculty members, more than 1,300 are professors and associate professors and 27 are Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The university library contains over 4.6 million volumes.

Nanjing University (“Nanda”) alumni are all over the world.  Nanda has a student body of 43,000, of which over 12,000 are undergraduate students, over 11,000 are graduate students, and over 300 are international students.  Since 1979, Nanjing University has received over 18,000 international students and visiting scholars from more than 70 countries or regions.  Recently, about over 1,000 international students are enrolled annually.

Course Offerings

The program at Nanjing University offers students a chance to explore China and take language and culture courses at an introductory level. All students take courses in Chinese language and Culture and choose from three other courses on China which are taught in English by bilingual Nanjing University faculty members. Students may take Beginning Mandarin or, after appropriate placement testing, intermediate or advanced level Chinese language courses. Lecture courses include: Geography of China, Survey of China's History, Survey of Chinese Literature, China’s Political System, and Chinese Culture and Society.  Students take 13 - 17 credits on this semester program.  The program includes an experiential co-curriculum designed to facilitate language acquisition and expand knowledge of Chinese culture through faculty-led field trips to important historical sites as well as to temples, museums, schools, gardens, and a mosque. A one-week field trip to the capital, Beijing, to visit its many historical sites is featured every semester. As part of the orientation program, students match up with Orientation Hosts, English-speaking Nanda students who act as "cultural interpreters" for American students while they improve their English skills. Through this exchange, students are introduced to Nanda, student life there, and activities both on and off campus.

 

Student Life

Students in this CCIS program live together, two to a room, in a standard dorm room with desks and beds and a private bath.

Students eat meals on-campus cafeterias and small restaurants with Nanjing University students and staff, or off-campus at one of the many nearby cafes.

Nanda clubs, activities, and sports are open to students. Students are encouraged to join!

Out of Class Program Features

As part of the orientation program, the Coordinator matches students with "Orientation Hosts", English-speaking Nanjing University students who want to meet Americans and improve their English. These Orientation Hosts act as a "cultural interpreters" who help U.S. students learn about Chinese culture and modern Chinese society.

There is an active out of class schedule of field trips each semester. These field trips support topics covered in the Culture and Society, History, Geography, and Literature course. Sample field trips may include:

• A one-day trip to Yangzhou to see Daming Temple, Slender West Lake, and to visit a kiwi orchard and local suburban village.
• A two-day trip to Wuxi and Suzhou, visiting the scenic and historic sights around Lake Tai and the major city gardens.
• A visit to the Qixia Buddhist Temple, the Thousand-Buddha Hill, and to the stone tablets, animals and cultural relics that remain from Ming Dynasty tombs.
• During the semester vacation, a trip to Beijing is scheduled (about 5 days), with visits to places such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and other scenic spots and places of historical interest in and around this ancient Chinese capital.
• There are also occasional afternoon field trips to places in and around Nanjing like temples, schools, the Nanjing Museum, a mosque, and other historical and cultural sites.

Alumni Feedback

"I definitely gained lifelong friends. I liked having a small group because it was easier to get to know people better. I felt like I improved in my Chinese proficiency big time. It was worthwhile to go to China because my major is Chinese culture’s language and I got to experience all of this while I was there."
- Lindsey George, Washington College

"What I gained from this experience is more than I can write down. However, I can say that I have seen how studying in China has opened my eyes to something greater than myself. Being able to bridge differences through spending time with Chinese nationals and talking. I learned more doing this than anything else."
- Cheo Rochelle, University of Maryland

"I loved China; my over-all feelings about my experience are positive. My view of the world and my country has expanded enormously."
- Natalie Meyer, University of Idaho

"The best thing about CCIS is that it provides an inexpensive way to go to China and receive credit while doing so. Being in China is awesome; that is what is benefiting me."
- Peter Litman, Richard Stockton College

"The experience was very enriching, definitely worthwhile. I not only learned through school, but more through the students I taught, the friends I made and the fellow program members. One thing is for sure: The people in the program make the trip. We had a variety of students, different ethnicities, likes, dislikes, hobbies, specializations, and religions. Wonderful, I was never bored. It was like being in a U.N. of students. I would, and will, recommend this program, and the whole study abroad experience."
- Mary Jane Bensick, College of Staten Island/CUNY

"The China study abroad program was one of the most worthwhile experiences of my life. I got to see life and the world from an entirely different perspective. Studying the language was a lot of fun, and through exploring China I saw things I never thought I'd see."
- Patricia Quan, Baruch College/CUNY

 

Duration

Fall: August 26-December 18, 2013
Spring: February 10-June 1, 2014

Application Deadline(s)

Fall: April 15  Extended to May 30

Spring: October 15

Eligibility Requirements

• 2.5 GPA or higher
• Official transcripts
• 2 letters of recommendation for Semester
• Statement of purpose
• Students must be at least 18 years of age
• Minimum class standing - students must have completed at lease one semester (minimum 12 semester credit hours) of college-level coursework at the time of apllication.

Costs

Semester:

Fall 2013:  $7,970

Spring 2014:  $7,970

Plus enrolling institution administrative fee, if applicable

Costs and dates subject to change

Second Continuous Semester:

Fall 2013:  $7,370

Spring 2014:  $7,370

 

Costs Included

Tuition, Housing (double room), pre-departure and on-site orientations, field trips, administrative fees, Nanjing University student ID card, sickness & accident insurance.

Costs Not Included

Airfare ($1100-$1700), meals ($900-$2000), books ($85), personal expenses ($800-$1500), visa if needed (U.S. citizens - $140), and school of record fee-Non CUNY/CCIS if applicable.

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.

Related Links

• Wikipedia Nanjing, China
• Wikipedia Nanjing University

 

Submit Application Materials To:

Russell Davis, Coordinator

College of Staten Island/CUNY
Center for International Service
Building 2A, Room 206
2800 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10314
718-982-2100
718-982-2108 (Fax)
StudyAB@csi.cuny.edu
www.csi.cuny.edu/international

How do I apply?

Start the CCIS Study Abroad application process by downloading the forms. To download, right click on the application or recommendation form and click "save as", then save the form to your desktop or downloads. Once you have completed your form, SAVE IT FIRST!!!! DO NOT CLICK "SUBMIT" until you have SAVED your form or the recipient will receive a BLANK form. Once you have saved it, click "submit" and THEN email your completed form as an attachment to the contact email address associated with the program in which you are applying. If for some reason you do not see the email address pop up when you click "submit", then email the application to the program sponsor listed here on this page.

YOU MUST NOTIFY YOUR HOME INSTITUTIONS' STUDY ABROAD OFFICE OR ADVISOR OF YOUR INTENTIONS AND ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH A COPY OF YOUR APPLICATION. 

These PDF documents are viewed using Adobe's Acrobat Reader plug-in, which is available free. If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, click here.

CCIS Online Application & Instructions

CCIS Online Student Recommendation

(Students: DO NOT send the student recommendation form to your evaluators as an attachment. Please only send the page URL. The student recommendation form can be found under the "Apply Now" tab.) 

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.