Off Campus Study

Chengsi Xie poses in traditional Tibetan garb
in Rilong, Sechuan.
Chengsi in Tibetan garb.

There's no better way to study a language and culture than to live in it. Bowdoin is a member of several off-campus study programs in East and South Asia. These are rigorous academically and also offer plenty of opportunities to engage all aspects of life in the host country. Most include home-stay. We strongly recommend that students spend a semester or year studying in Asia. It will change your life.

Jennifer Xu, '07
Explore and solidify materials learned in the classroom and immerse yourself in a fascinating, foreign culture
A portion of the 150 students in Schiele's classroom. Study in Chine. Bowdoin CollegeJennifer Xu
Though I was a little hesitant beforehand, studying abroad has truly changed my life and I strongly encourage others to consider the benefits of such a unique experience.
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Academic Spotlight:
Professor and Students Alike Changed by Summer Study in China
A portion of the 150 students in Schiele's classroom. Study in Chine. Bowdoin College
Sometime during the spring of 2004, Bowdoin Associate Professor of Asian Studies Shuqin Cui put down her books on Chinese popular culture and addressed her class: "Why read books?" she said, smiling. "We should go to China."
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Bowdoin is affiliated with the ISLE and SITA Programs. We recommend these study-away programs for study in Sri Lanka and India:

ISLE - Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education

SITA - South India Term Abroad

Recommended programs for study in Japan include:

JCMU - Japan Center for Michigan Universities

AKP - Associated Kyoto Program

IES - Institute for the International Education of Students

Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies

Other Study-Away Programs in Japan:

Nanzan University: Center for Japanese Studies

Study-away Scholarships and Internship Opportunities for Students of Japanese
A list of scholarships available to students intending to study in Japan on summer, semester-long and year-long programs.
The list includes internship search engines as well as job opportunities available to students who are graduating.

The programs listed below for study in China and Taiwan are also recommended options, though we are not formally affiliated with them:

CET Program in Harbin
For Intermediate (2nd year) to Advanced (4th year) Chinese students at
Harbin Institute of Technology.
20 hours/week for language classes. Language pledge and Chinese roommates.
Minimum 1 year college-level Chinese required.

CET Beijing Chinese Language Program
Intensive Chinese Language program at Beijing Institute of Education.
For serious students of Chinese at all levels. 20 hours/week for language classes.
Language pledge and Chinese roommates. No language prerequisite.

CET, Chinese Studies and Service-Learning in Beijing
Students take Chinese language classes (11 hours/week) at Capital Normal
University, and Chinese studies courses in English. They give back to their
local community in Beijing through service-learning projects.
Chinese roommates. No language prerequisite.

CET, Chinese Studies and Internship in Shanghai
A program for resume builders at Donghua University in Shanghai.
11 hours/week for Chinese language classes, and at least 8 hours/week
for internship at a company or organization of interest in Shanghai.
Electives in economics, history, and political science are taught in English.
Local roommates. No language prerequisite.

Associated Colleges in China (ACC Program) in Beijing
Intensive Chinese language program hosted by Minzu University of China.
Small class, one-on-one and one-on-two instruction.
20 hours/week for language classes. Language pledge.
Minimum 1 year college-level Chinese required.

Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP)
Highly individualized Chinese language instruction for serious students for an
academic year (8 months) or a semester (4 months) at Tsinghua University in
Beijing. Small class, private tutorial. 20 hours/week for language classes.
Language pledge. Choice of residing in off-campus apartments, living with host
families, or applying for limited dorm rooms in Tsinghua's foreign student dormitory.
Visit http://ieas.berkeley.edu/iup/index/html for more information.

Other Study-Away Programs in China:

Middlebury College Chinese School
CET partners with Middlebury College to operate programs in Beijing
(focus on political science, economics, and the arts, at Capital Normal University),
Hangzhou (focus on history and religious studies, at Zhejiang University of
Technology), and Kunming (focus on anthropology, minority studies, and
environmental studies, at Yunnan University).
All programs immerse students through challenging coursework,
a language pledge, and Chinese roommates.
Minimum 1 year college-level Chinese required.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
Large university offering Chinese language courses, and other courses in
Chinese Studies, Asian Studies, and International Studies
taught in English or Chinese.

Princeton in Beijing

For further information on study-away programs, please consult the
Bowdoin Off-Campus Study Office.