Pitzer in China

Courses	Course Credits	Semester Units
Chinese Society and Culture	1.0	4
Intensive Chinese Language	2.0	8
Electives	1 to 2	4 to 8
TOTALS	4 to 5	16 to 20
Suggested Preparation Coursework in Chinese area studies. Prior Chinese language study is strongly recommended. Students planning to study TCM are recommended to take courses in medical anthropology or alternative healing traditions.
Program Dates Fall: Mid August to mid December Spring: Mid February to mid June

 

Location

Beijing, the capital of China since the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century, is the heart of cultural and political life in China. Among the broad modern avenues and picturesque traditional hutongs, you will find the nation's central government departments, leading universities, medical schools, and centers of art and media. Home to more than 15 million people, Beijing provides a rich environment for studies of China past and present.

Host Institution

The program is affiliated with Beijing University, one of the premier institutions of higher education in China, with a student population of more than 30,000.

The Core Course

Chinese Society and Culture
The core course combines lectures, readings, discussions, and the writing assignments of the Fieldbook with the more experiential program components of dorm stays with Chinese roommates, family stays, and study trips. Lectures given by scholars and specialists introduce you to a range of topics including history, politics, economics, population, environment and rural China. The course also includes complementary instruction in Chinese calligraphy and tai chi, a simplified Yang style of 24 movements.

Intensive Chinese Language
Chinese is offered at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. The classes emphasize proficiency in speaking and listening, as well as the reading and writing of Chinese characters. You will be asked to sign a “Language Pledge” to devote yourself to speaking Chinese with your Chinese roommates, host family, staff and friends in the community.

Elective Courses
Designed to help you further explore one aspect of Chinese culture, elective courses include special topics seminars, directed independent study projects (DISP), internships, and arts apprenticeships. Some electives require prerequisite knowledge or experience. All projects are assisted by a Chinese graduate student tutor as well as program staff and other area specialists. Among a wide range of elective choices, special topics in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Media Studies are available because of the program’s affiliation with Beijing University Health Sciences Center (Medical School) and School of Broadcasting and Journalism. All electives require a final written report with a significant analytical component as well as other appropriate documentation of learning depending on your topic. The program strongly recommends you select a project that involves field research, oral interviews, participant observation and other techniques that facilitate cultural immersion over those involving primarily library research. Topic selection may be limited due to available resources and local conditions.

Study Trips

To deepen your understanding of topics covered in the core course, you will travel to various locations in China. Destinations may change from semester to semester, but past excursions have included:

Hangzhou and Jiangnan Area
Known as the “paradise on the earth” and encompassing the Yangtse River delta and including Shanghai, this is an area of natural beauty powered by cultural and economic strength. Historically the trading centers for salt, tea and silk, today the Jiangnan region still serves as the national center of trade and finance.

Xi’an
A city of ancient elegance, Xi’an, has witnessed the glories of Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties. The city wall built in the Ming Dynasty is still kept in its original form. View the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, first discovered in the 1970s by a local farmer. In the old city, students will feel a strong touch of Islamic culture brought by immigrants from the West during ancient times, who maintain their traditional lifestyle and religious activities.

Wutaishan
The center for the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Wutaishan is shaped by both Han and Tibetan traditions in this concentration of 47 temples, monasteries, and nunneries.

Kaili in Guizhou
With a mix of beautiful landscape and well preserved Miao villages, Kaili presents a vivid example of China’s diversity in ethnic cultures. Due to the difficulty in transportation in this mountainous province, regions like Kaili, have been turned into “reservations.” This trip is a dramatic contrast after your days in Beijing.

Gannan Tibetan Region
South Gansu province, with access to Tibet and Qinghai, is mostly inhabited by ethnic minorities, the majority Tibetan. Among the pastoral landscapes here students will visit Tibetan villages, monasteries and a Tibetan Buddhist college.

Accomodations

During most of the semester you will live in dorms on campus with Chinese roommates. Chinese roommates are an important part of the program’s efforts to help you participate more fully in university life and the surrounding community. They provide a window into the culture, a chance to practice your spoken Chinese in real life settings, and an opportunity to develop a meaningful relationship with a university student your own age. Most students report that living and interacting with roommates provides some of the most meaningful learning experiences of the program. The program also attempts to deepen your culture and language learning through a three-day homestay in both Beijing and a rural village. Accommodations during the program’s overnight study trips will be arranged in local hotels and guest houses.