UND China Summer Study Abroad Program

Many students who study abroad describe the experience as life-changing. Immersing yourself in a culture different from the one in which you grew up forces you to think in new ways. It challenges your assumptions about the world and broadens the depths of your firsthand knowledge.

Having study abroad experiences on your resume signals to employers that you are ambitious, independent, capable of tackling challenges, and interested in the world. Such qualities are especially important in our increasingly globalized world wherein companies often send employees on work trips abroad.

Many students like that UND’s China study abroad program is only three weeks long, not an entire semester like many other programs. The trip begins at the start of the summer session, leaving the rest of the summer open for other opportunities. If this particular program does not fit your needs, consider contacting the Office of International Programs. They can tell you about all kinds of possibilities for studying abroad.

Students take three classes for this program. One class is taught on the UND campus in the spring semester before the trip. The other two classes are completed in China during the summer but are not classroom based. The summer classes focus on site visits and independent fieldwork projects.

The spring class is organized with several goals in mind. First, students need to be familiar with Chinese history and culture. We accomplish this by watching numerous documentaries and by reading and discussing several books. Second, students need to be able to explore an area of interest that relates to their own goals or personal interests. A large part of the spring class involves students doing independent background research on subjects of their choice. This background research will later be combined with fieldwork in China as the basis for an academic paper. Third, students need practical skills in traveling internationally. To this end, the spring class addresses obtaining Chinese visas, booking flights, learning basic phrases in Mandarin, avoiding tourist scams, exchanging currency, mapping out itineraries, and many other practical skills needed for the time spent in China.

One of the summer classes is essentially a sight-seeing class. Yes, you get UND credits for sight-seeing in China! Students are required to write a daily field journal of their experiences and reflections. They also complete a creative project related to the trip. This may involve photography, videography, short stories, blog writing, or any other kind of creative project in which they can share their experiences or knowledge.

The second summer class focuses on fieldwork. After doing background research and developing a research project in the spring, students spend some of the time in China implementing their research projects. This may include site visits and/or interviews. Students are encouraged to make connections with appropriate people before the trip. The faculty leaders also arrange for UND students to meet with Chinese students at several universities, which can lead to more connections. Upon completing the trip, students then write an academic paper to fulfill the requirements of the course. This paper has the potential to be a fantastic writing sample for future applications for jobs, graduate schools, etc.

The class moves from city to city together. In Beijing we have about 3 days of groups tours and about 4-5 days for which students choose their own itineraries and travel in small groups or by themselves. Our time in Xi’an is largely group tours but does includes some independent time. Our approximately 8 days in Shanghai are almost all determined by students’ choices. We will meet with Chinese students at several universities, but otherwise students develop their own itineraries for Shanghai.

Students who are comfortable being independent are able to do so on this trip. The faculty leaders are available to accompany students on excursions. Anyone not wanting to go out alone does not have to.

On a day in which we have a group tour, we load up on a tour bus in the morning, spend most of the day on our tours (including lunch), and then return to the hotel in the late afternoon or early evening so students have time to write in their journals. Days for which we do not have a group tour are quite different. After students are secure in having local currency, subway cards, and knowledge of how to use the subway and taxis, students follow their own itineraries. For example, a group of students may choose to take the subway to the Pearl Tower, explore the tower and surrounding area for several hours, find a place for lunch, take the subway to one of the fabulous gardens, spend an hour exploring the garden, find a place for dinner, then take the subway back to the hotel to write in their field journals. We typically have a group meeting in the evening to check in on everyone’s day.

How the credits count depends on your major. Your advisor will able to provide you with specifics. The classes are all 300-level classes, so they do count as upper-level electives. Students may use the credits towards a minor in International Business, a minor in Chinese Business, or a major in Chinese Studies.