Classes will begin on Monday, June 19 and end on Friday, August 11, 2023. Student-teacher orientations and an Opening Ceremony will take place on Sunday, June 18, 2023.

With a target student-teacher ratio of approximately 3.5:1, daily small class instruction and individual sessions will ensure participants get specialized attention tailored to individual needs.

From Mondays through Thursdays, instruction will include four hours of classes in the morning and one hour of individual session in the afternoon.

8 AM to 12 PM: Small-class instruction
1:30 PM to 4:30 PM: One hour of individual session
8 PM to 10 PM: Office hours

Fridays will include three hours of class and a 1.5-hour test in the mornings.

Extracurricular activities, such as calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, tea-tasting, poetry workshops, as well as excursions and guest lectures, will be scheduled both during the week and on weekends.

The eight-week program is equivalent to two semesters of Chinese language instruction at Princeton University and will total about 180 class contact hours. Three courses will be offered:

Second Year (CHI 105C & 107C): Using the fluency-through-accuracy approach, students work on developing a strong foundation for the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The material in A New China (C.P. Chou, et al., Princeton University Press) gradually moves from daily conversational content to texts that draw substantial content from the real world and cover issues especially relevant to American students studying in China. Texts provide insight into the Chinese way of life and the intricacies involved in being a resident of China.

This course is suitable for students who have had one year of college Chinese and do not speak Mandarin as a heritage language.

Third Year (CHI 305C & 306C): This course stresses the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing while also introducing the complex fabric that makes up modern China. Through texts in Eyes on China (C.P. Chou, Jincheng Liu, and Xin Zou, Princeton University Press), students learn the vocabulary needed to discuss various issues that people face in contemporary China and the United States, as presented in official Chinese media.

This course is normally suitable for students who have had either two years of regular courses in college Chinese or one year of an accelerated program meant for heritage speakers.

Fourth Year (CHI 405C & 406C): Students at this level fully engage with authentic Chinese language materials. Some of the texts are from Anything Goes (Chih-ping Chou et al., Princeton University Press), and others are selected Chinese newspapers, magazines, television, and other forms of mass media. Discussion focuses on topics in contemporary Chinese society.

This course is normally suitable for students who have taken three years of college Chinese or two years of an accelerated program meant for heritage speakers.

Students should indicate in their application the level for which they think they are best-suited. Final placement will be at the discretion of the Princeton in Beijing faculty based on tests and interviews done prior to the start of the program. Enrollment in the program implies consent to abide by the judgment of the Princeton in Beijing faculty regarding level placement.

Students will pledge to use only Mandarin Chinese for the duration of the program in all program-related environments on campus and in all interactions with instructors and fellow students, even if off campus. Adherence to this pledge is crucial to maintaining the distinctive quality of Princeton in Beijing. Failure to comply may result in expulsion.

Completion of the program will earn 8 credits, equivalent to two semesters of Chinese courses at Princeton University.

Non-Princeton students who successfully complete the eight-week program are eligible to receive a transcript from Princeton University reflecting completion of two semesters of Chinese language instruction. Princeton in Beijing will issue its own grade report in addition.

Students will live and study on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary where they will be housed in fully furnished, air-conditioned, single rooms in a residence hall located on the main campus. Classrooms are a brisk two-minute walk away.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided in the Seminary cafeteria Monday through Friday, with the exception of dinner on Fridays. Downtown Princeton, just a short walk away, offers many options for weekend meals or just an afternoon snack.

The fee for the program is $12,500 and includes tuition, room, meals from Monday breakfast through Friday lunch, extracurricular activities, and scheduled excursions. There is also a non-refundable $60 application fee.

The program fee does not cover transportation to and from Princeton, weekend meals, textbooks, or personal expenses.

Limited need-based financial aid will be available for applicants who qualify.

Princeton University students are eligible for aid not only from PiB, but also from the East Asian Studies Program and the Dean's Fund for Study Abroad. All Princeton aid applicants who are currently receiving financial aid from Princeton University and will continue their studies at Princeton after PiB (i.e. freshmen, sophomores, juniors and graduate students) should complete the financial aid section of the PiB application form.

Non-Princeton applicants for aid should also complete that section and must also submit 1) needs-analyses from their home institutions (unless yours is a public institution that does not provide them) and 2) tax returns from the most recent year available. Undergraduates should submit parents’ returns—of both parents if they file separately. Graduate students should submit their own returns. International students should provide tax returns from their home countries if possible—otherwise as much financial information as possible to help us evaluate your need.

Princeton in Beijing reserves the right to cancel the program due to low enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If the program is cancelled before its scheduled start, any payments made to PiB will be refunded in full. PiB cannot reimburse for textbooks, travel, or other expenses not covered in the program fee.