Students arrive in Beijing on Friday, June 21. Classes will begin on Monday, June 24 and end on Friday, August 16, 2024. Student-teacher orientations and Opening Ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 23, 2024.

With a target student-teacher ratio of approximately 2.5:1, 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. Fridays consists of individual session in the morning followed by a weekly exam.

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 more than 180 class contact hours. Four course levels 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 micro daily life scenarios to macro cultural and societal topics 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 303C & 304C, Heritage-Track CHI 305C & 306C): This course introduces 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 Chinese media. Using multimedia materials, this course level aims to elevate students’ output from sentence level to short paragraph level, both in speaking and writing.

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 (heritage-track).

Fourth Year (CHI 403C & 404C, Heritage-Track CHI 405C & 406C): Students at this level fully engage with authentic Chinese language materials. Texts come from Anything Goes (Chih-ping Chou et al., Princeton University Press), and Princeton faculty-edited course packets comprised of content selected from various Chinese media. Discussion focuses on topics in contemporary Chinese society. This course combines classroom learning with social practice and research projects to create opportunities to use language in diverse contexts.

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.

Fifth Year (CHI 451C & 452C): This course, which is designed to bring students to near-native competence in all aspects of modern Chinese, prepares students for advanced research or employment in a variety of China-related fields. Materials are drawn from modern Chinese literature, film, and intellectual history, and include readings on contemporary issues as well. A unit of self-selected topics of interest is incorporated to provide a unique, specialized learning experience.

This level is normally suitable for students who have had four years of college Chinese prior to attending, or who have taken three 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 2 course 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.

The host university, Beijing Normal University, is one of China’s premier institutions of higher learning. It is widely recognized for its strong academic faculty and the caliber of its students.

Students live in an international student dormitory on campus with the head instructors of the program. The fully furnished double rooms are equipped with air conditioning, mini refrigerator, and TV; all have private bathrooms with a toilet, sink, and shower. Grocery stores and dining halls are conveniently located throughout campus, and dozens of restaurants and shops are located within walking distance outside the campus gates.

Beijing Normal University is located in the northwestern sector of Beijing between the Second and Third Ring roads, with convenient access to all parts of the city via subway, public buses, and taxis.

The program cost for the program is $8,500 and includes tuition, room, Chinese Table meals, extracurricular activities, and excursions.

This cost does not cover transportation to and from Beijing, meals (outside of Chinese Table meals), textbooks, visa application fees, or personal expenses.

For additional details, please refer to the Cost of Attendance document.

Princeton University students currently receiving financial aid from Princeton University and will continue their studies at Princeton after PiB (i.e. freshmen, sophomores, juniors) are eligible for aid from the East Asian Studies Program and the Dean's Fund for Study Abroad. Princeton students who do not receive financial aid during the academic year and will need financial assistance to participate in the PiB program should complete the financial aid section of the PiB application.

Princeton in Beijing itself offers financial aid on a limited basis to applicants, both Princeton and non-Princeton, who qualify. Non-Princeton applicants for aid must also complete the financial aid section of the PiB application and submit need-analyses from their home institutions and/or other documentation reflecting their financial situation.

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.