Location

The Shanghai program is located in the International College of Chinese Culture at East China Normal University (ECNU), locally known as "HuaShiDa." The ECNU campus is located west of the city near the Hongchiao Development Zone and Pudong Economic Zone. The University has a long history of scholarly endeavors and is well known as one of the most innovative universities in China. The city of Shanghai, approximately 6,341 square kilometers in total area, is situated in the middle of China's east coastline, and is a gate to the Changjiang River valley. It has a delightful climate with four distinct seasons and an average annual temperature of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Being the largest economic and trade center in the country, Shanghai has a comprehensive industrial base and is under the direct jurisdiction of the central government. Its total population is over 13 million.

Shanghai Program of Studies

Undergraduate students at Notre Dame pursuing studies in Chinese language, literature and/or culture now have an opportunity to study in China. The Office of International Study Programs (ISP) offers this option in conjunction with the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) through its newly established program at East China Normal University in Shanghai. This program will be most attractive to Notre Dame students in the College of Arts & Letters, although business students with a serious interest in Chinese language acquisition may also find the program useful. No science or engineering courses are currently available through CIEE in Shanghai, but it is possible for ND students from these colleges to earn general university or college elective credits. ISP will accept applications from students from any college, but will require academic approval from the college dean. Click here for Shanghai course information.

The fall semester runs from late August to mid-December. Spring semester begins in mid-February and runs to mid-June. Enrollment for more than one semester is possible, but the program is generally designed as a semester-length option. Program participants will be required to carry a minimum of 15 semester credits while attending the program.

At Notre Dame this CIEE program will function as a facilitated program, which means that it will be administered differently from "full" Notre Dame programs. For students, this means that they will pay actual program fees rather than Notre Dame campus fees of tuition, room and board. Notre Dame will pay CIEE directly on behalf of participating students and will charge student accounts directly.

Grades and credits earned while on this program will be recorded on ND student transcripts and will be factored into grade-point averages. Student participants will be subject to academic policies established by the host institution and CIEE, as well as those of Notre Dame.

Eligibility for the Program

CIEE requires a minimum 2.75 GPA for admission to the program. CIEE does not have a formal language prerequisite for this program, but Notre Dame encourages its student applicants to have completed one semester of Chinese language instruction at ND (or equivalent) before they go.

Application Procedures and Due Dates

Interested students should submit an online application to the ISP Office first. Once the applications have been screened, a CIEE application will be provided or can be downloaded from the web here.

Once the CIEE application has been completed, it must be turned in to the ISP Office. The completed application will be forwarded to CIEE by the ISP Offfice. A $30 application fee is required by CIEE and should be submitted with the CIEE application materials. Please check the costs page to view any other fees which may be incurred with this program.

Fall and spring semester online ISP applications are due by November 15th.

Selection Procedures

Notre Dame has no "cap" or "quota" on this program; we will recommend and forward all applications that meet CIEE and university requirements. CIEE does have an upper limit on numbers of participants based on program capacity in Shanghai, and will have final 'say' on the disposition of all applications.

CIEE Contact Information
Council on International Educational Exchange
International Study Programs
205 E. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10017

Additional Information

There is much more we can tell you — about this location, vibrant religious, cultural and recreational life of this community ... about the student housing, transportation, health care and much, much more. It is, after all, the details that make this program so appealing. Interested? Just click here for additional information.