Description

The Language and Culture study abroad program in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is designed for students interested in developing a solid foundation in the economics, political science, and history of Vietnam and Cambodia while immersing themselves in the local communities of Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap.

Academic Program
The CIEE Study Center at Vietnam National University was established in 1991 at the Hanoi campus and then relocated to the Ho Chi Minh City campus in 2007. The Language and Culture program offers students a unique opportunity to gain insight into Vietnam and its neighboring countries. Students are required to enroll in a Vietnamese language course and Khmer language is offered as an elective. Students must also take a required core course during the final five weeks in Cambodia. Elective courses taught by CIEE include such subjects as development, international relations, history, art, and society. Some local students also participate in selected classes taught by CIEE.

In their second semester, academic year students have the option of enrolling in a wide variety of courses offered by VNU, including business and economics (taught in English) and the humanities and social sciences (taught in Vietnamese). Students wishing to enroll in VNU classes taught in Vietnamese must first pass a language proficiency examination. Academic year students may also complete a directed independent study project.

Academic Culture
Students attend CIEE classes five days a week. Language classes are a mandatory and key component of the curriculum. CIEE elective courses meet two to four times weekly.

For all students, each academic course requires approximately six to eight hours of reading and other preparation per week. Class sessions normally consist of lectures, discussions of readings, field trips, field reports, and presentations. Students are encouraged to be flexible in adapting to new teaching styles, especially when lectures are given by local scholars.

Vietnamese language classes are offered at all levels, from beginning through advanced. Students are placed in appropriate language classes based on a proficiency examination given in Ho Chi Minh City at the beginning of the program. Area studies courses, taught in English, include a variety of study trips, usually organized to take place on free days or on weekends.

Highlights

• Explore issues concerning post-conflict reconstruction and nation building; development, urbanization and globalization; and social/environmental issues
  
• Take CIEE classes in English; five weeks field study in English at a Phnom Penh university; language tutoring program; volunteer and internship opportunities; choice of on-campus accommodations or homestay
  
• Participate in educational excursions throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos; receive reimbursement for cultural events, activities, and performances

A weeklong field trip to central Vietnam and Laos allows students to explore the cultural variations in other regions of the country. Group travel includes visits led by Vietnamese scholars to the imperial capital of Hue, the My Son sanctuary and the ancient town of Hoi An, and the former demilitarized zone (DMZ), before crossing the border into Laos to visit the colonial trading outpost of Savannakhet and the World Heritage Site of Wat Phu in Champasak.

In the Cambodia-based component, students visit Siem Reap, including a three-day visit with guided lectures at the Angkor World Heritage Site. Students also visit and observe the ongoing Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal, as well as see the "Killing Fields" of Choeung Ek, the Tuol Sleng (S-21) prison, the National Museum and Royal Palace, and a rural Khmer village.

Cultural Reimbursement Program
To encourage students to enrich their study abroad experience, CIEE offers a Cultural Reimbursement Program. This program reimburses students for their participation in local cultural activities, such as local movies, theater performances, traditional music concerts, and visits to local museums and historic places of interest.

Immersion
Language Exchange Partners
As a supplement to classroom language instruction, program participants have the opportunity to meet with local students to give and receive help with conversational practice and the review of classroom material and assignments.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing.

Program Fees Include:

The CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, tuition, full-time program leadership and support, housing, orientation, cultural activities, local and regional excursions, local bus pass, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits. *Evening Meals provided for students placed in homestays.

Experience Required

yes

Overall GPA 2.75

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays
• Dormitory

Participants Travel

Independently

Scholarships are Available

We have several scholarships that students can apply for. Contact CIEE for details.

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Transcript
• Written Application

CIEE's Mission Statement

Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever.

Year Founded

1947