Political Science & Politics Study Abroad Programs in China

I just studied abroad with SAS in spring of 2025. To say this experience changed my life would be an understatement. I cannot recommend this enough. The learning opportunities are amazing, the staff and faculty do everything they can to make this your home away from home, and the traveling experiences are ONCE IN A LIFETIME!

Based on my experience, the USAC curriculum, while affordable and well-organized, did not provide a strong language challenge. However, this gave me more time to explore Chinese culture and daily life outside the classroom. I also had the opportunity to take extracurricular classes in instruments and archery (paid out-of-pocket), which helped me develop new skills and experiences beyond academics. When I studied abroad, the program had just reopened after being closed for a while due to COVID-19, so I understand there were still areas that needed adjustment. Because it was their first term back, there were fewer field trips than usual. I hope that in the future, the program will offer more excursions and more challenging Chinese language classes. That said, I think USAC did a great job overall, especially in supporting students, addressing any difficulties we faced, and even helping us find information or opportunities when we expressed interest in exploring something new.