Chinese Language Study Abroad Programs in Shanghai, China

Transitioning into an innovative and sophisticated city with a colorful night skyline, Shanghai is one of China’s modern aspects without losing its rich cultural and artistic heritage. This makes the city an ideal setting to study Chinese language and business development. The Shanghai program offers you insight into the business and economic environment of China and East Asia. Study and live in the country’s biggest city, which used to be a quiet fishing town but is now at the center of a booming economy—in fact, one of the world’s largest. The official standard dialect is Mandarin, and Shanghai is the best place to practice it outside the classroom. After attending business logistics and language classes, head out and apply your learning everywhere you go – from movie theaters to art exhibits. This program provides an intensive language approach, allowing you to complete up to one year of university foreign language coursework in one semester. Choose to combine courses for up to 18 credits. Add an internship and have an unparalleled opportunity to communicate in Mandarin while acquiring international business experience.

Studying abroad at Shanghai University offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-growing cities. Located in the heart of Shanghai, China’s global financial and cultural hub, the semester program provides students with a rich academic experience, cultural exposure, and professional networking opportunities. This program combines rigorous academics with real-world learning. Students can choose from a variety of courses, including Chinese language, culture, business, and engineering, all taught by leading experts. The curriculum is designed to provide both in-depth academic knowledge and practical skills. Ideal for open-minded, adventurous students, this program is perfect for those eager to explore China’s culture and global opportunities. Participants gain valuable skills, intercultural communication experience, and a deeper understanding of China’s role in the global economy—enhancing their resumes and boosting their career prospects.

We've partnered with one of China's most prestigious universities, Fudan University, and a leading Mandarin instruction program from the University of Virginia to offer students a unique and comprehensive semester abroad in Shanghai. Founded in 1905, Fudan University is now one of the top universities in the country and a leader in cultivating talent as well. Students take classes of their choice from more than 120 courses taught in English and cover a variety of subjects, from business to liberal arts, as well as study Mandarin. Housed in fully furnished apartments, they stay in a room with an English-speaking local Fudan University student for an even more immersive experience. They enjoy two-weekend field trips to further explore modern China's customs and beliefs.

Your CIEE Summer Global Internship program in Shanghai lasts 8 weeks and features two key components: A full-time internship with an international organization (approximately 30-40 hours per week) and an internship seminar. Enhance your experience with co-curricular and extracurricular activities while building career skills, expanding your professional network, and immersing yourself in Chinese culture. Live, learn, and work in Shanghai! Shanghai is China’s vibrant, cosmopolitan city, celebrated for its dynamic skyline, unique blend of traditional Chinese and modern global cultures, iconic landmarks like The Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower, world-class museums, bustling street food scenes, stylish cafés, high-end shopping districts, and scenic waterfronts. Whether you're majoring in business, science, engineering, technology, communications, psychology, health sciences, liberal arts, language, or fine arts, Shanghai is the perfect place to study or intern abroad.

At NYU Shanghai, the newest of NYU’s three degree-granting campuses, you’ll take courses that focus on China taught by expert faculty. Professors bring China’s history and unique culture to life through trips to art galleries, local businesses, and film screenings. You can take a Chinese language course and further improve your language skills by being paired with a student who is fluent in Chinese. Visit NYU Shanghai’s website for up-to-date information. NYU Shanghai’s campus is located in a nine-story building in Pudong, the heart of a thriving economic zone and Shanghai’s commercial center. It features classrooms, an expansive library, an auditorium, a colloquium space, dance and music practice rooms, dining facilities, and a fitness center. Opportunities vary based on local restrictions.

Explore the social impact of rapid economic development. What’s it like to watch a city develop at an unprecedented pace? Shanghai is the place to find out. Explore this cosmopolitan metropolis as you dig into sustainable urbanization, economic reform, Chinese politics, foreign policy, public health policy, or traditional Chinese medicine. Boost your language skills by teaming up with a Chinese university student for a couple of hours of casual practice each week—communication is the key to getting even more from your time in Shanghai.

Increase your Chinese proficiency, speak more fluently, and understand the language better by joining Go Abroad China’s partner university in Shanghai. With its great flexibility and array of Chinese language programs, Fudan University allows you to enroll for courses from 4 weeks all up to a full academic year. You can expect your course to focus on grammar and sentence construction, speaking and listening practice, and well as having a go at writing Chinese characters! Not sure which level you might fall in? Not a problem; we accommodate all major levels of beginner, elementary, intermediate, and even advanced. Grab your chance now and for a refreshing experience of studying Chinese in Shanghai.

Intensive Program: With 6 lessons a day you will feel immersed in Chinese language and culture. Listening, speaking, reading and writing, and will all be taught in a balanced way. It aims at acquiring the highest level of Conversational Chinese. The focus of the lessons will be on daily life and this, combined with the use of games and pair/group work, will give an optimal learning environment and a full Chinese experience. Part-time Program: The part-time courses are the perfect solution for those people that have a busy agenda. Part-time 4 and 2 are both top choices of people that work during the day or that prefer to study Chinese in a less intensive way. With part-time 4 and 2 you also have the possibility to choose to have class on weekdays or weekends. Our Private Chinese Lessons account for the utmost flexible and personalised lessons. With our 1-on-1 course your class is tailored to your personal schedule and needs, focusing on topics of your choice.

Choose our Intensive Course in Shanghai to immerse yourself deeply in Chinese learning and start speaking! This program also includes visa support. 1. Types of Groups: a) Small: Intensive 30 (6 lessons/day - 5 times/week) Intensive 20 (4 lessons/day - 5 times/week) Flexible 12 (4 lessons/day - 3 times/week) b) Private: Private 12 (12 lessons/week)* 2. Program Duration: a) Standard Semester duration - 20 weeks b) Flexible: Minimum 2 weeks Maximum 1 year 3. 2025 Semester Dates for Group Classes: - March 24, 2025 – August 8, 2025 - April 7, 2025 – August 29, 2025 - June 9, 2025 – October 24, 2025 - July 14, 2025 – November 28, 2025 - September 8, 2025 – January 23, 2026 - November 3, 2025 – March 20, 2026 - December 15, 2025 – April 30, 2026 - March 9, 2026 – July 24, 2026 *Private Program students can join at any time. *Non-beginners can join any Monday, except holidays, if there is a group of similar level.

Have the opportunity to study at East China Normal University, one of the first universities in China to provide international Chinese education. Based in vibrant Shanghai, you will enroll in a non-profit, low-cost study abroad program. Benefit from direct enrollment opportunities, choosing from a wide selection of academic subjects. In your free time, enjoy the university’s offerings of associations and activities. Plus, make new friends with Chinese and international students. This program is open to all students from around the globe and awards credit transferable to your home university upon successful completion. At Non-Profit Study Abroad (NPSA), we help you enroll directly at an international university. We also provide a range of resources, from finding affordable housing to making the most of your study abroad experience. Please feel free to contact us for more information about how we can help you.

API offers students an opportunity to study abroad in Shanghai, China, and experience traditional cultural elements while still being mindful of the context and realities of contemporary Chinese society. China presents a fascinating juxtaposition – it is home to one of the world’s most ancient civilizations caught in the midst of some of the most rapid expansion of economy and infrastructure in history. This remains true with Shanghai, the largest city in the world, where you can explore ancient relics such as The Bund or City God Temple. Then, shop around the large city and explore its wondrous nightlife as you learn about the Chinese language and culture. But your travels will not just stop in Shanghai. With API, you will take excursions around China, including Beijing and the nearby water towns like Wuzhen. You will even stop by Hangzhou, known as “heaven on earth” due to its immense beauty. Get ready for an unforgettable sensation of culture and modernity in Shanghai, China, when you study with API Abroad!

Join any of our immersion homestay programs, choosing between fixed and tailored options that last from 1 week to 4 weeks. Our professional teachers deliver lessons in various subjects, including General Chinese, Business Chinese, and HSK examinations. They also offer cultural lessons in calligraphy, paper cutting, ink painting, Chinese music instruments, and other hobbies. We have a teacher who is a freelance photographer, a published writer, and a great home cook, which means you’ll learn a lot from them. You will be spoiled by their rich local knowledge and delicious home cooking. Experience everyday Chinese life while staying in your teacher’s comfortable home and immersing yourself in a completely Mandarin-speaking environment. Lessons are tailored to meet your needs and objectives, and you’ll practice through guided hobby activities and excursions. If you're 18 plus and planning a study, internship, or gap year in China, our homestay program is perfect for you. It comes with a cozy single or double room with a half or full board meal at a reasonable price. This is a great way to learn Chinese!

Immerse yourself in a new language, intern abroad, or explore a different part of the world. CET’s gap programs offer the opportunity to join college-level courses overseas or online. Whether you're mastering Chinese in Beijing, volunteering while living with a host family in Siena, or creating art in a studio in Osaka, CET blends academics with real-world experience. Designed around experiential learning, deep cultural engagement, and academic rigor, CET programs turn education into something more than just earning college credit.