Chinese University Accreditation (in US) and Entry Requirements

[WenLei-William]

Hello Everybody,

 

     I was wondering if the top universities in China are accredited in the United States, i.e. Tsinghua, Peking University, Fudan etc.

 

     Along with this I was wondering what are the requirements for entry into a these top universities? I want to study my bachelors degree in a Chinese language environment (with other native students). I have an overall score of 230 on the New HSK, 3.83 GPA in highschool and will be taking the SAT sometime next year to get a higher score. Would I have to do some preparation courses like 预科 even though I have passed the HSK 6?

 

     Lastly, can foreign students get the CGS full scholarship for bachelors degree?

 

Thank you

[ZhangKaiRong]

There are numerous topics on this board about attending Bachelor programs in China.

 

Check this for example: http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/49317-where-to-study-buisness/

 

In short: if your one and only goal is to be fluent in Chinese, then do it. If you want to actually learn a profession or pursue academia later on, then don't. Instead, choose a US program that fits you, and go to China for a year as a scholarship student. Top Chinese universities you mentioned are not on par with mediocre US universities due to the difference in educational methods in the West and in China. Attending a BA program at a Chinese university will not necessarily but most likely hinder your ambition when you're back in the US and you have to compete with good students coming from good universities with skillset required by the US corporate or academic environment.

 

This was the disclaimer - but also the key message -, however I also want to be constructive:

 

Top Chinese universities have bilateral agreement with good US universities, so at least they are accredited as far as I know.

If you meet the language proficiency requirements, then you don't have to take 预科, you can start your program in the first year.

Yes, you can get a CSC-funded scholarship for a full Bachelor program if you apply for it.

[WenLei-William]

I was thinking about doing a Masters degree when I return to the US, and I believe many programs in the US would look highly upon individuals coming from a non-US academic background. In regards to motivation, I am highly motivated and I believe having to learn in a foreign language environment would be more challenging than being in one's home country. I didn't feel challenged in the institution I was previously in and felt like I was wasting life away there, and there's not a whole lot of high level Chinese courses being taught in the US. As I have experience in a highly recognized US institution, I still believe studying and mastering material should be the student's task, regardless of how the professor teaches the material. Sadly, this has been something that I have come to realize being a student at a "good" US university.

In addition to this, it seems that the top universities in China mentioned above are part of Project 985, receiving massive funds from international investors, so maybe their institutions aren't that bad?

Regardless, I highly appreciate your suggestion and knowledge and will consider it when making my decisions for the future.

Thank you!

方文磊

[Huina]

Tsinghua is pretty well known for political science and economics. If you go to Tsinghua you will probably get a great education.

 

It's still better to get a degree in the US. Have you checked out the University of Indiana Bloomington? Their Chinese program is awesome. 

[洋人丹]

@Huina 

 

I don't know if I would recommend Qinghua for anything related to political science or really in the social sciences in general. 

 

I've known a few people that did stuff in those fields there and the political environment is very suffocating. Social sciences in China (political science especially) is going to have a lot of stuff you have to tip-toe around, and Qinghua especially, because of the position it holds, is even more strict about those kinds of things than many other schools on the mainland.

 

If you are doing a degree in English, I've heard that it's more relaxed, but it's still something to keep in mind when applying.

[Huina]

@洋人丹

 

Maybe you're right, I know that Nanjing University's got an uncensored library, I figured Qinghua might have one similar. I heard that their English-taught programs, especially master's, were very decent. I finished undergrad so maybe I'm out of touch. 

 

I totally stand by my recommendation of Bloomington. Seriously. I am so regretful I didn't do their program. 

[洋人丹]

@huina

 

I don't know about their library, I'm only speaking from a few people who've done the program, along with the opinions of some Chinese friends. My friend doing a PhD there in International Relations got censored pretty heavily when doing research in China US relations. He didn't even touch on much sensitive stuff, but he had written things that some professors didn't agree with. This caused him to have to leave the program.

 

A lot of my friends (Chinese people) see Qinghua as a party school, more concerned with ideological purity and toeing the party line than inquiry and academic freedom. With the crackdown by the central government in past years, it is more so now than ever before. 

 

I've heard that the English program isn't under as strong an ideological grip, but don't know anyone who has done it.