No. To study abroad with BCA, a student must have at least one year of undergraduate study. If you are a first year student, then we encourge you to jump right into planning for your study abroad experience. Your first year in school is a great time to figure out where you want to go and find out what your school's policies are for study abroad, including financial aid, credit transfer and programs available to you. Good Luck!
Yes. There are two forms of student visa for China: X visa: for students staying in China longer than six months and F visa: for students studying in China for less than six months. Upon acceptance into the BCA Dalian program, students will receive information from the BCA's central office to assist in preparing to obtain their student visa. For more visa information please visit www.state.gov/s/cpr.rls/fco, http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html, and travel.state.gov/passport.
No. Once arrival in Dalian, students will take a language placement exam and then enroll in Chinese language classes. Chinese Mandarin is spoken in Dalian and the surrounding area and it will be the language that students will study. Courses are taught in English and Chinese. No previous experience with Chinese is necessary. Chinese language classes are in Chinese. Students with advanced levels of Chinese may enroll in upper-level classes taught in Chinese. Each student will be required to enroll in Chinese 101 Intensive Basic Chinese and Modern China, taught by the BCA resident director.
Generally, students take four or five classes during a semester, receiving three credits for each class. It is important to consult with your advisor prior to studying abroad to decide what classes are needed to meet academic requirements of your college or university.
BCA Study Abroad aims to engage each participant in an appropriately challenging level of academic work while abroad. We acknowledge that an applicant’s cumulative grade point average is only one indicator of accomplishment and ability.
The BCA Study Abroad expectation is that most students would show at least a B average (3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale) across their course work prior to their study abroad term. Certain host universities may have GPA requirements of their own, in which case the higher GPA requirement of the two would apply.
Recent enrollment history shows our students’ average GPAs have been above 3.44 (4.0 scale). Our post-semester academic results reveal that students with higher and lower GPAs can excel in study abroad. We are open to discuss program selection and course of study for students who do not reach the expected 3.0 GPA.
BCA Dalian is located on two campuses: Dalian University of Foreign Languages (DUFL), located in downtown Dalian; Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE), located 20 minutes south of downtown, in the coastal region of the city (5 minutes from the beach). The northern city of Dalian is located near the Liaoning Peninsula. Dalian is China's northernmost ice-free seaport and is China's most livable city according to China Daily.
Students live in a dormitory on campus not far from where they will take classes. There will be many other international students on either campus: Koreans, Russians, Japanese and some Europeans. All BCA students will have one thing in common with them: you are all learning Chinese!
BCA is one of the nation's oldest independent organizations committed to promoting international understanding and academic excellence through college study abroad programs for U.S. students and adult seminars for faculty and administrators. Rooted in the values of peace and justice, BCA promotes international understanding, awareness of global citizenship and academic scholarship through educational exchange. Among the special qualities of BCA's programs are: unique opportunities to study peace and justice issues in places where conflict has profoundly affected culture, history and daily life; opportunity for cultural immersion; and tremendous academic and administrative support.
Financial aid from an individual school is transferred at the school’s discretion, but all federal aid is transferrable. Students should consult their financial aid advisor for further information and advice.
Each university has its own policy for transferring credits, so you will want to check you are your university registration and records office to determine whether BCA credits are accepted. Upon completion, BCA sends transcripts from the DUFL and BCA course reports to you and your college or university. If your school requires a transcript from a U.S. institution, BCA will provide you with a transcript from Elizabethtown College, which is BCA’s school of record.