Hong Kong, China

Contemporary Hong Kong: Studies in Language, Commerce, and Culture

Winter/Spring: January – May
Courses
Living Arrangements
Expenses
Application

In conjunction with Syracuse University Division of International Programs Abroad, the Study Abroad Program will offer an opportunity for DePaul students to study the political and economic cultures of East Asia while living in Hong Kong, China. The city of Hong Kong, which in 1997 was returned to China, ending 150 years of British colonial rule, is a bustling center of economic activity populated with over six million inhabitants. The city, with its modern glass towers and high-tech shops and arcades juxtaposed against densely packed neighborhoods alive with wooden carts pulled by humans and waterways filled with tiny fishing junks, has come to embody the tensions between modernity and tradition in Asia.

This program, hosted by the City University of Hong Kong, is designed to introduce participants to the recent and contemporary history of this amazing city through coursework in economics, political science, history and Chinese language before launching into an intensive internship or independent research project related to their academic interests. Serving as the trading center for Asia for more than 100 years, Hong Kong is the world’s second busiest port and the third largest commercial center with more than 40,000 companies and a major stock exchange. In addition to the commercial aspects of Hong Kong, the city offers a wealth of cultural activities and entertainment. Home to hundreds of museums, theatres, art galleries and restaurants, students will also be surprised to discover Hong Kong’s large areas of woodlands, beaches and rural communities during their sojourn.

COURSES

The Hong Kong academic program is designed to allow participants to complete 21 hours of coursework before starting an intensive internship or research project related to their academic and personal interests (4.5 additional hours). The independent study option must be pre-approved by a faculty advisor in the student’s major department prior to the beginning of the program. The program is built around three modules described below:

Module A: China Seminar and Field Study

Two-week field study seminar to Beijing, Guilin, Shanghai and Hong Kong. During this portion of the program all students will enroll in the following two courses:

INT330 - China: Past, Present, and Future (4 credits)

Students may earn 2 additional credits by completing an independent study during the semester related to a topic introduced during the seminar and approved by the seminar leader. This will be recorded as ANT 397: China Field Study.

ANT397 - China Field Study (2 credits)

Module B: Chinese Language and Elective Courses

Nine weeks of classroom instruction will follow the two-week field study seminar at the Syracuse Hong Kong Center in which students enroll in up to three courses in order to receive 15 credit hours. All DePaul students are required to take Mandarin Chinese at the appropriate level in addition to two electives from the following list of courses. Students are highly recommended to take PSC 395 “Culture and the Political Economies of East Asia” as one of these two electives:

R6 Credits of Chinese language is required:

CHN101 - Basic Chinese I (6 credits)

CHN102 - Basic Chinese II (6 credits)

Qualified students may take the two following courses to fulfill the 6-credit language requirement:

CHN398 - Conversational Mandarin II (4 credits)

CHN398 - Survival Cantonese (2 credits)

Two Elective courses (6 credits) - Students choose among courses offered in Hong Kong. These may include:

ART397 - Arts of Asia

CMN349 - Asian Cinema

ECO398 - Economic Development of China

HST398 - Modern China

PSC395 - Hong Kong in the World Political Economy

PSC395 - Democratization in East Asia

REL392 - Religions of Asia: Confusianism and Buddhism

Module C: Internship or Independent Study

Four weeks of a full-time internship or guided independent research abroad. For this final module students will enroll in one of two courses:

INT382 - Internship Residency (6 credits)

INT399 - Hong Kong Independent Study (6 credits)

Students participating in this program during the Spring of their senior year should be aware that overseas grades may not receive their degree conferral until August. While the Study Abroad office will do everything they can to expedite the process, we usually do not receive the overseas transcripts early enough for a June graduation conferral.

Circumstances, such as an unexpected event abroad or a curriculum change at a host institution, may require DePaul University to make changes to the program. DePaul University reserves the right to cancel or alter programs and courses without notice.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Students in this program live in university residence halls near the campus. Some students may also be placed in modest apartments, depending on availability. Participants will have an opportunity to state their housing preferences upon acceptance to the program.

The City University campus is compact and the surrounding neighborhoods offer many opportunities to experience life in Hong Kong as the Chinese know it. Located in Kowloon, the campus is only a few minutes’ walk from both the MTR (Mass Transit Rail) and the KCR (Kowloon-Canton Railway), which provide easy access to the heart of the city and to the outlying New Territories.

No meals are included in the program fee for this program. However, inexpensive meals can be found at the City University’s 1,500-seat cafeteria.

EXPENSES

In addition to DePaul tuition for the appropriate number of credit hours, costs include a program fee. For updated information on specific program expenses, click here:

Cost Information

The program fee covers study abroad health insurance, housing, and excursions. It does not include meals.

In addition to meals, students must plan their budgets to cover airfare, passport and visa fees, local transportation, supplies, text books and personal expenses. Group air travel is available through Syracuse University.

Program fees are based on actual costs of the prior year and projections for the current year. Inflation and fluctuating exchange rates make it impossible to state a fixed cost. DePaul University reserves the right to adjust program fees without notice.

APPLICATION

There are no language prerequisites. However, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA to participate in this program. To apply to this program, students must submit the following to the Study Abroad Program office:

• A complete DePaul Study Abroad Program application

• Two (2) academic recommendation forms from faculty familiar with your academic work.

• An official copy of your transcripts. At DePaul, these may be requested on Campus Connect in the Students section under Records and Registration.

DePaul University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or handicap in admissions, employment or the provision of services. Inquiries regarding this policy should be addressed to the Director of Human Resources, 1 East Jackson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604.