Welcome to The Beijing Center--Loyola's study abroad program in China, which is a consortium of Jesuit universities and is coordinated through Loyola University Chicago. The Beijing Center is housed at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China. Beijing itself serves as headquarters for many of China’s largest firms and nearly 500 American companies or joint ventures.
Criteria for Acceptance & How to Apply
Sophomores with a cumulative GPA average of 2.8 or better should apply.
Students who can find courses which fit their Loyola Program and allow full-time participation and who are neither on disciplinary probation nor have a history of serious disciplinary problems should apply.
Students must submit an application with advisor's signature by December 1st for Fall, Spring, or Year-long applicants.
Academics & Housing
Available classes include: Biology, Business, Communications, Economics, English core and English major, Ethics core, History Core and History major, Chinese language, Philosophy core, Political Science, Sociology, Theology core, Writing.
All courses except Chinese language are taught in English.
A Chinese language course is required of all students except those who can demonstrate fluency in Chinese.
Students are housed at the university in dorms. There is a Jesuit-in-Residence.
Rooms are double occupancy although requests may be made for a single room for an additional fee.
Students who take the intensive language track are eligible to live with a Chinese roommate.
Costs & Program Benefits
Students are eligible for consideration for all forms of federal, state, institutional and private sources of aid, except the Federal Work Study Program. Students studying abroad for a semester or full academic year will forfeit the value of a federal work–study assignment.
The cost is equivalent to the tuition, room charge (Ahern), and a reduced comprehensive fee, pluse a program fee.
All Loyola Financial Aid applies.
The Beijing Center provides three full weeks of travel through China each semester. Details on all excursions can be found here.
The program ambassadors are students who studied abroad in Beijing last year. They are ready to be contacted with program-specific questions via email.
Mike Cascione mpcascione@loyola.edu Senior. Finance Major. GWOC- Great Wall of China "TBC challenged me in every way possible: academically, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. But it was a challenge I would do again in a heartbeat because by challenging myself and pushing myself past my preconceived limits, I was able to learn more about myself and my capabilities. The TBC experience is something that is impossible to describe in words. You will do things through the program that you never will get to do ever again in your lifetime: see the Great Wall of China, live with ethnic minority groups who live day-to-day on the food they grow for themselves, etc." -Mike C.
Sean Liu slliu@loyola.edu Senior. Political Science Major. IB minor and Asian Studies minor. "There are few things in my life that I can count as one of the best experiences, but I am happy to say that going to China for a year was one of them. Not only did all of my courses count for credit so I can still graduate on time, but it opened up my radar to a whole new realm of careers in the international job market. In addition to my transcript, I have a year of living abroad experience and nearly fluent Mandarin Chinese language, all of which sets me apart to employers. There's not a day goes by that I don't miss my time in China, and I plan on returning to China to work and study after graduation. I highly recommended the TBC program to anyone who (a) wants to learn one of the most difficult yet valuable languages of the 21st century, (b) is interested in playing a role in the new dynamic global environment that is shifting its focus to the East, or (c) wants to have a truly unique and unforgettable study abroad experience." -Sean L.
Monica Bustos mpbustos@loyola.edu Senior. Biology major. "Being in an environment so drastically different from home took me completely out of my comfort zone and forced me to use the knowledge that I had to get around and survive. Throughout my experience there, I became immersed in China’s rich culture and diversity, allowing myself to reflect and grow as a person." -Monica B.
Dennis Bartsch drbartsch@loyola.edu Senior. International Business Major. Asian Studies Minor. "Deciding to go to China was undoubtedly something I questioned in the days leading up to boarding the plane to Beijing, but those feelings dissolved almost immediately after arriving. From long bus rides across southern China (offering some of the most spectacular scenery in the world), to staying overnight in Chinese minority villages, the experiences I shared with my new friends created bonds that will never be replaced. Despite the tremendous change of scenery, my new friends and I came to know and love Beijing. Great street food, countless restaurants, convenient transportation, and a wide variety of places to explore made our time in Beijing endlessly enjoyable. Although challenges arose here and there, such as deciding what meal to order and asking a cab driver to drive somewhere, every experience was worthwhile and there was no end to the amount of great stories we had to tell each other. However, even more challenging was having to leave at the end of the semester. Studying abroad in China with TBC is an opportunity that should not be passed up and is one of the many reasons I cannot wait to go back in the future.
Shout out to Delicious Food and the great family that worked there! If you choose to go to China, I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. They serve their own variation on American-style foods, such as cheeseburgers and fries." -Dennis B.
