Menu
Thumbnail

Berkeley Study Abroad

5 Rating
1 review
Leave a Review
Request Info
Request Info

Why choose Berkeley Study Abroad?

Berkeley Study Abroad offers study, research, and internship programs worldwide, including summer, semester, and year options.

UC Education Abroad Program
Join the UC Education Abroad Program, UC's systemwide study abroad program, and choose from over 250 options in 40 countries. Students earn UC course credit and may use their UC financial aid. Open to UC Berkeley students only.

Berkeley Abroad
Study or intern in one of 17 countries worldwide with Berkeley Abroad, UC Berkeley's own study abroad program. Students learn from UC Berkeley instructors, earn UC Berkeley course credit and may use their UC financial aid. Open to UC Berkeley and visiting students.

Affiliate Programs
Participate in affiliate programs offered by institutional partners of UC Berkeley. Academic credit and financial aid vary by program. Open to UC Berkeley students only.

Website
studyabroad.berkeley.edu

Community Photos

No photos yet!

Leave a Review  to share your photos.

Reviews

Default avatar
Woai
31
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Berkeley Summer Abroad: Business Chinese

Best Experience in Asia Ever.

Oct 5, 2013

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Taipei with Berkeley Abroad. Academically, they place you on the first day and then you're put into 3 different classes, 2 language-focused ones and 1 business Chinese textbook (they use the one written by a Penn professor, chenggongzhidao based on case studies). Apparently this program's been around for some 20+ years, and it was well-organized. The faculty is great, the teachers are TOP NOTCH, and the TA's (they organize out-of-school day and weekend trips) are genuinely caring. This is Taipei, so food is not only cheaper but BETTER (than Murican Asian food), the shopping is great, I love Night Markets (lingxia yeshi ftw!). The only trouble I encountered, actually, was monetary incidentally because I only brought about $500 in spending money--that to cover 6 weeks of shopping for the year (tips for shopping: clothes, stationery stores and agendas, food). People in Taipei are courteous.

There are lots of different levels of Chinese; I was already fluent beforehand, but I still felt challenged and learned quite a bit of new things. The classes are small, under 10, and the teachers go to great lengths to have you learn. (It's quite a bit of work on your part too.)

For those of you interested in business in Asia, understanding the culture, as well as challenging yourself in language, this is the program for you.

What would you improve about this program?
I would actually say if we got to interact with even more NTU students, but it being the summer, we did get to interact on an informal basis (we went to see the Leonids). It was interesting to hear what they thought about American culture (shows, music) as well as karaoke!

Programs

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Laura Adams

Program
Berkeley Summer Abroad: Business Chinese
Thumbnail

Step 1: Visit The Study Abroad Office or Attend a Workshop

First, visit, call, or email the UC Berkeley study abroad office. Visiting the office in 160 Stephens Hall is the easiest way to start the study abroad process. Speaking with a student advisor can narrow ideas or open up new possibilities for studying abroad. If you have a specific country in mind already, you may schedule an appointment with one of the many country specific advisors or go during their specific drop in hours. If it is at the beginning of the semester, you can check the events page at for potential workshops that may also help you narrow down your choices.

Step 2: Do Your Own Research

Choose 3 programs that have piqued your interest. Review the programs in detail to ensure that you will not be faced with unknown obstacles. Consider some of the following:

- Financial demands
- Housing
- Language requirements
- Length of stay
- Location
- Course availability
- Any other course pre-requisites
- Extras (Food, culture, entertainment, etc)

Step 3: Make An Appointment

Now that you have narrowed down your programs, make an appointment with the respective study abroad advisor from the link in Step 1. Ask any unanswered questions after your research or to clarify any confusion you may have had. Feel free to ask for program alumni if you want to know about other’s firsthand experience that went on the program.

Step 4: Begin Your Application Process

The application process is very simple. Once you have decided upon a program that you would like to attend, simply visit our homepage to look for your program. Once the application becomes available, you can apply directly from this website. You will be prompted to make an account. Remember your username and password because this site will become very valuable as you get closer to departure and viewing grades while abroad. Furthermore, pay special attention to the due dates as deadlines are set well in advance of the term you plan on going abroad.

Step 5: Apply for Scholarships

Who doesn’t want free money? You should seek out scholarships as soon as possible. There are many available scholarships just for students who study abroad. One great scholarship to look into is the Gilman scholarship. You do not want to pass up on free money especially if you think money might be an obstacle. If you need more help, feel free to make an appointment with any financial aid study abroad staff in 160 Stephens Hall.

Step 6: Get Your Classes Approved

You will want to visit the website of the school you want to travel to in order to view a list of courses and try to obtain the syllabus for the courses you are interested in. This way, you can allow yourself to fulfill graduation requirements while having fun abroad. Make sure to check in with your advisor to talk about the potential options that your major department has already approved. Advisors should be able to pull up a document of courses taken by previous students. Once you know the courses and have the syllabus, fill out a course equivalency form to obtain credit. It is much better to turn in this form before you take courses because you will know what requirements you are satisfying before you leave. No one wants to know that your course has been denied once you come back from abroad!

Step 7: Finish Paperwork

If you have been accepted, you should receive an email detailing your next few steps. Some may include obtaining a visa or finishing paperwork for your host institution. For those on financial aid, double check your aid status and set up a direct deposit with the UCEAP office. Even if you have direct deposit set up with Berkeley, you STILL have to submit another direct deposit with UCEAP.

Step 8: Attend Orientation

This step is very helpful in shedding some light on studying abroad. You will get to meet with your specific host countries’ advisor and several alumni of your program. This is the perfect opportunity to ask any lingering questions you may have before you leave. It is a great opportunity to learn about the culture and style of the living environment. Also you should probably ask about the weather and other crucial items you should bring abroad.

Step 9: Go Overseas!

Make sure you do not over pack! Take about half as much clothes as you would normally need. If you need more, you can always buy some abroad. It will also allow you to fit in more! One very important thing if you plan on using your bank account while abroad. Call customer service and let them know that you are abroad so they do not freeze your account. It would be no fun being stuck in a foreign country without money! Tell them the duration of your stay so they do not think you have been hacked. Lastly, have an amazing time! Don’t spend your free time catching up on television. Make sure you go out and explore! That is why you went abroad right?