Supported by The Language Flagship, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, the URI Chinese Language Flagship Partner Program is an intensive undergraduate program for highly motivated students preparing for global careers. Flagship Scholars earn a Bachelor’s degree in a chosen academic discipline (engineering, business, political science, textiles, etc.) while working to achieve superior language proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. Flagship Scholars are committed to the highest standard of language learning and are part of a prestigious group of students at a small number of universities across the country.
Special emphasis is placed on the engineering disciplines in cooperation with URI’s International Engineering Program (IEP), a program leading to dual degrees in engineering and language.
Flagship Scholars also have the opportunity to complete content-based Chinese courses at other Flagship institutions through a national student exchange program.
Students entering URI with Flagship Level I (ACTFL Intermediate to Advanced) proficiency in Chinese may apply as incoming freshmen. Students entering URI with no prior or little knowledge of Chinese may apply to be designated Flagship Bound. Flagship Bound students must achieve Intermediate to Advanced proficiency in Chinese to advance to Flagship Scholar status. In order to successfully apply to be designated Flagship Bound and to subsequently advance to Flagship Scholar status, or to successfully apply to be a Flagship Scholar, students must:
- Commit to intensive study of Chinese for the duration of their degree program at URI.
- Participate in the Chinese Summer School at URI and in China during the summers following the freshman and sophomore years.
- Commit to a year of study and professional internship in China.
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3.
Flagship Scholars take content-based Chinese courses at URI taught by faculty members in their chosen academic domain. Chinese language faculty members teach complimentary language courses to accelerate the learning process. The Capstone year is spent in China. Scholars spend one semester at Nanjing University refining their professional Chinese language skills. While at Nanjing, they complete courses in their major and work individually with native-speaking tutors. Immediately following the semester in Nanjing, scholars complete professional internships at various locations in China.
Upon return to URI for their final year, Flagship Scholars continue the language learning process. Each Scholar writes an independent thesis utilizing his or her academic and research skills in Chinese and works one-to-one with a Chinese professor in his or her major throughout the project. Some may also work as teaching assistants for elementary-level Chinese courses. Flagship Scholars are expected to test at Flagship Level III (ACTFL Superior) upon graduation and can be officially certified by The Language Flagship program.
Flagship Scholars and Flagship Bound students are encouraged to apply to live in the “Chinese-only” wing of the Heidi Kirk Duffy Center. The Center is a supportive living and learning environment; it houses the Chinese Flagship Program and the International Engineering Program (IEP) administrative offices as well as 80 IEP students. All students in the Center are pursuing dual majors, one in their foreign language of choice, and one in their core subject matter.
Flagship Scholars are eligible to apply for Flagship Scholarships, as well as other financial support.
For more information, contact Erin Papa, Coordinator, at epapa@uri.edu or (401) 874-5566.
|
