Program Details
Course Information
All classes will be taught by N.T.N.U. faculty lecturers who have professional certification in teaching Chinese to non-native speakers. Students coming with the U of A delegation will first be evaluated by N.T.N.U. faculty and then assign them to language classes appropriate to their level; other students in each of these language sections will all be non-native learners at roughly the same level from all over the world.
Program dates for 2025 are June 23- August 21. Classes are from July 1 to August 21. N.T.N.U. recommends that all students arrive on campus 1 to 2 weeks before the class starts to register and take language placements on the scheduled new student registration date (June 23 and 24) and to familiarize themselves with the different cultures and environments. N.T.N.U. will charge a late registration fee for those who register after the new student registration dates. The late registration deadline is June 30, 2025. Students will not be allowed to take their classes after the late registration deadline.
Detailed information about travel arrangements will be discussed among those accepted to the program in the spring. All students are expected to be 18 or older by the time they arrive in Taiwan; we will always provide all the personal and academic assistance that we can to students in the program, but neither the University nor the program manager can take legal responsibility for participants.
During the eight weeks of the course, classes will run for about 2 hours every weekday, available in various time slots, such as 8:10 to 10:00, 12:20-14:10, 14:20-16:10, 16:20-18:10, and 18:30-20:20. N.T.N.U. will consider students' preferences that they have selected; however, actual class times are determined by class availability. Students are expected to attend class every day. In addition to your time in class, you are required to attend 5 hours of mandatory multi-task language training courses per week. Please expect to do another 1-2 hours of homework per day. However, there is still plenty of time to have fun! Most students can spend many hours shopping, dining out, clubbing, and even taking weekend trips around Taiwan.
Living Conditions
Students will be housed in an on-campus dormitory and take a 20-minute bus ride to their classrooms. The housing will be a two-person arrangement in one room. There is no en-suite bathroom or kitchen in the room. Students need to use public kitchens, powder rooms, and shower rooms. All the rooms are air-conditioned. We can work with N.T.N.U. to try to place students with roommates of their choice; however, in case of odd numbers of roommates, cancellations, or other issues, participants may have to share a bedroom with a non-U of A student.
Campus cafeterias and restaurants serve budget-friendly food at mealtimes. In addition, various snack shops and convenience stores on or near campus provide a variety at reasonable prices. Of course, those who wish can seek out other dining options around the city; however, there is a wide range of prices available, and high-end dining can be just as expensive as in Canada.
Costs
Total estimated costs for the two-month program, including tuition and fees, room and board, and airfare, are around $6,291. The total estimate of $6,291 (which will vary with exchange-rate fluctuations) is based on the following line items:
- Tuition (NTD19,400= CAD 820)
- Other N.T.N.U. fees (NTD 3,684 = CAD 156, including registration fee NTD 2500,
Textbook fee NTD 1000, Mandatory medical insurance fee NTD 184) - Housing on campus (NTD 40,000= CAD 1693, including water, electricity, and Wi-Fi)
- Meals (CAD 1,000 if dining on a budget)
- Transportation (NTD 2,400 = CAD 172)
- Round-trip airfare (from Edmonton to Taipei, CAD 2200)
- U of A Education Abroad Application Fee (CAD 250)
Counting all costs and scholarships (see below), we estimate that participants in 2025 can enjoy a transformative two-month study experience for as little as $ 400 out-of-pocket.
This total cost does not include costs of entertainment, shopping, or tourist travel; participants should budget accordingly if they wish to be able to do any of these. Because an essential part of a study-abroad trip is getting off campus and engaging with locals, we strongly recommend spending at least a small amount of money to cover local travel, small purchases, etc.
Scholarships
We have several types of scholarships available for applicants:
1. The UAlberta China Institute scholarship (CAD 1,800)
We are pleased to be granted a total of $45,000 in scholarship funds from the university's China Institute for 2025. This funding will provide $1,800 scholarships to 25 participants. In the event that we receive more than 25 applications, the $1,800 scholarships will be awarded based on a selection process that considers both academic merit and a desire for equitable representation across the university. All applicants to the summer program will automatically be considered for the scholarship.
2. The UAlberta Education Abroad Individual Award (CAD 1,500)
All full-time students who have completed a minimum of 12 credits of UAlberta coursework (or one term of graduate study for graduate students) with a minimum GPA of 2.7 are eligible to apply for a $1,500 scholarship from the university's Go Abroad office. Please click here to apply.
Note: To expedite the application process, we strongly encourage you to begin your scholarship application while applying for the summer program.
3. The UAlberta Taiwan Studies Program Scholarship (CAD 500)
We are pleased to announce that we have been granted a total of $10,000 in scholarship funds from the University’s Taiwan Studies Program for 2025. This funding will provide $500 scholarships to 20 participants. If we receive more than 20 applications, the scholarships will be awarded based on a selection process that considers both academic merit and a commitment to equitable representation across the university. All applicants to the summer program will automatically be considered for the scholarship.
4. Scholarship from The Taiwan Ministry of Education (choose one of the two):
- Huayu Enrichment Scholarship
(Monthly stipend of TWD 25,000, approx. CAD 2,100 for two months)
The Taiwan Ministry of Education offers the 2025 Huayu Enrichment Scholarships for students wishing to study Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan for a short period. This scholarship provides a monthly stipend of TWD 25,000 (equivalent to approximately CAD 1,050, subject to currency fluctuations) to successful applicants. Please check back for the latest information.
Note: To apply for the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, students must first complete their registration at National Taiwan Normal University (N.T.N.U.). For registration details, please refer to the Application and Registration section. - Group Funding for Short-term Mandarin learning
(Weekly stipend of TWD 6,000, approx. CAD 2,000 for 8 weeks)
The Taiwan Ministry of Education also offers short-term scholarships for groups of over fifteen participants to study Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan. This scholarship provides a weekly stipend of TWD 6,000 (equivalent to approximately CAD 250, subject to currency fluctuations) to successful applicants. All applicants to the summer program will automatically be considered for this scholarship.