BLCU Information

Chinese Track Homepage

BLCU Application
 The Moore School of Business will handle all application materials once you have filled them out yourselves. Dr. Hudgens (as of 2015-2016) will handle the applications, fees ($100) / deposit, and mail them in the October timeframe. The expected BLCU reply is in late November, early December; an acceptance letter and JW202 form is all you need to begin the Chinese visa process. The final application deadline for a spring semester start is the first week in January (Jan. 8th for 2015).

The BLCU application requires a photocopy of your passport ID, a passport size photo (you should have at least 7 of these made up...it's worth it), emergency contact, and general information. Generally, the application also requires a resume/transcript and a photocopy of your emergency contact; for Moore students, your application material such as official transcripts are copied and sent off. Dr. Hudgens or other program leadership may be listed as your emergency contact (this is beneficial in case your provided emergency contact is neither available or has language difficulties).

Although Moore will provide all materials, here are the weblinks for the BLCU application to take a look:

BLCU Application Instructions

BLCU Printable Application

BLCU Online Application

BLCU Application Online Payment

Please note these links may change at any time. As a reminder, you will need to bring additional passport photos and insurance information for your arrival at BLCU.

BLCU Location and Transportation
Beijing Language and Culture University (北京语言文化大学) - Google Maps

Between 4th and 5th ring Road in the Haidian District, northwest of central Beijing, and a few kilometers east of Tsinhua and Peking University. The major intersection is Xueyuan Lu (学院路) and Chengfu Lu (成府路).

Phone: +86 10-82303114

Post: No.15, XueYuan Road Haidian District Beijing 100083, P. R. China

From the airport:

Taxi: request to the South Gate of BLCU. The best option during the day or with a lot of luggage. Expect to pay around 90-150 RMB to get to Wudaokou (depending on traffic). You’ll need a card with instructions in Chinese if you can’t speak, most cab drivers in Beijing do not speak English.

Bus then taxi: take an airport bus to the Xue Yuan Rd. and take a taxi to the South Gate of BLCU

Metro: take the airport express train to San Yuan Qiao, and transfer subway line No.10 and get off at Zhi Chun Lu, and change subway line No.13 and get off at Wudaokou station (五道口), and walk 10 minutes to the South Gate of BLCU. Cost is less than 30 RMB.

Black Taxi: These are usually private citizens trying to make a buck (or rather a mao) in their spare time. Prices are not fixed and it is best to negotiate before getting in. Depending on availability of Taxis and your desperation to get out of there, do not pay more than 150-200 RMB from the Airport to Wudaokou.

Hire a Driver: This may give you the softest landing into Beijing, and without breaking the bank. Airport Pickup/Drop-off rates, ranging from 200 RMB to 500 RMB for nice, non-luxury (typically Buick, Ford, Honda) pick-up. You will want to arrange this beforehand. No worries though, most speak English. A couple drivers that come recommended by previous IMBA students are: As a note, these drivers are available for hire outside of airport runs. They also run “package” excursions. Prices are set before hand and are pretty reasonable considering the vehicles they use. Drivers marked with an exclamation mark are drivers that come highly recommended.
 * !Eric Wang - http://www.beijing-carservice.com/ - ¥200 RMB for Airport Pick-up/Drop-off
 * !Robert Zhou (Beijing Car Rental) - http://www.beijingcarrent.com/ - ¥300 RMB Airport Pick-up/Drop-off (this is actually a company with a sizeable fleet and staff)
 * Shane Yang - http://www.yangshane.weebly.com/ - ¥400 RMB Airport Pick-up/Drop-off
 * Wendy - http://www.easytravelbj.com/ - Airport Pick-up/Drop-off   ¥300 RMB (car) ¥350 RMB (van)

From the 2015 class: We recommend taking a paid taxi, or a yellow cab. The difference being, with all your suitcases & whatnot, it's nice to have a little room in a bigger 'paid' taxi. You pay in advance (maybe 200-250RMB) at a little kiosk in the airport prior to leaving. Get your receipt (发票 － fa piao) so you don't get any issues from the driver upon arrival.

Or, a normal taxi that uses it's meter is another good way to go if you arrive by yourself & don't need the extra space. It's more convenient then attempting to navigate the trains or bus system on your first pass.

Brief History
Created in 1962 as the Higher Preparatory School for Foreign Students, the first such institution in China with modern name and format changed in 1996. Has Masters and PhD programs for longer-term students. Ranks among the best foreign language (Mandarin) universities in China and worldwide.

Developed the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) (汉语水平考试) in 1984 and nationally standardized in 1992. Mandarin equivalent of TOEFL, taken 100 million times (2 million external of China), and often a requirement for those serious in Chinese-based jobs.

Offers short (1-3 months), medium (1 year), and long (degree) term programs.

Language Prep
The language program at BLCU does not require any previous experience and most of the students in the Intensive Chinese Program have little to no previous experience with Mandarin. Upon arrival, you will take a placement test to determine what class you will be in; your class will be at the same level as you, regardless of previous experience.

That said, it might be beneficial to familiarize yourself with how the language works beforehand (i.e. pinyin, tones, etc.) as it may help you ease into the language as well as life in Beijing.

Don’t let language study overshadow the core of your MBA while in Columbia; sacrificing time towards assignments for language study will limit your ability to maximize the MBA experience & frankly, BLCU will doa bang up job of working your language abilities while in China.

Class Format and Assignment
You will be enrolled in the Intensive Chinese Program at Beijing Language and Culture University (北京 语 言大学 ). The curriculum entails 6-hours/day (30 hrs/wk) of language classes. The semester lasts 20 weeks and will include several cultural excursions as well as a week-long immersion trip to selected sites. For example, in Spring 2012, the trip visited Zhengzhou ( 郑 州 ), Shaolin ( 小林 ), Longmen Grottoes ( 龙门 石窟 ), and Xi’an( 西安 ). In Fall 2012, the trip was to Shanghai ( 上海 ), Hangzhou ( 杭州 ), Suzhou ( 苏 州 ), and Nanjing ( 南京 ).

When you register at BLCU, you will also see your room assignment for the language placement exam. This will merely test your basic knowledge/ability in Chinese starting out. There will be plenty of people with no prior experience in Chinese, so no need to stress too much if your arriving language skills are poor. Placement results will be posted prior to class on the first day of class.

Based on the class that you place into, your class schedule will have multiple teachers and classes; Three 110-minute classes each day (8:00-10:50; 11:10-12:00; 1:00-2:50) with subjects including Spoken Chinese, Listening Comprehension, and Comprehensive class (with emphasis on memorizing, recognizing and writing characters). If you place in a higher class (B or higher), you will also have a Reading class.

In addition to classes, you can find private tutors (for a fee) or language partners (in exchange for helping them with their English) to supplement the curriculum.

BLCU Schedule and Fees
2014 Chinese Language Program Start Dates and Tuition

Fee Information (In US Dollars)

Again, none of this is relevant to you as SC will handle the tuition payments for your program. If possible, it is helpful to utilize the invoice from SC when you register so that there are no issues when getting your information from BLCU.