Overview
This program is on hold for outbound participation beginning September 2023 and until further notice. Applications will be closed for 2024-2025 programs and beyond.
United International College (UIC) was jointly founded by Beijing Normal University (BNU) and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). UIC is the first modern college in the Chinese mainland that upholds a liberal arts education, situated in Zhuhai city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. With English as the medium of instruction, UIC's education is of international standards with high-caliber academic performance. UIC has over 6,000 students and the population of Zhuhai is approximately 1.8 million.
UIC is located in the coastal city of Zhuhai in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. As one of China's most livable cities, Zhuhai is adjacent to Macao and Hong Kong, connected by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Zhuhai was one of the first places where modern Chinese met Western culture.
Minimum GPA required by host program: Based on WU approval.
(this program is offered for spring or academic year only)
Academics
UIC follows a liberal arts educational philosophy and teaching style that is student-centered and cultivates open-minded, well-rounded talents, enabling students to really dig into their academic field of expertise with an interdisciplinary approach. UIC's education encourages a high level of student-teacher interaction, mentorship and collaboration.
The language of instruction at UIC is English. Subject areas include business and management, cinema and television, communication and media studies, computer science, data science, economics, English and literature, environmental science, international relations, mathematics, media arts and design, music performance and politics and psychology. See the UIC website for specific majors and classes.
Courses in elementary and intermediate Chinese language and in Chinese culture are also offered. See specific class information on the UIC website.
Housing
Exchange students are housed in the Student Hostel Culture Village at UIC.
The majority of the rooms in the Student Hostel Culture Village accommodate two students, one is a Chinese student and the other is the exchange in student. All rooms are air-conditioned. Each room has its own bathroom with toilette and shower. Other facilities include a common lounge (with a small pantry & kitchenette) on each floor, a multi-purpose room, a study room and a laundry area.
There are no meal plans offered at UIC. However, there are several canteens and dozens of small restaurants on and around campus.
Dates
The UIC program is offered for spring or academic year only. The fall semester is not available at UIC because final exams end in mid-January, making it difficult to return to Willamette for the start of spring semester. Early exams are not possible in fall semester.
Cost
Please see the Willamette Sponsored Programs Cost Matrix for detailed explanation of the cost of each program. View estimated cost information for living costs at UIC.
Scholarships
Freeman-ASIA award: Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA) provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. Semester awards are up to $5,000 and academic year awards are up to $7,000.
Boren (NSEP) Scholarship: The Boren awards provide funding to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing international and language study in world regions critical to U.S. interests, such as Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Boren Scholarships for undergraduate students provide up to $20,000 for study abroad, while the Boren Fellowship for graduate students can provide up to $30,000 for language study and international research. In return for funding, recipients commit to working for the federal government for at least one year after the completion of their education.
See the OIE scholarship page for other grants and scholarships available for study abroad.
Pre-departure Resources
- Application Information for Exchange Students (do not start the application until instructed by the OIE)
- Information for incoming exchange students
- United International College homepage
- News
- CIA Factbook
- Weather
- Lonely Planet Guide