Taiwan: Taipei

In cooperation with CET Academic Programs, Lewis & Clark offers a Regional Area Study program in Taipei. Students take small-group Chinese language classes at the renowned National Taiwan University Language Center in the mornings, and then take electives in English and/or work at a local internship in the afternoons. This experience provides students with organized language learning, along with the opportunity to take Area Studies and Environmental Studies classes, and to put language skills into practice while gaining real-world work experience.

The program is located at Taiwan’s top university, National Taiwan University (NTU). The large, beautiful campus has a vibrant international feel thanks to the many students and scholars who come from all over the world to study there.

The CET Taiwan office is conveniently located on the main NTU campus. Here, students can meet with staff or hang out in the student lounge, or head off to the nearby main library. Students can also go for a bite to eat at one of the many cafes and restaurants just outside of the campus gates.

Program Location: Taiwan is many things at once; It is a major world economy, a key player in the world’s high-tech industry, a little league baseball powerhouse, and a thriving democracy where economic, political, and journalistic freedoms are sacred. Taiwan is distinctly Taiwanese, but at the same time obviously Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian. It is an island, but it is also home to some of the most formidable mountains in Asia. Its tea is world-famous, but small, independently-owned coffee shops are ubiquitous. It is a paradise to nature lovers, cyclists, surfers, foodies, environmentalists, birders, music lovers, and philosophers, and activists everywhere.

Onsite Staff:

The Resident Director of CET Taiwan is Melita Percy. Melita graduated from Princeton University in the class of 2020 with a BA in Near Eastern Studies focused on a mix of Arabic, Chinese, and anthropology. Immediately following graduation, she came to Taiwan to teach English for a year followed by a year-long self-designed fellowship in which she established an online language and culture exchange program that connects public K-12 schools between Taiwan and Tennessee (her home state). As Taiwan has become a second home, Melita is excited to support CET students in navigating their life in Taipei. When not at work, you can find Melita dancing, choreographing, hiking, and cooking with friends. 

The Internships Director and General Manager of CET Taiwan is Chunling Wang. Chunling completed her undergraduate studies in English Literature at National Taiwan University in 2004 and got an MA in the same discipline at National Sun Yat-sen University in 2008. She then went on to work as a research assistant on a wide variety of government-funded education, literature, and humanities projects at both her alma maters and at National Cheng Kung University. Chunling has a special affinity for Shakespeare and has worked for three different organizations dedicated to the study of his work! While no stranger to the big city and an expert on all things National Taiwan University, Chunling was born and raised in rural southern Taiwan and loves to introduce foreign students to the unique language, culture, and geography of this region.

Requirements Fulfilled:

General Education - This program fulfills the Global Perspectives general education requirement for students who successfully complete 8 or more semester credits.

Students who complete Chinese 201 or higher fulfill the World Language proficiency general education requirement.

Major/Minor Requirements - This program fulfills the overseas study recommendation for the Asian Studies minor and the World Languages major with Chinese as the primary language. Select courses can be applied to the Chinese minor.

Credits: Credit earned varies based on courses completed. Students may earn up to 19 credits. Overloads are not permitted.

Curriculum:

Students have the option of taking 4 or 12 credits of Chinese language. The remaining credits are completed with electives and/or an internship. The level of the Chinese language classes (the exact course number) will be determined by the results of a placement test completed at the beginning of the program.

Housing: Students live in double rooms in fully-furnished apartments in central Taipei - located no more than ten minutes from a metro station. Students live with a mix of other internationally-minded people from Taiwan and around the world. Students are responsible for purchasing and preparing their own meals. The Overseas Office will give them a stipend to cover the cost of their food. Students have the choice of cooking at home, eating out, or getting take-out from one of the many noodle or biandang (bento box) cafes near campus.

Extracurricular Activities: Over the course of the semester, students have access to a variety of activities around Taipei. Students can join the bikeshare program, hike to the top of Elephant Mountain, surf the waves at Fulong beach, and visit the Shilin night market for some fried chicken, fresh fruit smoothies, red bean custard pies.

“I wish I had known that I might need a pair of boots, rubber slides, or something more rainworthy than my sneakers.”

“If you think you can say it in Mandarin, try! “

2026-2027 Fee Breakdown*

Total Fee (includes Tuition, Program Fee, and Health & Wellness Fee): $44,791

Tuition: $35,329

Program Fee: $9,425

Health & Wellness Fee: $37**

Included in the program fee are room/housing, board/meals, and administrative fees. Not included are airfare, passport and visa expenses, primary insurance coverage, photographs, books, immunizations, and incidentals. 

*Fees are updated every February for the following academic year.

**The Health & Wellness Fee supports the operations of Wellness Services staff in delivering pre-program orientation services, as well as in providing health-related consultation regarding participant health needs. All students in the College of Arts and Sciences pay a mandatory fee of $37 per semester.

Stipend: Students will receive a stipend to cover the cost of meals and transportation costs not covered by the program fee.

Estimated Airfare (Round Trip PDX to TPE): $1,000 - $2,000

Estimated Health Insurance Fee: $1,906

All students participating in overseas programs are automatically enrolled in iNext, a supplemental travel insurance program. The fee for iNext is covered in the program cost. However, students are also required to have comprehensive health insurance during their time abroad. All students participating in overseas programs, both abroad and domestic, are automatically enrolled in the College’s student health insurance program. Similar to a regular semester on-campus, students participating in overseas programs may waive enrollment in the student health insurance program if they have other comprehensive health insurance (e.g., through a parent, guardian or employer) that 1) provides coverage for them in the geographic region in which they will be studying and 2) includes mental health benefits. Find more information regarding health insurance & overseas programs.

Physical Requirements:

Before applying to this program, you should assess and determine if you are physically and/or emotionally able to participate in the following physical demands required by some of this program’s activities:

• Walking or hiking up to 5 miles in a day, sometimes for two or more days in a row, sometimes on hilly, uneven, or cobbled terrain
• Climbing and descending stairs
• Using public transportation, including sometimes crowded buses or trains
• Navigating crowded streets and sidewalks
• Standing for long periods during tours and site visits
• Entering into older buildings with narrow and sometimes steep staircases, at times with limited or no access to elevators
• The possibility of warm/hot temperatures while residing in locations without air conditioning, and/or cold temperatures while residing in locations with a comfort for lower indoor temperatures
• The possibility of long, busy days with little downtime and infrequent days off from program activities

If you have questions or are concerned about these or any other program activities, please contact the Lewis & Clark College Overseas & Off-Campus Programs office (overseas@lclark.edu).

Application Process: This program has a dual application process. Student must first submit a Lewis & Clark Application one year before the start of the program. Once admitted by Lewis & Clark, the students will receive instructions for submitting their secondary, or program sponsor, application, and will receive a separate notification letter from CET. Please keep a digital copy of your essays and other application materials as you may need to submit these again to CET or you will need to re-write the essays. Please note that this secondary application process can be as late as the semester preceding your scheduled participation.

Learn more about our application process.

Travel: Students usually fly into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), where they are met by onsite program staff and transported to the orientation.  

Visa: Students will most likely not be required to apply for a visa in order to participate in this program. More information will be provided upon admission to the program.

Country-Specific Health Information: View specific health information for people traveling to Taiwan.  

State Department Country Information: Visit the State Department’s Taiwan page.