Berkeley prescribes the curriculum of the program. The Shanghai school is contracted by Berkeley and acts as its agent in this endeavor. Instruction in the language follows the widely used communicative approach. The Chinese school also affords Berkeley students many opportunities for contact with the language and culture of China through daily outings in the city and weekly visits to points of interest in the Shanghai area. The school in Shanghai engages qualified, native Chinese instructors, experienced in second language acquisition to deliver instruction in the target language.
Students attend classes six hours a day.
The Shanghai school supervises the administration of all tests, keeps a record of all grades earned by the participants, and submits an official academic report to Berkeley at the end of each session to International Studies, which distributes this information to all parties concerned. For the sake of variety, several evening meals are taken in different local and foreign restaurants. Adult supervision is provided at all times. One or two Berkeley faculty members accompany the students to Shanghai every summer. These teachers serve as the students chaperons and act as liaison between Berkeley and the Shanghai school, addressing the students personal needs and communicating with Berkeley about issues of concern to the participants and the program.