Earning Dual Degrees

Feb 08, 2013

Yiwei Yi and the Yiwei Yi '14 is a one-of-a-kind student – she’s the first to pursue dual degrees from Concordia and Sichuan International Studies University in Chongqing, China.

Yi completed her first two years at SISU and, after two years at Concordia, she will receive degrees from both schools. SISU is one of two Chinese universities with ties to Concordia.

One advantage of the dual-degree program is that students are prescreened by SISU for high academic quality and English ability, says Don Buegel, director of international recruiting and support.

"This helps assure us that Chinese students have the capacity to be successful here," Buegel says. "We hope that receiving degrees from both schools is attractive to SISU students and an advantage for them in the job market."

Buegel hopes that Yi, with her academic and social success here, will inspire more SISU students to choose this "2 Plus 2" option.

Yi wants a career in business but was initially unsure of a specific course of study.

"I like math, so finance seemed to be my best choice," she says. "I’m happy with my choice."

She’s also happy with the variety of courses she is taking. Yi’s classes this semester are marketing, financial management, wellness and religion.

"Religion is a very interesting class for a Chinese person," she says. "I’ve never known anything about religion before, so this is all so new. I enjoy the class very much."

When she goes home to Chongqing, other students are curious about her studies at Concordia, Yi says.

"I’m the first to come here, so everyone wants to know what it’s like," she says. "I always say they should come because study abroad is important and Concordia is a good school."

After graduating next year, Yi hopes to work in banking for a few years before returning to China.

"Working in the United States will be good experience for finding a permanent job in China," she says, and adds that there’s an even bigger reason to return home. "If I don’t go back to China my parents will go crazy. They miss me very much."

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