Student Dual Degree Experiences
Not only can you earn a bachelor’s degree from Feng Chia University, but you can also obtain an overseas bachelor’s or master’s degree.
The “Dual Degree Program” allows students from partner institutions to study abroad after completing three years at their home university. Through a formal application process, students may continue their studies at a partnered overseas university. By completing the required coursework and meeting the graduation requirements of both institutions, students can earn degrees from both universities within a shorter timeframe.
This program has established dual-degree agreements with 12 internationally renowned business schools and universities. Students who meet the application requirements may obtain either dual bachelor’s degrees or a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree within four years.
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Australia
France
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Temple University
Yang Chia-Ju 楊佳儒
3+2 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
Compared to Taiwan, what I find very different about American university campuses is that, in addition to being significantly larger in scale, they do not have so-called "front gates" or "back gates." Each college is distributed in different corners; for an American campus, the distances between the various colleges at Temple University are already considered quite close. Although Temple has a fair number of international students, I feel that there are not too many Chinese-speaking people. This is a quite positive phenomenon for students who want to improve their English skills—putting oneself in an environment full of foreigners, stepping out of the comfort zone to try and converse or communicate with foreigners. They understand that English is not our first language; even if you say something wrong, do not be afraid. Expressing yourself with confidence is more important.
From February 21 to February 22, 2020, I went to participate in a sports forum held at George Washington University. Every single person on the speaker list had a distinguished background; they even invited Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, to be the opening guest for the entire forum.
During this nearly full year of graduate school life, I have been made to deeply realize that the sports industry is not just about the athletes that the audience sees on the field; more importantly, it is about those behind-the-scenes drivers involved in operations, marketing, and planning.
Temple University
Tsai Tse-Yun 蔡則雲
3+2 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
I am Tsai Tse-Yun from the BIBA program, and I went to Temple University in the United States to study Sport Business. This major provides students with a wealth of sports industry knowledge and industry resources, allowing us to better understand the operational processes of each sports league, such as team revenue, player salary distribution, and league financial management. Before studying in this department, I was not familiar with sports other than basketball; however, after two semesters of study, besides getting to know more sports, I also discovered that the entire economic systems behind many leagues are developing rapidly.
The first year of studying at Temple was very special for me; due to the impact of the pandemic, I chose to take online classes in Taiwan during the first half of the semester. Honestly speaking, comparing online classes and in-person classes, the teachers' instructional content did not change much, but the downside is that it is more difficult to have interactions with classmates. Additionally, because of the time difference, trying to coordinate meeting times was always a bit exhausting. Furthermore, I would suggest that before studying in this major, one should pay more attention to news about various sports, especially American college basketball and football, to better integrate into interactions with classmates and professors.
After taking online classes for a semester, I decided to leave Taiwan for Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a very interesting city; the streets exude a very free atmosphere—very joyful, but at the same time, it is also a quite dangerous place. The school is only about a 20-minute subway ride from downtown, which is truly convenient; however, it is not recommended to wander outside alone at night. Due to the pandemic, many places were closed or required reservations, but they have gradually reopened after the summer vacation. Overall, compared to other cities, Philadelphia is a bit more passionate and the cost of living is cheaper; it is a city very much worth living in or visiting!
Northumbria University
Hsieh Heng-Yi 謝亨翊
3+1 Dual Bachelor's Degrees
As long as you are willing to step out of that safe environment, you can discover that studying abroad is actually not as scary as imagined.
University courses are actually divided into large classes and small classes. Generally, large-class courses mainly cover concepts and explain the basic knowledge that needs to be understood within the curriculum; furthermore, after class, the teachers usually leave much faster than the students, so it is very difficult to ask the teacher questions at that time. Small-class courses are usually tutorials or presentations. Teachers will require students to read relevant materials and books in the large classes and will tell the teachers of the small classes the topics that must be discussed. Therefore, I basically spend time reading and even researching the topics to be discussed with the teacher. During the course, you can also ask the teacher questions or even obtain more information; this will be very helpful for your final assignments and even for achieving high marks.
Newcastle is a nice town. Obtaining relevant daily necessities is also very easy. If you are not used to the local food, you can even find many Asian restaurants or Asian supermarkets. Although the prices are very different, at least they can reduce your homesickness. There, you also do not need to worry about being subjected to unequal treatment, because this place can be said to be rated as the friendliest British city. As long as you can get used to the local climate, then I think it will not cause too many problems for people.
Nottingham Trent University
Liao Rou-Hong 廖柔黌
3+1 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
"Cross-border learning while simultaneously learning across disciplines; your potential is far more powerful than you imagine."
The "Nottingham Discovery" ice-breaking game allowed us to become familiar with each other and also get to know this city; furthermore, at the end of the game, we had to share with the teacher which places we had visited.
The school library is open 24 hours; some people will stay at school all night to work on reports. The library here is not as quiet as those in Taiwan; it is divided into quiet zones and areas where discussion is allowed. There is even a Starbucks and a bookstore inside the library, which is very convenient, so many people really like going to the library to do their reports.
The NBS Thinkubator Challenge was also an activity from which I learned a lot, learning to look at a matter from different perspectives through the words of classmates from different departments. The school invites companies or organizations from different fields to engage in exchange with us; we need to help the companies or organizations solve some problems they are currently facing, analyzing and providing some insights for their reference.
Nottingham Trent University
Chang Fang-Yu 張芳瑜
3+1 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
Learning the importance of teamwork and expressing one’s opinions at the right time.
I still remember that the very first class was conducted through a group competition. We had to propose an appropriate market strategy to compete against four other groups and win in a virtual jeans market. This strategy required suggestions from every team member; we had to present our own ideas, communicate, and reach a strategy accepted by everyone to proceed with the competition. This teamwork taught me the importance of expressing myself. In Western countries, people are not afraid of proposing wrong or inappropriate ideas; what they fear more is having other thoughts but failing to voice them properly.
In every class, I love sitting with foreigners. Not only can I make international friends, but I can also understand the unique perspectives of people from different regions.
Nottingham Trent University
Lu Pei-Yu 盧珮瑜
3+1 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
Cultivating self-directed learning abilities through living independently abroad
I believe that having practical experience to combine the knowledge and theories learned in school will be of great help to my future career. Regarding curriculum planning, the school encourages self-directed learning; there are only two theoretical lectures a day, while the remaining scheduled time is for seminars. We are expected to engage in discussions through case studies and connect our knowledge with these cases, thereby allowing us to apply and consolidate what we have learned. The school also invites industry experts from marketing firms to teach courses in related fields, aiming to ensure that we possess not only basic theoretical knowledge but also the skills currently being used in the industry.
Interacting and conversing with new friends and classmates has allowed me to learn communication skills. Furthermore, when communicating with classmates from different cultural backgrounds, I can better appreciate the cultures and wonders of different countries.
Adelaide University (UniSA)
Chiang Yu-Heng 江雨衡
3+1.5 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
I applied for the 3+1.5 year Master’s program at the University of South Australia. When I first arrived in Adelaide, I was a bit unaccustomed to things. Everything was so unfamiliar yet exciting; at the time, I passed through customs with a heart full of curiosity and caution, carefully watching the signs along the way. Everything was quite nerve-wracking until I saw a Caucasian man in the distance holding a sign with my English name and the school’s name next to it. I finally let go of my nervousness because I knew he was sent by the school to pick me up, and that everything would be well-arranged. Although July and August are the coldest times here, the living facilities and the people are great; there is no need to worry about being unable to adapt or issues with discrimination.
Speaking of the academics here, it is truly quite a thrilling experience. I already felt immense pressure when submitting my first assignment because there is a heavy emphasis on citations here. My first assignment was a 3,000-word report. I later discovered that 3,000-word reports are the norm here; I had never written a report with that many words in Taiwan, let alone having to consider the citations themselves. However, fortunately, I survived and even received HD (High Distinction) twice.
If you also want to study abroad but are worried about high costs or being unable to adapt to the culture, ADL is a great choice!
Adelaide University (UniSA)
Chen Shang-Cheng 陳尚呈
3+1.5 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
Chen Shang-Cheng
A Single Thought Can Change a Life
As an international student, going abroad was not mandatory; I originally planned to stay in Taiwan until graduation. However, by my junior year, I had grown accustomed to everything in Taiwan—I had a hard-earned circle of friends and had finally learned to speak fluent Chinese. At the same time, I felt lost in this current stability. When I first made the tough decision to come to Taiwan, I thought: why can’t I push my boundaries once more while I’m still young and break out of my comfort zone again? While some classmates had already received their offers, I only then picked up my pen, hoping to pass the IELTS in four months and catch the last train.
Adelaide, South Australia
Although Adelaide is a small city, there is plenty of entertainment. To the west is a long coastline; to the east is a mountain range with many zoos and a German village (Hahndorf). The University of South Australia is located in the city center. Usually, living in a city center dormitory means a 15-minute walk to school, but the rent is very expensive. I live outside the city center; it usually takes 30 minutes by bus to get to school, and the rent is half the price. Regarding safety, the police are constantly patrolling, so it is very safe and there is no need to worry. Academically, the average assignment is a 2,000-word report, and one course usually requires two reports. With four courses a semester, it was a bit of a "shock education," but Australia is actually much more relaxed compared to the US or the UK.
Vision Determines Thinking
Having never been to an English-speaking country, I flew to Australia alone with my half-baked English. Over these two years, I have experienced many "firsts": traveling as a backpacker to Melbourne to stay in a youth hostel, knocking on doors everywhere to find a job, and attending social events alone. I believe studying is important, but it won't be the most important thing about your time in Australia. Going abroad gives you the chance to make friends with different people from all over the world; that is what matters most—learning their language, culture, and exchanging ideas to explore your own life plan. I know these words sound cliché, but you cannot build a great car behind closed doors. Whether you are a local or an international student, whatever your reason for going abroad, believe me: as long as you dare to take that first step, the experience of "traveling ten thousand miles" will be quite fun. The power to take that step is in your hands, and the life you experience abroad is also in your hands.
I very much hope to settle in Adelaide. If any juniors are interested in coming to South Australia to study, feel free to contact me. I am happy to share what I have learned and seen here.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Chou Kuan-Jen 周冠任
3+1 Dual Bachelor's Degrees
Over the past year, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted my plans to study in Australia during my senior year, resulting in me taking online classes from home for an entire year. This change also had a significant impact on the group projects required in my classes. Facing the inability to communicate instantly with classmates and professors, coupled with my own cultural barriers, I encountered many difficulties when I first started doing group reports. However, I tried to make several changes. First, for every group project, I would organize my ideas into a one-page outline and give it to my team members for reference, so they could better understand my thoughts. This not only sped up the efficiency of our discussions but also compensated for the shortcomings in my communication skills. Second, I built the ability to engage in dialogue with professors. In the past, while studying in Taiwan, I rarely interacted with professors. But under the Australian education system, for every report, the professor only gives you a concept; you must communicate your ideas with them through continuous reflection to successfully complete a report. If you choose to remain silent, you will not only do the wrong things based on incorrect ideas but also lose the precious opportunity to learn from the professor. Therefore, while the onset of COVID-19 was unpredictable, what I could do was evolve with the times and change myself to adapt to uncontrollable factors.
Consequently, we should remain cautious regarding things within our control and stay optimistic about things beyond our control. One can only do what is within their capacity, and we must accept this fact. Although I lost the opportunity to experience life locally in Australia, I have deepened my personal knowledge through this year of online courses without delaying my future academic plans. I also learned to face these setbacks with an optimistic heart. Although 2021 was the worst year for international students, I achieved a seamless study-abroad experience through the advancement of the internet and technology.
Excelia Business School (La Rochelle Business School)
Wang Yi-Tsu 王憶慈
3+1 Dual Bachelor's Degrees
Every experience is a form of destiny, and the most important nutrient for growth.
Before the semester begins, the school hosts an Orientation Day to help new students get to know the campus. However, Excelia’s grounds are actually quite small and can be covered in no time. It is divided into two campuses: the Main Campus and the La Sole Campus, and you go to the designated campus based on your class schedule. There aren’t many classrooms; the total number of rooms across both campuses might not even be as many as the Business Building at Feng Chia University (XD), so there’s no need to worry about getting lost. I can only say it’s a case of "the sparrow may be small, but it has all its vital organs"—small but complete!
"Every encounter on life's journey is meant to be."
Just like how I unexpectedly ended up studying in France—a place I had never planned for—and survived for seven months with zero foundation and very broken French, even wandering to many countries for adventures. I feel very lucky and grateful for this learning opportunity, which allowed me to discover my own infinite possibilities. I can now call myself a "mini-pro" at backpacking; after all, I truly made the most of the breaks here to experience life. I went as far as Northern Europe to ride a dog sled and see Santa Claus, fulfilled a childhood dream seeing the Little Mermaid, and rode camels while sleeping in tents in Morocco, North Africa. Closer by, I visited Austria, Germany, and France to see castles and attend concerts. I think I’ve used up all my "spur-of-the-moment" courage here. I’ve also accumulated many tips for budget student travel and booking flights and accommodation, which I hope to share with more people in the future. This has been an amazing exchange journey—no regrets, and absolutely worth it.
Excelia Business School (La Rochelle Business School)
Tsao Ya-Yuan 曹雅媛
3+2 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
The first motivation for choosing Excelia was to save time. By utilizing my senior year to complete the first year of a Master’s program, I am already starting my second year and looking for internships while my peers are still in their first year or rushing to find jobs. The second motivation was to save money; Excelia and the BIBA program signed a tuition waiver agreement. Therefore, I only needed to pay Feng Chia tuition for the first year, and the second year is completely free of tuition and fees.
The school’s curriculum is calculated as 6 hours per credit, with major subjects mostly being 4 credits. We have no midterm exams and very few quizzes; grades are almost entirely based on assignments, reports, and a final exam. A semester lasts about three months. At the start of the term, there are only two courses to attend; we take the final exams for those in the middle of the semester, and only then do we begin other courses. As for the content, it is generally quite similar to our required courses at Feng Chia. When we first started, my roommate and I habitually took out paper and pens to take notes, only to find that every French student had a laptop; it turns out everyone uses computers to record key points.
The most precious time this semester has been the interaction with people from other countries. Whether good or bad, these are all very valuable experiences. I hope to stay in touch with these friends and meet again someday!
Excelia Business School (La Rochelle Business School)
Huang Yen-Ju 黃嬿儒
3+2 Bachelor's + Master's Degrees
This program allows one to obtain a Master’s degree from a French business school through a tuition waiver system. There is no need to pay additional tuition; you only need to cover your own living expenses in France.
Studying for a Master’s here is very interesting. Eighty percent of the classmates are French, and among them, less than half have strong English proficiency. This is when you see the "cute" side of French students. Half of the French classmates with poor English will try very hard to communicate and help you, mixing French with French-accented English; after listening for a while, it doesn’t seem that hard to understand. The other half are more reserved; because their English isn't great and they fear communication difficulties, they simply won't chat with you. It gets tough if you end up in the same group—the French students will cluster together and discuss in French, which truly makes me want to cry since I am a French beginner. They really don't do it on purpose; they just can’t or don't dare to discuss in English with me. Aside from that, however, most interactions are pleasant; they are very willing to offer care and help, they just aren't quite sure how to express it.
Regarding the courses, perhaps because about 40% of the students do not have an undergraduate degree in business, the difficulty of the first-year Master's courses is really not that high—many topics are even things we already learned in university. However, the scheduling and examination methods in France are very unique. Classes are intensive; a single course can be completed within two weeks. There are no midterm exams, only final exams or final reports. The proportion of group discussions and reports is relatively high, so it really tests your ability to coordinate and organize with international classmates. French classmates tend to have rather "unique" ways of thinking, which can make discussions more challenging than with German or Northern European students, but overall, if you choose the right teammates, you can truly learn a lot.