Mandarin Center
A Partnership between the University of St. Thomas
and Wenzao Ursuline
About the Center
Shape Our World
The Mandarin Center of the Universities of St. Thomas and Wenzao Ursuline is a pioneering program developed to support the historic 2021 US-Taiwan Education Initiative to promote mutual language education.
The Mandarin Center represents the first joint language and cultural educational partnership to emerge from the Initiative in the United States and represents a substantial long-term financial investment in our university by Taiwan and Taiwanese-American business and community leaders in Houston.
Join the Center
What Do We Do?
We provide opportunities such as language courses, study abroad scholarships, and cultural activities for students to experience the essence and beauty of Chinese and Taiwanese cultures. Through Immersive Learning in Taiwan, the TCOLE Certification and clubs like The Chinese Language and Culture Association, the Mandarin Center has the resources you need to foster an interest in Chinese Culture and Language.
Immersive Learning
Learn Mandarin in Taiwan
Mandarin language learners receive intensive overseas immersion training in exchange for rapid language gains with HUAYU BEST Scholarship at Wenzao Ursuline University in Taiwan.
This program will provide an opportunity for our students to understand the essence of Taiwan from various angles and perspectives, by means of classroom study, social interaction, cultural exchange, and being teaching interns for elementary/middle school students in and around Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
While students take intensive Mandarin classes, they may also enroll in other subject areas in which English is the language of instruction. UST has an exchange relationship with Wenzao Ursuline University that allows students to earn credits at Wenzao that count as UST credits.
For more information and application process, please contact MandarinCenter@stthom.edu for more information.
Program Overview
Considering Center Semillero at UST?
Discover how our programs form leaders through engaging academics, pastoral depth, and a vibrant multicultural community. Explore answers to common questions about our academic focus, masters programs, and student experience. For personalized guidance, contact Mrs. Belinda Trujillo at trujilmb@stthom.edu or 713‑628‑6221.
How does the Center Semillero teach Scripture all in Spanish?
At the Center Semillero, students encounter the Bible in the beauty and depth of their native Spanish language. This allows them to understand Scripture with clarity, cultural resonance, and spiritual familiarity. Through guided study, learners explore how the experiences of the disciples illuminate their own lives, always with the richness of shared language and cultural understanding.
Who should consider studying through the Center Semillero?
Everyone who feels comfortable with Spanish is invited to study at the Center Semillero: lay men and women, religious and consecrated persons, deacons, and priests. Our programs welcome all who desire to grow in Scripture and pastoral theology within a culturally resonant, Spanish‑speaking learning community.
What academic programs are offered?
The Center Semillero offers two graduate programs – the Master of Arts in Sacred Scripture (MASE) and the Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology (MATP). Both are fully in Spanish and fully online.
How does the Center Semillero support enhanced engagement beyond an online experience?
The Center Semillero offers a rich formation experience that extends well beyond virtual learning. Students participate in hybrid spiritual retreats, academic and pastoral symposia, personalized advising sessions, and community‑building gatherings that deepen their learning and spiritual growth. A signature pilgrimage experience further invites students to encounter Scripture and Theology in transformative ways while journeying with their classmates.