Association of Teachers of Japanese | Study Abroad in Japan

Study Abroad in Japan:
Programs in Japan
Administered by US Institutions

Study-abroad programs in Japan that are administered by organizations in the United States are of several types. Some are direct one-to-one exchange programs for students at colleges and universities that have exchange agreements with counterparts in Japan. These programs offer several advantages to students at the sponsoring schools: there is generally no interruption or delay in the student's scheduled course of study or graduation date; students earn credits at their own institution for work done abroad; tuition bills are often the same as at the home school; financial aid is usually transferable and usable during the study-abroad period.

If you are a student at a college or university that has an exchange program with a college in Japan, your international programs office will be able to advise you. Exchange programs range from the one at Kansai Gaidai, which has exchange agreements with several dozen U.S. universities and colleges and offers a full curriculum in English as well as Japanese-language courses for overseas students, to those like the exchange relationships between the University of Montana and Kumamoto University or between Arizona State University and Hiroshima Shudo University.

Students at many colleges are eligible to participate in consortium programs sponsored by groups of U.S. colleges or universities. Information about these programs is available from the sponsoring institutions as well as from the study-abroad office on your own campus.

Another type of study-abroad experience is offered by the American universities with branch campuses in Japan. At the present time, two universities have Japan campuses, where students from the United States can take courses in English as well as study Japanese. The student bodies of the branch campuses often have almost equal numbers of Japanese and American students, as well as students from other countries.

Finally, American students have the option of participating in study-abroad programs offered by independent organizations like Council (Council on International Educational Exchange), or IES (Institute for the International Education of Students). These programs can be more expensive than exchange or branch-campus programs, but they offer independent or non-affiliated students the chance to live and study in Japan. They often include homestays and travel as part of the study-abroad package.

Dual Degree Program

American University - Ritsumeikan Dual Undergraduate Degree Program

American University's Dual Undergraduate Degree Program with Ritsumeikan University allows students to spend two years in Washington, D.C. at American University followed by two years in Kyoto at Ritsumeikan University earning two Bachelor of Arts Degrees. This program is ideal for students with a high school background in Japanese language studies. Students would spend their first two years at American University studying in any of our schools/colleges, including, the School of International Service, the College of Arts and Science, the School of Public Affairs, the School of Communication, or the Kogod School of Business. Students would enter Ritsumeikan University during the fall of their junior year. The term of enrollment at Ritsumeikan University will be at least four semesters.

Program students will be selected by American University according to the following Êgeneral criteria:

- Academic achievement at the high school level reflected by a cumulative grade point average or the equivalent of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

- Japanese proficiency of Level 2 or above of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or its equivalent. Students with lower proficiency will be required to take intensive Japanese classes in Japanese language schools outside of RU.

Students will be able to transfer 62 hours of relevant academic credit from American University to complete their degree at Ritsumeikan University. In recognition of the academic excellence of the program students, Ritsumeikan agrees to award a scholarship amounting to 30% tuition. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to maintain the award.

For more information please visit the website: http://www.american.edu/sis

Consortium Programs

Associated Kyoto Program

The Associated Kyoto Program (AKP) is a two-semester study-abroad program at Doshisha University in Kyoto, sponsored by a consortium of American colleges and universities. The 40 to 50 students accepted for the program each year study the Japanese language intensively and take courses in English on Japan, mainly in the humanities and social sciences. The sponsoring institutions are: Amherst College, Bates College, Bucknell University, Carleton College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Middlebury College, Mount Holyoke College, Oberlin College, Pomona College, Smith College, Wellesley College, Wesleyan University, Williams College, and Whitman College. Three to five students from other colleges and universities are admitted each year.

The AKP Center occupies part of a building on the main campus of Doshisha University, one of Japan's finest private universities. The Imadegawa campus's location between the Kyoto Imperial Palace to the south and Shotokuji, a major Zen Buddhist monastery complex, to the north makes it the ideal location for study of Japan's traditional and modern aspects. The University gives AKP students use of the libraries, the co-op, and other facilities, and invites them to join Doshisha student groups.

All AKP students live with homestay families in the Kyoto area throughout the nine-month program. A Resident Director, administrative staff, and faculty are on site to help students with both academic and non-academic matters.

Applications and other information are available from study abroad offices at AKP consortium member schools, or from the Program Administrator at Smith College. For more information or to receive application materials, visit the program's Web site at http://www.associatedkyotoprogram.org .

Antioch Education Abroad--Buddhist Studies in Japan

This program, available only in the fall semester (September to December), offers students a unique way to study the history, philosophy, and cultural expressions of Buddhism in Japan. Students also have the opportunity to study Japanese language, to experience directly a variety of Buddhist meditative practices, and to explore their own interests through a directed research project.

Five courses are offered: Philosophy and Historical Development of Buddhism in Japan; Japanese Buddhist Culture (Manifestation of Buddhism in Japanese Culture); Japanese Language; Buddhist Meditation Traditions in Japan (required); Field Research: Selected Topics (required). Students live in Buddhist monasteries and temples in and around the city of Kyoto, so students are expected to follow the lifestyle of a Buddhist monastery. The rigorous daily schedule begins with meditation at 5:30am and concludes with dinner at 6pm.

Website: http://aea.antioch.edu/japan/

Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

The Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC), offers an intensive, 10-month program of study in advanced spoken and written Japanese. The IUC is sponsored by 16 American universities (Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Indiana, Ohio State, Princeton, Stanford, Univ Calif Berkeley, Univ Calif Los Angeles, Chicago, Univ of Hawaii, Univ of Illinois, Univ of Michigan, Univ of Washington, Univ of Wisconsin, Yale Univ) and administered by Stanford University.

Qualified candidates from any institution are invited to apply. Undergraduates, graduates, and professionals who have completed two years of college level study of Japanese, or the equivalent, are eligible. The 10-month program is intended for students embarking on careers in Japanese studies or a profession in which fluent Japanese is necessary. The program is designed to bring each participant to a level of proficiency sufficient for academic or professional use. Training focuses on development of the ability to converse in Japanese on specialized subjects, to comprehend and deliver public presentations, and to read and write materials in Japanese in order to function professionally in academia, business, government or other fields.

For program details and applications, visit the IUC web page at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/IUC.

Japan Center for Michigan Universities

Michigan's state university system established a campus in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, in 1989. The center's facilities were constructed by Shiga Prefecture, and the campus is administered under the auspices of a consortium of 15 Michigan public universities. Students who attend the Center for either a semester or an academic year pursue studies in Japanese language and culture; the Center also offers independent study options and encourages students in other specialties to apply.

The cost of a semester at the Hikone campus, near the shore of Lake Biwa, is estimated at $7,000, including the program fee and housing fee. Housing is in campus apartments, with optional homestays also available.

The Japan Center for Michigan Universities also offers an Environmental Sciences in Japan Program (ESJ). Designed for students in the environmental and natural sciences, it features guest lectures by leading Japanese and American researchers, field trips, internships, and intensive Japanese language study. No prior Japanese language ability is necessary to participate. Partial scholarships are available to qualified applicants.

For more information, on either JCMU program, contact the JCMU office at Michigan State University Website: http://www2.isp.msu.edu/jcmu/index.htm.

Japan Study at Waseda University

Administered by Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and recognized by the Great Lakes College Association (GLCA) and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), the Japan Study program is one of the longest running study abroad programs in Japan. Participants in the program live with a host family in Tokyo, study at prestigious Waseda University, spend a month with a rural family in Shimane Prefecture during a break between terms, and have the opportunity to become involved in extracurricular activities with Japanese university students.

Because the program lasts a full ten months, participating students make unusually strong progress in improving their Japanese language skills. Morning classes at Waseda University are devoted to intensive language study; in the afternoons students are offered a range of English-language electives. During the spring term, students may be able to do independent research projects or to take content courses in Japanese.

Japan Study program participants are accompanied to Japan by a faculty member from a GLCA or ACM campus, who serves as Resident Director and teaches some classes.

All students enrolled in American colleges and universities are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to highly qualified applicants from GLCA and ACM colleges. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is assumed, although exceptions may be made under special circumstances. Acceptance in the program is conditional on completion of at least one semester or term of Japanese language study prior to departure and approval of Waseda University's International Division. Scholarships are available to qualifying students under the Japanese government's program for overseas students.

For more information, visit the program's Web site at http://www.earlham.edu/~jpns/.

Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies

KCJS, located in Kyoto, Japan, is a rigorous academic program primarily for undergraduates. The program offers intensive Japanese language instruction and a broad range of disciplinary courses in Japanese humanities and social sciences, enrichment opportunities, and social connections, focused on Japan. Courses are taught in English as well as in Japanese by leading American and Japanese professors.

KCJS is sponsored by 13 American universities (Boston University, Brown, University of Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Emory, Harvard, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Stanford, Washington University in St. Louis, and Yale) and administered by Stanford University. Qualified undergraduates from any institution are welcome to apply. Full academic year applicants are given priority, but students may also apply for one semester of study (either fall or spring).

For details and application deadlines, visit the KCJS web page at http://www.ogp.columbia.edu/pages/noncolumbia_students/fall-spring-ay/kyoto/.

Waseda Oregon Programs in Tokyo

Waseda University, in partnership with Portland State University offers two Japanese Language & Culture Programs for students and professionals. All programs take place at Waseda University in Tokyo. The Waseda Oregon Transnational Program is a Japanese language and comparative US-Japan Societies study program that matches US-based and other international students with regular Waseda University students in the classroom. Students may earn up to 21 undergraduate quarter credits in language and liberal arts courses addressing the theme "Colloquium on US & Japanese Societies: Globalization & Identity." The Waseda Oregon Summer Japanese Program is an intensive Japanese language immersion program offered at four levels along with Japanese for Specific Purposes Workshops. Students may earn up to 12 undergraduate quarter credits in Japanese language. Program scholarships of up to $1000 are available for the Transnational Program. The Waseda Oregon Office is a non-profit organization established by Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan to foster the continuing development of international education programs between Waseda and select private and public colleges and universities in North America.
Website: http://www.wasedaoregon.org/.

Branch Campuses

Branch campuses of US universities offer students the option of study in Japan on the same basis (in terms of tuition and credit) as if they were enrolled at the home campuses. Three US universities maintain campuses in Japan: Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Michigan State University, and Temple University.

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale - International Studies in Japan (ISJP)

SIU-Carbondale's Japan program, located in the west coast town of Nakajo in Niigata, offers both semester- and year-based opportunities to become competent at intercultural communication. The purpose of ISJP is to help each student develop intercultural competence through the study of language, culture, and optional courses. No prior training in Japanese is required, and the program is open to students in any major.

Students take an accelerated eight-credit Japanese language course. Other required courses, such as "Contemporary Japan" and "Intercultural Communications," are taught in English. The courses complement and strengthen the practical experience gained by living and interacting with Japanese students and the townspeople of Nakajo. A variety of additional core curriculum and regular courses are also offered in English and are applicable towards Southern Illinois University - Carbondale (SIUC) requirements.

ISJP begins in mid-August for fall semester and in mid-January for spring semester. For further information please contact via E-mail: niigata@siu.edu.

Temple University Japan

Temple University was the first US university to establish a branch campus in Japan; founded in 1982, the Japan campus has an enrollment of 2,000 students and a faculty of 75. Located in the heart of Tokyo in Minami Azabu, Temple University Japan occupies seven floors of a new office building. Degrees are offered in a variety of majors in the social sciences and humanities. TUJ is the first post-secondary educational institution to be designated a Foreign University, Japan Campus, by the Japanese Ministry of Education.

For study-abroad students, Temple offers a curriculum centered on Japanese language but extending across a wide range of subjects. In non-language classes, US students have an opportunity to study alongside bilingual Japanese students, and to gain a wide perspective on history, culture, and society in courses taught by leading scholars of history, economics, art, film, and other subjects. Credits earned at TUJ are recorded on standard Temple University transcripts and are readily transferred to other institutions.

Website for Temple University study abroad in Japan programs: http://www.temple.edu/studyabroad/programs/semester_year/japan/.

It is also possible to enroll directly at Temple University Japan, which is the only branch campus fully accredited by the Japanese government. Information on TUJ is available on the Web at http://www.tuj.ac.jp.

Independent Organizations

Council Study Center at Sophia University

The Council on International Educational Exchange (Council) [http://www.ciee.org] has a study abroad program at Sophia University in Tokyo. Participants have the opportunity to select from a wide variety of courses taught in English in the areas of Japanese Studies, Asian Studies, international business, economics, history, international relations, political science, art history, literature, religion, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology, in addition to Japanese language courses at a wide range of levels. To complement the course work, students visit corporations and institutions in the Tokyo area for on-site lectures, briefings, and field studies.

The Council program has a resident director who coordinates homestay placements, organizes fields trips, and offers academic and personal counseling.

The program operates on the Japanese academic calendar, with fall semester (mid-September through late January), spring semester (early April through late July), and full-year programs offered. The cost (including tuition, housing and meals, and all extras) is approximately $12,000 per semester or $22,500 for the academic year.

Application for the program can be either directly to the Council or through the University of Connecticut, the US School of Record for the Sophia program. The School of Record process is preferable if your own college or university will accept the credits awarded by the Sophia program (normally 16 per semester) only from a US institution. Your campus study-abroad office will have more information on this aspect of the program.

IES Programs in Nagoya and Tokyo

The Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) offers three programs for study in Japan--two in Nagoya and one in Tokyo.

At Nanzan University in Nagoya, IES students enroll, for either one semester or a full year, in the Center for Japanese Studies, which offers intensive Japanese language instruction and area studies courses taught in English in anthropology, business, economics, history, linguistics, literature, religion, sociology, and studio arts. Language classes, which earn 10 credit hours per semester, meet for 15 contact hours a week, plus 5 hours of language lab; to complete their program, students earn an additional 5 to 8 credit hours in area studies classes. Nanzan students are housed either in dormitories or with families. Visit IES Nanzan on the Web at https://www.iesabroad.org/IES/Programs/Japan/Nagoya/nagoya.html.

A main component to the IES Tokyo program is field experience, working one day a week at a company or nonprofit organization. IES partners with Kanda University of International Studies in Makuhari, just outside Tokyo, where the IES Center is located. Students take language and culture classes at the Kanda Institute, and can also take Kanda classes taught in English in addition to their regular course load of 15 credits per semester. Visit IES Tokyo on the Web at https://www.iesabroad.org/IES/Programs/Japan/Tokyo/tokyo.html.

Credit for the IES programs must be approved by the student's home institution before he or she can be admitted to the program for credit. Students at affiliated institutions should apply through their own schools; others should apply directly to IES.

For more information or applications, visit the website at: http://www.iesabroad.org.

KCP International Language and Culture Program

KCP International USA, Inc., offers students the chance for intensive language study in Tokyo and transfer credits through its affiliation with the University of Idaho. Students attend classes at KCP's International Language Institute in Shinjuku 20 hours each week for 10 weeks per term, learning the equivalent of one year's university-level language each term. In addition, students enroll in a weekend Japanese Culture and Civilization course that includes a number of field trips. Housing is either in dormitories or with families.

Students who complete coursework for one or more of the four terms throughout the year receive credit recorded on a University of Idaho transcript; students enrolled at other universities will need to consult their own institutions about acceptance of transfer credit.

Website: http://www.kcp-usa.com/.