Study Abroad

Study Abroad Programs in Japan

Studying in Japan not only improves your Japanese tremendously, but also provides you with invaluable experience with such impact that it changes your perspective on life, and sometimes even your personality.

CSUN-TOKIWA UNIVERSITY EXCHANGE PROGRAM - MITO

This program grants 5 full scholarships for 4 months of study in the fall semester at Tokiwa University in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture. A CSUN student will pay the CSUN tuition and for meals. The airfare and dorm fees are born by Tokiwa. CSUN students teach about 10 hours a week in the English Connection for a stipend. One year of Japanese language, a course on Japanese culture, and the GPA of 3.0 are required of applicants for this program.

Tokiwa Program requirements and information:

Length of Stay: one semester from mid September, 2009 through January, 2010
Eligibility Requirements: GPA of at least 3.00. 1 year of Japanese and one culture-related course by fall 2009
Cost: CSUN tuition, meals
Scholarship: airfare, dorm, health insurance, field trips. In exchange for about 10 hours of English Connections (tutoring English conversation) per week, you receive about $400 per month.

Application deadline:February 6. 2009

www.tokiwa.ac.jp/~intlco/English%20version/index.html
www.tokiwa.ac.jp/~intlco/exchange_csu.htm

For the Exchange Program with Tokiwa University, go to: http://www.tokiwa.ac.jp/~intlco/index.html then click on Tokiwa Exchange Program for CSU students on the menus on the left of the page.

For photographs from students who participated in the Program: http://www.csun.edu/~ahirota/id108.htm

Download the application for the Tokiwa program. In addition, students applying to Tokiwa also need to apply to the University.


Documents to accompany application:

  1. the application including 1,000 word essay and passport sized photos
  2. official transcripts
  3. two recommendation letters
  4. a copy of the passport

(If selected, successful applicants have to pay supply a $300 deposit to Tokiwa University.)

CSUN-RYUKOKU UNIVERSITY EXCHANGE PROGRAM - KYOTO

CSUN and Ryűkoku University in Kyoto have a one-on-one exchange program in which each university hosts the same number of students from the other institution. Both in 2006-07 and 2007-08 CSUN sent 4 students to Ryűkoku. Ryűkoku started as a university for Buddhist monks in medieval period and has transformed itself into a secular university in modern times. A CSUN student will pay the CSUN tuition and a fee for Ryuukoku University dormitory or for an apartment. 300 hours (about 2 or 2 ½years) of Japanese language instruction, a course on Japanese culture, and the GPA of 2.75 are required of applicants for this program.

Ryukoku Program requirements and information:

Length of Stay: one year from mid September, 2009 through Aug 2, 2010
Eligibility Requirements: 300 hrs of Japanese (Japn 202 + Kanji class or Japn300) by fall 2009
Cost: airfare, CSUN tuition, dorm fee (about $200~400/month), meals, health insurance (a total of about $18,000)
Scholarship: There is a strong possibility that one or two students can receive the prestigious JASSO scholarship of the Japanese Government through Ryukoku. Both in 2006 and 2007 one CSUN student was selected for this scholarship. It provides 950,000 yen, which is about $8,600.

For Ryukoku University exchange program, go to: http://intl.ryukoku.ac.jp/english/html/s_exchange_01.html

View the Ryukoku Fact Sheet.

You can download the application here. Application deadline: February 6. 2009


Documents to accompany application:

  1. the application including 1,000 word essay and passport sized photos
  2. official transcripts
  3. two recommendation letters
  4. a copy of the passport

(If selected, successful applicants must write an application and a short statement in Japanese.)

STUDY TOUR TO FUKUOKA WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY

In May/June 2009 CSUN students will make a three-week study tour to Fukuoka Women's University. To apply, you will need a passport and must purchase an airline ticket by the end of March 2009. Please contact Prof. Akiko Hirota for further details - akiko.hirota@csun.edu

FURTHER DETAILS ON ALL PROGRAMS AND REFLECTIONS BY PAST STUDENTS

Please visit Prof. Hirota's website at www.csun.edu/~ahirota

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDY IN JAPAN

The Japanese Government offers JASSO scholarships to students from the Pacific Rim area who have been accepted to universities in Japan to study Japanese. One CSUN student selected to attend Ryukoku University in 2006-07 and another in 2007-08 were awarded this scholarship. Information on the open competition category for this scholarship is available at: http://www.studyjapan.go.jp/en/toj/toj0302e.html

Monbusho (Ministry of Education) Scholarships are offered to both undergraduate and graduate students majoring or minoring in Japanese or closely related fields. The scholarship provides for tuition, a round trip air fare, an arrival allowance of 25,000 yen, and a monthly stipend of 142,500 yen.

Research scholarship for graduate students who would conduct research in Japan for a year and a half to two years will provide the same benefits as the undergraduates except their monthly stipend is 185,500 yen.

For scholarships sponsored by the Institute for International Education, go to: http://www.iie.org/

For National Security Education Programs, http://www.iie.org/Template.cfm?&Template=/programs/nsep/default.htm

Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan, sponsored by the Association of Teachers of Japanese: http://www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj/Bridging/scholarships.html

$5,000 Gilman Scholarship for traditionally under-represented groups in study abroad programs: http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman/advisors/publicity.html