Overview
EAP programs at these universities offer you excellent opportunities to improve your Japanese language skills while also taking course work taught in English.
The fall and year options begin with a summer intensive language program (ILP) at the beginning, intermediate, or advanced level. EAP will assign you to an ILP in Tokyo at either the International Christian University (ICU) or the Intercultural Institute of Japan, depending on where you study for the fall or year.
Following the ILP, there is a break ranging from a few days to two weeks, depending on the host university calendar. Most students use this time to participate in a short-term homestay, travel, or settle in at their host university.
Students attend classes with international and Japanese students.
Berkeley and Merced students: The Course Work in English and Japanese program at the University of Tsukuba is not recommended for the fall quarter as 18 UC quarter units are required for the quarter term for semester students. Course work at appropriate language levels may not be available to meet unit requirements for financial aid. The following programs are recommended if you wish to study for a semester in Japan: Course Work in English & Japanese at Doshisha University (spring), Language and Culture, Tsuru University (fall or spring), and Global Studies, Meiji Gakuin University (fall or spring).
Course Opportunities
Regular university courses in English and Japanese are available in a broad range of fields. At any university, if you are proficient in Japanese (three years of university-level Japanese or the equivalent), you may apply to take courses taught in Japanese.
In addition to language study, Doshisha University offers a limited number of courses in Japanese culture, arts, society, history, politics, economy, and intercultural communication.
International Christian University (ICU) consists mainly of Japanese studies. Additional ICU courses in various subject areas are available through ICU’s College of Liberal Arts.
Keio University offers various classes taught in English. The Japanese studies courses look at all aspects of Japan, including its society, economy, business, politics, history, literature, art, ideology, and religion. The international studies courses focus on area studies covering Asia, Oceania, North America, South America, Europe, and Africa; global business/economy; global community; and cross-cultural studies.
Sophia University offers language study as well as courses taught in English in anthropology, art history, business, economics, history, Japanese studies, literature, philosophy, political science, religion, and sociology.
The University of Tsukuba offers courses in international relations, Asian studies, Japanese language, and the comparative study of Japanese government, politics, economy, society, and culture, as well as applied art, ethnic studies, film, and comparative literature.
Use the following resources to learn about EAP courses:
- EAP Program Search provides information on general areas of study.
- Host institution online catalogs or course listings:
- MyEAP Course Catalog lists courses previously taken by UC students. Additional courses may be available and not all courses may still be offered. Since courses in new programs have not yet been taken for credit, they may not appear in the MyEAP Course Catalog.
Units
You are required to take a full-time course of study while abroad.
- ILP: 3 to 9 UC quarter units
- Doshisha University: 19.5 UC quarter units during the fall semester; 21 UC quarter units during the spring semester
- International Christian University: 12 UC quarter units per quarter
- Keio University: 18 UC quarter units per semester
- Sophia University: 18 UC quarter units per semester
- University of Tsukuba: 12 UC quarter units per quarter (Berkeley and Merced students in fall only: 18 quarter units)
Language of Instruction
English and Japanese
Language Study
The fall and year programs begin with a mandatory six-week Japanese intensive language program (ILP) in Tokyo. The spring semester program at Doshisha University does not have an ILP.
Japanese language study is required each term in all programs.
Internships, Research, and Independent Study
Internships and independent study for academic credit may be possible in this program. Some internships are short-term during the semester break while others are ongoing during the academic year. Expect to locate an internship on your own, without assistance from EAP. One resource for internship opportunities is HyperCampus, an Internet-based clearinghouse for exchange of information among colleges and industry.
In the past, some students have found internships with such entities as Panasonic, Asahi Beverage, and the U.S. embassy. Internships at the U.S. embassy require application and security clearance with the U.S. Department of State prior to departure. Deadlines may be early, so begin these preparations well in advance of departure if you are interested.
Internships during the semester break may be in a city other than the host university and will involve additional housing and transportation costs. Internships at distant locations may also require a separate preliminary interview prior to the beginning of the internship, often requiring two trips. Arrangements are generally made at the Study Center after arrival at the host institution.
Duration
Go to the Participants section to see current or past calendars.
Fall quarter (Tsukuba only): early July to late November
Spring semester (Doshisha only): late March to early August
Year (ICU, Tsukuba): early July to late June/early July
Year (Doshisha, Keio, Sophia): late July to late July
Extension from the University of Tsukuba fall quarter to other EAP options in Japan is encouraged.
Housing
All students live with international students, Japanese students, or other UC students.
- Doshisha University: Live off campus in an international house, university-arranged student residence, or private apartment. Spring participants live off campus in EAP-arranged student residences.
- ICU: Live on campus in an ICU dormitory or off campus in an apartment, boarding house, or private dormitory.
- Keio: Live off campus in a university-affiliated apartment or dormitory.
- Sophia: Options include dormitories, international houses in the suburbs, homestays, and apartments.
- Tsukuba: Live on campus in a dormitory.
On-site Support
EAP students are supported by UC’s network of EAP offices at every UC campus and partnerships with EAP host universities throughout the world. UC faculty and local staff abroad help students integrate into the culture of Japan and provide assistance with academics, housing, safety, and other issues.
See the EAP Program Guide (PDF) for program-specific details about host institutions, program structure, and courses; academic culture and conduct; internships, research, & independent study; units, exams, and grades; orientation; housing; and information about the intensive language program (if applicable).
Host Institutions
Doshisha University, Kyoto
Doshisha University is a private institution. EAP students take courses on Doshisha’s main campus, Imadegawa, which is situated adjacent to the Imperial Palace in the heart of the renowned historical and cultural city of Kyoto. The first Japanese university to admit women (1923), Doshisha has become increasingly internationalized in recent years. Students may choose the academic year immersion program (if linguistically qualified) or a program of Japanese language and area studies taught in English at the Center for Japanese Language.
The facilities at Doshisha are very comfortable for UC students, and its location in downtown Kyoto is ideal. Doshisha has faculties of Commerce, Economics, Engineering, Law, Letters, and Theology. It enrolls approximately 30,000 students and has about 450 full-time faculty members and more than 800 lecturers. Today its highly regarded research institutes include the Center for American Studies, Science and Engineering Research Institute, and Institute for the Study of Humanities and Social Sciences.The Center for Japanese Language offers eight levels of Japanese language study and a limited number of courses in Japanese culture and society and intercultural communication taught in English. This program is intended for students who are at least at the sophomore or junior level and who have one year of university-level Japanese. The program also offers opportunities to study traditional culture, such as calligraphy, tea ceremony, and shrine festivals.
Visit the Doshisha University website
International Christian University, Tokyo
International Christian University (ICU) is for students who have limited Japanese language ability and require English language course work, but wish to study with Japanese students in a Japanese cultural environment. ICU is a relatively small institution (approximately 2,800 students) located in Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo, on a campus that is considered peaceful and spacious by Japanese standards. It takes just over an hour by bus and train to get to downtown Tokyo from ICU, and is a five-minute bike ride or ten-minute walk to shops, small restaurants (including some American fast-food restaurants), and supermarkets. ICU was founded by Japanese and North American educators shortly after World War II and has earned a reputation as a truly international university. It consists of a graduate school, research institutions, and the College of Liberal Arts, which has divisions of Education, Humanities, International Studies, Languages, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. EAP students often think that the majority of courses at ICU are taught in English, but this is not entirely true. About 70 percent of the courses are taught in Japanese with the remaining 30 percent being taught in English. Strong fields include Japanese language and literature, linguistics, history, art history, area studies, psychology, and international relations.
In addition to laboratories, special institutes, and classroom buildings, ICU has a university center with clubrooms, a small lounge and snack bar, bookstore, post office, and auditorium. The Mildred Topp Othmer Library is a state-of-the-art facility with computer resources, expanded materials, and the first fully automated storage and retrieval system in Japan. It houses, in open stacks, a collection of nearly 500,000 volumes and 5,100 periodicals, including a number of English-language newspapers.
Visit the International Christian University website
Keio University, Tokyo
Keio University, the oldest institution of higher education in Japan, is a prestigious private university located in central Tokyo. It enrolls more than 27,000 students, including more than 550 international students from 43 countries. You participate in the full academic year program and take regular university courses, taught in Japanese, as well as Japanese studies courses taught in English. Because Keio operates on a traditional Japanese calendar, be careful to select courses that begin in the fall term; you may not be able to take year-long courses that began the previous April. Courses are offered in the departments of Philosophy, History, Literature, Sociology, Psychology, Education, Law, and Political Science.
Visit the Keio University website
Sophia University, Tokyo
Sophia University, located in central Tokyo, was founded in 1913 by German, French, and English Jesuits. In 1974, Sophia created the International Division, which later became the Faculty of Comparative Culture. In 2006, that faculty was renamed the Faculty of Liberal Arts and moved to the main Yotsuya campus. Most EAP participants study in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, which offers English-language course work in the humanities, social sciences, and international business and economics, including a number of courses on Japan. The Yotsuya campus is located in the heart of downtown Tokyo, within the outer moat of the old city. Close by the perimeter of the campus are such sites and facilities as the National Theater, the National Stadium, the Akasaka Palace, and international convention venues. The university as a whole currently enrolls more than 14,000 students and has more than 500 full-time faculty members. Its 28 departments are organized into seven faculties in the undergraduate school and seven graduate divisions.
Visit the Sophia University website
University of Tsukuba
The University of Tsukuba, founded in 1973 and located just 40 miles northeast of Tokyo, is a newer national university that emphasizes the international exchange of teachers, researchers, and students. It is part of the modern Tsukuba Science City, similar in concept to UC Irvine, and is made up of divisions of Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Art, and Physical Education, which are further divided into 16 colleges (departments). It offers courses in subject areas few other programs offer, such as applied art, ethnic studies, international studies, development studies, film studies, and comparative literature.
At present there are approximately 900 international students studying mainly in the graduate school and a considerable number of international teachers and visiting scholars from all over the world. Tsukuba enrolls approximately 13,500 students and has about 1,600 faculty members.
Visit the University of Tsukuba website
Estimated Cost
Participation in EAP is a great value! The cost of EAP programs is typically less than that of non-UC study abroad programs. The dollar figures listed in the chart represent: 1) the amount of the fees that are paid directly to EAP in the current year, and 2) an estimate of the amount needed to cover personal living expenses in this location. Personal travel and entertainment are not included here.
Don't forget that you take your financial aid with you and the amount of your financial aid package will be based on the estimated TOTAL COST of this experience, as it is estimated below.
These expenses are estimated for 2009-10. Amounts will vary for 2010-11 participation due to proposed changes to UC fees, exchange rate fluctuation, etc. For a more detailed breakdown of 2009-10 payment information, visit the
Participants Portal and select the appropriate program.
Here’s what is included in the estimate:
- Predeparture expenses (visa, etc.)
- Round-trip transportation from California
- UC fees
- Tuition at partner institution
- Accident and medical insurance
- On-site orientation
- Intensive language program
- Room and board
- Program excursions
- Books and other incidental expenses
- Automatic transfer of credits and grades to your UC transcript
Estimated EAP Costs*
| Option |
Cost |
| * Based on most recent costs for 2009-2010 to the nearest $100. |
| Fall (Tsukuba only) |
$13,800 |
| Spring (Doshisha only) |
$16,500 |
| Year |
$26,000-$32,300 |
Application Requirements
Class Level
Sophomore, junior, senior, graduate (ICU, Sophia, Keio, and Doshisha only)
Language Prerequisite
- Doshisha year, ICU, Keio, Sophia: Minimum one year university-level Japanese
- Doshisha spring and Tsukuba: Minimum one semester/two quarters university-level Japanese
If at the time the program starts it will have been a year or more since you last took a course in Japanese, it is recommended that you refresh your proficiency. Consult with your Campus EAP Advisor for details.
GPA
3.0 cumulative GPA at the time of application and maintained through the end of the last term prior to departure; 3.0 language GPA by the end of the last term prior to departure (or earlier if required by the Campus EAP Office). No exceptions.
Minimum Criteria
All applicants must also have:
- Serious academic goals and a clear plan for integrating EAP studies into
the student’s UC degree program
- Social and cross-cultural sensitivity; maturity; ability to adapt successfully
to a different environment and a new education system; ability to assess and
exhibit appropriate behavior in a variety of situations
- A willingness to abide by program regulations
- An endorsement by the Campus EAP Selection Committee and completion of all
campus-specific requirements (an interview may be required)
These are minimum program requirements only and do not guarantee selection. The Campus EAP Office determines selection. The final admission decision is made by the host institution.
Deadlines
Application deadlines and information on the application process are available through your Campus EAP Office. Supplemental predeparture materials will be required for many programs, including, but not limited to, host institution applications, visa and housing applications, medical clearances, etc.
For participation in the program, you must meet all deadlines and submit complete application materials.
Visit your Campus EAP Office for more information:
