NOTE: APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR ALL 2024-25 TERMS:  December 4, 2023

Program Overview
Established in 1963, the Japan Study program is one of the oldest and most comprehensive programs in educational exchange and development linking colleges and universities in the United States and Japan. Based at Earlham College, Japan Study links member colleges of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) and the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) with those of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.  Throughout its rich history, Japan Study has made important contributions toward fostering the growth of international and intercultural understanding among a significant number of Japanese and American students and faculty. Participants have gone on to distinguished careers in academics, industry, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. They play important roles in a wide range of settings linking Japan, the United States, and the rest of the world.  Japan Study enables students to become international citizens as they explore Japan in depth, build language skills, and experience Japanese culture. Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA. No Japanese language study required for acceptance, but at least one semester or term of Japanese must be completed before departure.  Students choose from several extended fall semester or full academic year options.

Eligibility
Preference given to Japanese majors. Japanese majors are strongly encouraged to complete Japanese 232 before studying abroad.

Academics
Students take courses at Waseda University and participate in a cultural practicum/internship, which offer different windows for experiencing and understanding the complex society of contemporary Japan.  Students take courses in Japanese language at the Center for Japanese Language as well as other courses at the School of International Liberal Studies.  For more information about academics at Waseda, click here.  To browse courses, click here.  Students studying off-campus in the fall with interim can bring up to 5.5 credits back to campus; students studying off-campus in the spring can bring up to 4.5 credits back to campus.

Student Life
Students can take advantage of life in the vibrant city of Tokyo and can participate in the many sports and clubs that Waseda offers.  To read students' reflections on student life at Waseda University, click here and scroll down.

Accommodations/Housing
Students live with a Japanese family.  For more information about the host family experience, click here.