Nov 2

JET alum input needed on Japanese university programs

Academic, Advice Add Comment (2)

I was emailed today by a JET alum who has a daughter of her own getting ready to apply to colleges.  She asked if I have any insights on the Waseda University’s international program and on programs in general at Japanese universities.

So, do any JETs/JET alums/other readers have any insights or perspectives to share for an American student who wants to go off to study at a Japanese university in lieu of a U.S. university?

Please post responses in the comments section of this post.  Or feel free to e-mail them to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!


2 comments so far...

  • jetwit Said on November 3rd, 2011 at 8:05 pm:

    Via JET alum Daniel Sturgeon:

    I received my Master of Arts from International Christian University. A small University in western Tokyo, ICU is known as the “Georgetown” of Japan. They are liberal arts University at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It is a fully bilingual University.

    I studied there as a Rotary World Peace Fellow. I know of at least a half dozen other JET Alumni who have also received this fellowship. http://www.rotary.org/en/studentsandyouth/educationalprograms/rotarycentersforinternationalstudies/Pages/ridefault.aspx

  • JOEL Said on November 8th, 2011 at 11:00 pm:

    The experience is definitely worthwhile and the price tag will surely please you, but if you think you may enter a field/job that requires proof of accredited higher ed (especially in US gvt circles), you might hit a speed bump. Some agencies (the VA for example) have lists of overseas programs that they recognize. Others can be very strict. (I knew a student who was refused a DHS job for this reason)

    Japanese universities are uniformly OK’d by MEXT (Ministry of Education), so you can usually get certification of that if need be, but note that very few are internationally recognized. For example , there are only two AACSB accredited biz schools in the whole country: Keio and the Nagoya University of Commerce (AACSB being the premier B school accrediting agency).

    The big 4 intl schools are generally considered to be:
    ICU
    APU (Beppu)
    Waseda’s School of Intl Liberals Studies
    Akita Intl U
    (There is also IUJ in Niigata)

    Many of the public schools are currently ramping up intl programs due to a recent round of gvt subsidies. The program is called “Global 30”. For example, Kyoto U, Nagoya U, Kyushu U and Ritsumeikan (Kyoto) are some of the funded institutions I can recall.

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