School of International Liberal StudiesWaseda University

Approximately 30% of SILS students are international students. Students come from around 50 different countries and regions in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. In addition, SILS receives more than 300 exchange students per year from prestigious partner universities represented by University of California, Berkeley, University College London, McGill University, Sciences Po, Peking University, etc.

Regardless of English language proficiency, some of the English courses (English Academic Writing) are mandatory. Students who have a score of TOEFL (iBT) 79, TOEFL(ITP) 550, TOEIC 750, IELTS 6.5, and Eiken Grade 1 or above will be exempted from some of the English courses and required to replace the credits from these courses with other subjects.  Note that all new students will be asked to take placement tests before entering SILS.

You may obtain the teaching license for English subjects in junior and senior high schools in Japan. Please refer to Teacher’s License / Qualification(Japanese page only).　Please note that it is necessary to have a high level of proficiency in Japanese, since you will be required to take many courses taught in Japanese at the School of Education.

After graduation, SILS students go on to jobs or post-graduate studies not only in Japan but also in many other countries. They have found employment in a wide range of job positions in IT, finance, manufacturer, mass media, international organizations, public offices, etc. For further information, please refer to Career after Graduation.

Refer to “Tuition and Scholarship” in the middle of the English-based Undergraduate Programs.

Refer to Dormitory Desk, Student Affairs Section.

In principle, you may request to take a leave of absence for two years by submitting a designated application form and a certificate of military service. The period may be extended until the military service is completed. Please contact the SILS office once accepted by the school.

Based on Waseda University’s admission policy, students are not allowed to defer their enrollment period under any circumstances. If you wish to defer, you need to decline the acceptance and re-apply for the period you prefer all over again.
Similarly, students cannot take a leave of absence during the 1st semester except for unavoidable reasons such as military service.

Unfortunately, we do not accept MEXT scholarship students.

Refer to the course lists on Course Registration and Teacher’s License and Web Syllabus Search.

It is compulsory for Study Plan 1 students (whose first language is Japanese)* to study abroad for one year, while the opportunity is equally available as an option for SP2 students (whose first language is not Japanese). Alternatively, Study Plan 2 students may continue studying at Waseda University for the whole 4 years.
*Students whose first language is Japanese, however, may choose to take SP2 if they expect to experience difficulty in taking classes given in Japanese, or if they have resided in a foreign country for an extended period of time. You cannot change your Study Plan after enrollment. See ‘Two Study Plans’ for the details.

Waseda University has more than 800 partner institutions all over the world. Long-term Study Abroad programs offered by Center for International Education (CIE) are divided into three categories;
1. Exchange Programs (EX)
2. Customized Study Programs (CS)
3. Double Degree Programs (DD)

In addition, only SILS students are eligible to apply for the following Study Abroad programs as well.
-SILS Bilateral Study Abroad Programs
-5BM Programme (Dual Degree Program)

For further information, please refer to Study Abroad (via SILS).

Students in the Exchange Program, Double Degree Program, and SILS Bilateral Study Abroad Programs are generally exempted from paying tuition fees at their study abroad destinations. However, in addition to tuition fees at Waseda University, students will need about 1,000,000 yen to 2,000,000 yen per year for accommodation and living expenses. For the Customized Study Program, students will need about 1,000,000 yen to 8,000,000 yen per year for program fee (tuition fees at Waseda University are exempted). In addition to the program fees, students will need about 1,000,000 yen to 2,000,000 yen per year for accommodation and living expenses.

For more details, please refer to Tuition (School) Fees for Study Abroad.

Yes. In this case, however, it will be considered as privately financed studies abroad and the student will be required to handle all the necessary procedures by themselves. No support will be given by Waseda University. Also, in comparison to the Study Abroad Programs provided by Waseda University, there may be a large difference in school fees and the number of credits that will be counted for graduation. You will also be required to pay fees for credit transfer.

Most students will settle into the accommodation provided by the host university. Many universities have student dormitories within the campus that Waseda students can stay at. Some host universities may also have home stay programs. Students can choose to rent apartments near the school too.

Overseas universities begin their semester at different timings, depending on the country. However, in most countries, the new term begins from the end of August to September. As such, most students leave for study abroad after completing their spring semester of the second year at SILS. Most September enrollees study abroad during the third year. There are also programs that begin in April, so it is possible to leave for study abroad in the spring semester.

Returnees who have graduated / are expected to graduate from a Japanese high school can apply for AO April Entry (Domestic) and AO September Entry. Those who have graduated / are expected to graduate from foreign high schools may be eligible to apply for AO April Entry (Overseas) and AO September Entry. For more details, please refer to our Application Guide.

You may be eligible to apply for AO April Entry (Overseas) and for AO September Entry. For more details, please refer to our Application Guide.

No, individuals of all nationalities may apply.

SILS does not accept transfer students from other universities. However, SILS accepts admission from other undergraduate schools of Waseda in the second year. Please refer to Change of School Entry.

There is no minimum high school GPA, standardized test score or English Proficiency Test score to apply for SILS.
For your reference, the average standardized test scores of successful applicants and English proficiency test scores of competitive applicants from past admissions cycles can be found on Data.

Yes. You may apply for other programs at the same time as long as the other universities/colleges/educational institutions do not set any restrictions.

No. Even if submitted, it will not be taken into consideration in the assessment.

No. Only scores obtained on the same testing date will be considered. If the applicant has scores from multiple testing dates, please choose the score you wish to use on application.

Procedure differs by application period and country. For more details, refer to List of Application Documents by Education System.

For applicants whose countries are not listed in the above list, please contact the SILS Admissions Office.

Yes. However, for TOEFL-iBT and IELTS (Academic), please make sure that it was taken on or before the designated date specified in the Application Guide.

There is no specific date requirement as long as your test scores are received by the application deadline. If you want to know how long it takes for your scores to be delivered, please contact the testing organization directly.
However, for TOEFL-iBT and IELTS (Academic), please make sure that it was taken on or before the designated date specified in the Application Guide.

NOTE:
From September 2027 Admission, a new requirement regarding the validity period of standardized test scores will be implemented.
Refer to the notice for the details.