Study Abroad

(1) The website of the Center for International Education, Waseda University
(URL: https://www.waseda.jp/inst/cie/ [constantly updated])
(2) The “STUDY ABROAD HANDBOOK” (issued by the Center for International Education and distributed by the Administrative Office, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the Center for International Education)
(3) Waseda Global Gate (1st floor of Building No. 22)

(1) Long-term (one year or half a year)

Students are not allowed to undertake a long-term study abroad program before promotion to the second year. If you fail to proceed to the second year after being granted permission to undertake a long-term study abroad program, the permission will be canceled. For details of each program, please refer to the “STUDY ABROAD Guidebook.”

(2) Privately-financed (long-term)

“Privately-financed” refers to cases in which the student privately selects an overseas educational institution, obtains permission to attend, and studies abroad. Students may not undertake a privately-financed study abroad program before promotion to the second year. If you fail to proceed to the second year after obtaining permission to attend a privately-financed study abroad program, the permission will be canceled.

* Points to remember:
Although the university is providing special few weeks’ short-term study abroad programs for aiming mainly cross-cultural experience or learning foreign languages which are available during the summer or spring vacations mainly by the Center for International Education, those programs will not be treated as “study abroad” on the students’ enrollment recognition.

In order to authorize as the study abroad program on the enrollment in above, it is necessary to complete the procedures specified by the student’s School before departure and after returning to Japan. For details of the procedures, please refer to the Japanese page.

In principle, students are not allowed to study abroad for longer than one year during their registration with the School. Under certain special conditions, however, they may be permitted to extend their period of study abroad or be allowed to study abroad again, but only after an interview with the Associate Dean and deliberation by the Faculty Committee. The duration of an exchange program depends on the exchange agreement with the respective university.

The period of study abroad for a full-year program shall be either (1) from September 21 to September 20 of the following year, or (2) from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. The period of study abroad for a half-year program shall be either (1) from September 21 to March 31 of the following year or (2) from April 1 to September 20 of the following year.

In the case of Exchange Programs and privately-financed programs, periods of study abroad may also be cases in which one year or one semester of study abroad may be included in the number of years of registration with Waseda, depending on the results of the recognition of credits. If you wish to have a period of study abroad included in the number of years of registration, then you must first consult with the Administrative Office prior to your study abroad, and subsequently submit an official application at the time you complete the procedures for returning to school and for credit recognition after studying abroad.

In the case of Customized Study Programs, Double Degree Programs, and the Doshisha University Exchange Program, their periods of study abroad shall be included in the numbers of years of registration with Waseda.

Participants in study abroad programs may have recognized up to 36 of the credits they received from their host universities or other schools during their study abroad programs, if the Faculty Committee deems that they can be recognized as credits required for graduation based on the results of the screening of documents or interviews with the Associate Dean.(Please note that the total number of credits from study abroad programs and Subjects from Other Schools cannot exceed 60 credits.)

If you wish to have your study abroad program credits recognized, please submit the following by the deadline: your transcript (preferably in English); a report on each subject for which you wish to have the credits recognized; related materials, such as syllabi, textbooks, and notebooks; an application form for the recognition of credits after returning to Japan.

The credits that you earn through short-term or quarter overseas study programs without changing your registration status (study abroad) may be recognized. For further details, please refer to the Japanese page.

Students participating in privately-financed study abroad programs are required to pay 50,000 yen to Waseda University as tuition fees, etc., for each semester. In addition, they will also have to pay a credit recognition fee to have their study abroad program credits recognized as credits required for graduation, and to have their study abroad periods included in the number of years of registration at Waseda.

Participants in Exchange Programs (except for some programs) or Double Degree Programs are required to pay tuition fees for Waseda University. Participants in Customized Study programs are exempted from tuition fees for Waseda University, but are required to pay program fees that are set separately according to the program. For further details, please refer to the “STUDY ABROAD Guidebook.”

For further details, please refer to the Japanese page.