Study Abroad in Japan
and How to Pay for It
- What
study abroad programs does WMU have to Japan?
- What is
the process of applying to study abroad?
- What scholarships
are available to support study abroad in Japan?
- Who are
the contact people for these study abroad programs?
- What
should I do if I have general study abroad questions ?
WMU
has several study abroad programs to Japan for different lengths of
time: nine months, a semester, or even just two weeks. Each program has
slightly different deadlines, paperwork, requirements in terms of GPA, and
costs. Also, each university or program has a somewhat different
atmosphere. The following links will take you to the Study Abroad
webpage. Use the pull-down menu to get information about each individual
program.
All
of the semester-long and year-long study abroad programs listed above have a
central core of language classes. Students will take a placement test on
arriving in Japan
to determine which level of language class they will enter. In almost all
cases, Japanese-language classes form the largest part of the student's
curriculum in Japan.
Certain
universities have other classes in English about Japanese studies or other
subjects. For instance, Ritsumeikan
University has the widest
array of classes in English about the arts, politics, and other subjects.
Rikkyo University
has four classes per semester in English about Japan, usually in history, culture,
literature, and economics. Otaru University of Commerce has a wide array
of classes in English about economics, business, management, and so on.
The exact classes that are available differ from semester to semester and,
therefore, are sometimes difficult to determine in advance.
In
addition, we work with two other programs. The following programs are
handled slightly separately than the other programs. To apply to them,
you apply directly to the sponsoring organization then fill out the paperwork
in the study abroad office for a "Non-WMU Program." Ask Dr. Angles for details.
- Japan Center for Michigan Universities
(JCMU) (Hikone, Shiga
Prefecture): One
semester or full academic year (Relatively inexpensive program, good
support system)
- Japan America Student Conference (JASC)
(Month-long study tour in Japan): Takes a group of American students to
Japan each year, allows students to see a lot of Japan while learning
about Japanese culture & society, involves a lot of contact with
Japanese students.
If
you are interested in applying for a WMU study abroad program to Japan, here is
what you need to do.
·
Think about how long you want to study abroad in Japan (one
semester or one academic year). Be advised that most scholarships for
studying abroad in Japan
only support year-long study. The reason is that most organizations feel
like they get more bang for their buck with with a student who will be there
for a year.
·
Read through the information above about the various
programs. Use the links in the above section or go to
the study abroad office on the second floor of Ellsworth Hall to pick up the
information sheets about the various programs. Also, Dr. Angles has
additional copies of the sheets in his office.
·
Contact Jeffrey Angles (518 Sprau
Tower, TEL 269-387-3044) to tell him about your interest. He can answer your
general questions about individual programs, universities, procedures, and
deadlines.
·
After talking to Jeffrey Angles, make an appointment with Gaby Peschiera-Carl (2nd
floor, Ellsworth Hall, TEL 269-387-5890) in the Study Abroad
office to let her know that you are planning to study abroad. She
will instruct you how to fill in the online application form. You will
need to write a brief essay and provide information about yourself and why you
want to go to Japan.
·
You will also need to provide the e-mail address of two
people who are willing to write letters of recommendation for you. At
least one of them should be a Japanese teacher. (It is a good idea to let your
teachers know you want a letter before you submit their names as
references.)
·
As part of your application, you will need to meet once more
with Jeffrey Angles in order to talk more specifically about the courses that
you might be taking in Japan.
At that time, he will help you fill out online what is called the "blue
sheet." When you come to see Dr. Angles, please bring your online
application ID and link to the "blue sheet" form.
·
Submit your application to the study abroad office by the
deadline listed on the individual webpages for the different
schools in the above section.
- For a
year-long study abroad program, the deadline is usually in DECEMBER of the
previous calendar year.
- For a
spring semester study abroad program, the deadline is usually in early
OCTOBER of the previous calendar year.
o
For a summer semester study abroad program, the deadline is
usually in JANUARY of the same calendar year.
·
Be aware that if you are applying for an academic year in Japan, you only
need to have a GENERAL idea of which university you would like to attend.
(You do not need to have pinpointed which one exactly.)
·
The Study Abroad Office and Japan studies faculty will convene
a committee to screen applications. Potential applicants for
academic-year programs, will be called in for a one-on-one interview.
(Students going on summer-only programs do not usually come for an
interview.) Some of the questions will be in Japanese, some in English.
One of the reasons for the interview is to help determine student need and to
help match them to potential universities.
·
The Study Abroad Office will contact students about their
acceptance to the programs. At this point, the Study Abroad office and Japanese
studies faculty will have matched students with an individual university or
program in Japan.
·
The Study Abroad Office will help students with any
additional paperwork needed for their individual program. Also, the Study
Abroad Office will help students with the visa application process.
Students MUST arrange to get a passport on their own. Click here for information about how to
apply for a passport.
·
During the last several steps of this process, students
should be applying for scholarships to help support their study in Japan.
·
At some point AFTER the student is accepted to a specific
program in Japan and BEFORE the student departs, the student should see Dr.
Angles again to fill out a "blue sheet" that will determine how the
credits earned in Japan will transfer back to WMU.
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The
Study Abroad office is very good at helping WMU students get scholarships to
study abroad. Most students receive some support from one or more of the
following scholarships, meaning that for many students, it is cheaper to study
abroad in Japan than to study
on WMU's campus in Kalamazoo!
There
are several major categories of scholarships to help support study abroad
programs in Japan.
Each one of the following scholarships requires a separate application, and
each has its own deadlines. Students should use the following links and
carefully read the information they find there. Information about additional
study abroad scholarships can be found on the "Scholarships"
page of the Study Abroad website or in the binders of scholarship
opportunities kept in the Study Abroad office.
- Scholarships offered
through the Study Abroad Office
- President's Grant
for Study Abroad: For WMU students who apply to WMU-sponsored
programs. BE SURE TO APPLY FOR THIS!
This is one of the biggest and easiest scholarships you can apply
for. The application is only one page long and is available through
the link above. To be considered for one of the bigger awards, be
sure you have a FAFSA on file with the university. If you do not
have one, ask the Study Abroad office how to go about putting one on
file. Forms are downloadable from this page.
- One-Year
Scholarship to Keio University: One full scholarship (covering
tuition and major expenses) is given to one student each year to attend Keio University,
WMU's oldest sister institution in Tokyo.
All applicants for year-long programs are automatically considered for
the Keio University scholarship. No extra paperwork is necessary.
- Summer Study
Abroad Scholarship for WMU Faculty-Led Programs: For WMU students who
are going on short-term programs sponsored by WMU. (People participating in Dr. Covell’s
excellent Japanese Religion & Culture tour are eligible for
this.) Forms are downloadable from
this page.
Scholarships offered by other parts of the university
Scholarships offered by organizations outside of the
university
- Bridging Scholarship
for Study Abroad: National scholarship competition sponsored twice
per year by Association of Teachers of Japanese, located in University of Colorado. WMU has had
several students win this scholarship in the past! Forms are downloadable by clicking the
link above.
- Gilman International
Scholarship: Prestigious national scholarship awarded by Institute of International Education. The
application process is difficult, but WMU has had several students win
this scholarship in the past! Forms are downloadable by clicking the
link above.
- Freeman-Asia: Very
generous national scholarship that helps support WMU students going to
study in Asian countries. Again, a good number of WMU students have
won this scholarship in the past! Forms
are downloadable by clicking the link above.
- National Security
Education Program (NSEP): A government grant for people studying less
commonly taught languages, including Japanese. Recipients must
spend some time working in the public sector after their
return. Forms are downloadable by clicking the link above.
Scholarship offered by the host universities in Japan --> Once students are placed with a
specific host institution in Japan,
the host university in Japan
may apply on the student's behalf for one of the following scholarships.
(The student may need to fill out some additional paperwork to help this
process along, but the student will not initiate this process.)
- Association
for International Education, Japan (AIEJ)
- Japan
Student Services Organization (JASSO) Scholarship
The
Study Abroad office has additional information about other scholarships in a
binder in its office. Students are encouraged to go to the office and
examine the binders with information at their leisure.
Be
aware that applying for scholarships to support study abroad in Japan is
somewhat nerve-wracking. Because the notification dates for many of the
scholarships is very late, students usually have to apply to go to Japan first,
then wait until late spring or early summer before they will learn exactly how
much scholarship money they will have to support their study abroad experience.
For this reason, it is important to plan ahead and think carefully about
finances.
The
following people are your main contacts for the study abroad programs in Japan.
For
the Japan Religion & Culture
Seminar, the following is your main contact.
Contact
Dr. Angles at jeffrey.angles@wmich.edu
or the Study Abroad Office at study-abroad@wmich.edu.
They can point you to the appropriate authority.