UMass Amherst at International Christian University  Featured:

(Exchange Program)

Program Overview

Japanese Studies, Japanese Language (intensive and non-intensive) and Liberal Arts courses are available at the green suburban I.C.U. campus 45 minutes from Shinjuku station.  This is a direct enrollment program at a small, liberal arts type college which attracts internationally-minded Japanese students who are expected to achieve fluency in English by graduation.  Academic year only.

Location

A peaceful green campus in a residential section of the Tokyo suburb called Mitaka, I.C.U. is an oasis of trees and lawns.  Downtown Tokyo is about 45 minutes to 1 hour away by bus and train, and Mitaka City provides department stores and conveniences for every need. 

Founded in 1949 as a non-denominational Christian college, I.C.U. is dedicated to the ideals of peace, democracy and internationalism.  Current undergraduate enrollment is 2,800 with about 232 graduate students.  There are six divisions:  Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Languages, Education and International Studies.  Regular Japanese students are strongly encouraged to go abroad for study.

Academics

Structured in a trimester calendar, I.C.U. is well-known for its strong Japanese language program, offering both intensive and non-intensive tracks.   Each student must take a placement test upon arrival.  They also offer 25-30 Japanese Studies courses taught in English.  Throughout the rest of the curriculum, courses are taught in Japanese, or in English, or both, and students are allowed to enroll in any provided they get the approval of the instructor.   Exchange students can also earn credit for Service Learning courses and activities, similar to the Community Service Learning activities at UMass.

UMass student typically earn 24 - 36 credits for the year and can usually satisfy some General Education Requirements.  Japanese majors can earn 12 - 24 credits towards the major requirements.  Students are graded on class participation, homework, exams, papers and oral presentations, similar to standards in the United States.  Your grades will not be calculated into your UMass GPA.

Living Arrangements

I.C.U.  offers several choices:  on-campus dormitories, host family in the surrounding suburban community, nearby apartments for single or double occupancy.  The cost varies with the type of accommodation.  Dormitory rooms are usually triples, with shared bathrooms, kitchenettes and common living spaces in single sex dormitories.  On-campus cafeteria provides pay-as-you-go food, instead of a meal ticket for the entire term. 

Students are strongly encouraged to join student clubs or circles as a means to forming social connections with Japanese students.  Clubs and Circles are the main social vehicle on Japanese university campuses, and they range from active sports clubs and martial arts, to jazz groups, hiking and tea ceremony study groups.  Students are urged to consider carefully the time commitment required as some of the clubs meet daily for 2-4 hours.

Financial Documentation Requirement

Students applying to study at a Japanese university through the UMass exchanges must provide evidence of adequate financial resources to cover living expenses and must also provide a notarized letter from parents or guardian pledging to provide financial support for their son/daughter while studying in Japan.  The specific amount is between $10,000-$12,000 for two semesters of study in Japan; or $5,000 - $6,000 for one semester of study in Japan.  This is a reciprocal requirement between the U.S. and Japan; Japanese students seeking to enter the U.S. must also show evidence of ability to support themselves in the form of a signed letter from their bank.

If you are a financial aid recipient, do not panic or give up hope because of this requirement.  You need to show this requirement to your parent/guardian and talk over your family's financial situation to see if there is any way to satisfy this requirement yourselves.   You should also apply for as many scholarships as possible (see Scholarship section).  If you receive a scholarship, you will be able to use the award letter to satisfy part of this requirement.

In order to satisfy this requirement, parents will need to obtain a signed letter for a financial institution where they have an account, and the types of accounts that are acceptable are:  regular checking/savings accounts, money market accounts, mutual fund accounts or retirement accounts.  The key requirements for this financial evidence are:  1)  it must be on letter head of the financial institution; 2) it must be signed by a real person.