The IE3 Global exchange program at Aoyama Gakuin University provides students with exceptional opportunities to integrate into life at a Japanese University. In addition to intensive Japanese language programs, AGU offers a comprehensive range of topical coursework taught in English and in Japanese.
More photos from this program can be found here.
The IE3 Global exchange program at Aoyama Gakuin University, located in the famous downtown Tokyo district of Shibuya, provides students with exceptional opportunities to integrate into life at a Japanese University. Students at AGU intensively study Japanese while also participating in a range of subject-based coursework taught in English. For students who are highly proficient, courses taught in Japanese are also available. Program participants typically live in student dormitories alongside students from a number of Japanese universities and commute to campus.
Students also have the option of studying at AGU’s second campus in the quieter Tokyo suburb of Sagamihara through the School of Global Studies and Collaboration, which includes courses in Japanese culture, history, regional development, geography, and other topics; students at the Sagamihara campus can also enroll in introductory Japanese language coursework. The Sagamihara campus is about located about 45 minutes from central Tokyo by train.
Fall/Winter: February 15
Fall/Winter/Spring: February 15
Spring: October 1
Spring/Fall/Winter: October 1
- Sophomore or higher
- Institutional GPA of 2.75 or above
- No Language Requirement
Students at Aoyama Gakuin University typically enroll for at least 14 credits per semester. AGU offers a broad range of classes in English spanning several fields of study, and different courses are available depending on if students choose to study at the Aoyama or Sagamihara campus. Students with a Japanese proficiency of at least JLPT N4 can enroll in Japanese courses as part of their class schedule while those with lower proficiency have the option to take extracurricular (non-credit) Japanese courses taught in English.
More information about available courses can be found here.
This program is open to undergraduate students in any major. To be eligible, students must meet the following minimum requirements before departure:
Students must continue to make satisfactory academic progress throughout the application process and during their study abroad program, and otherwise comply with policies and procedures of the host university, IE3 Global, and their home university International Programs Office. If you do not meet the minimum eligibility requirements, please consult with your home campus contact person before applying.
AGU provides recommendations to students for housing options depending on which campus they’ll studying at. While AGU does not own residence halls, they do have a preferred dormitory company that they recommend to students. You’ll find more information here.
Students may also choose to arrange their own accommodations in apartments, share houses, or homestays.
Aoyama Gakuin has a dedicated International Center with English-speaking staff and faculty who provide excellent orientation and advising for students at AGU. The university also facilitates a Buddy system, pairing new international students with local student volunteers who provide peer support and insight into navigating Tokyo and the university. The International Center hosts “chat rooms” for English-speakers learning Japanese (and vice-versa) as an avenue to build language skills and cultural connections, and IE3 Global participants can join these chat rooms as Japanese learners or English leaders.
In addition to AGU’s resources, IE3 Global has an experienced staff member at the Oregon Japan Study Center at Waseda University, who is available year-round to support students and help introduce them to Japan.
IE3 Global seeks to make its exchange programs affordable and accessible. For detailed information regarding the program budget (both the program fee and an estimate of personal expenses), please click on the following:
The program fee includes academic and administrative fees, room and board, orientation expenses, on-site support, and health and accident insurance. The program fee does not include airfare, campus-based fees and personal expenses such as local transportation, textbooks, laundry, recreation (including travel), personal supplies and incidental expenses.
“Things I definitely do not want to forget:
1. What made me laugh out loud: Friends in Shibuya
2. What brought tears to my eyes: Getting hit in the head during kendo practice with no head gear
3. My greatest personal insight: Japanese mannerisms and boundaries
4. My biggest cultural faux pas: meeting a student that I thought can speak English but was actually a Japanese student
5. My biggest cultural success: Meeting a friend at the start and the end of my study abroad and learning how much better my Japanese has gotten” - Lance Umagat, 2016
Fall/Winter: February 15
Fall/Winter/Spring: February 15
Spring: October 1
Spring/Fall/Winter: October 1
- Sophomore or higher
- Institutional GPA of 2.75 or above
- No Language Requirement