University-wide Student Exchange Program
University-wide Student Exchange Program
Information for Exchange Students based on University-wide Student Exchange Memoranda (administered by Division of International Affairs)
Index:
- Summary
- Partner Institutions (administered by Division of International Affairs)
- Exchange Students' Status
- Academic Calendar
- Period of Study / Research
- Qualification
- Faculties and Graduate Schools Accepting Exchange Students
- Language Skills and Other Conditions of each faculty and graduate school
- Course Catalogues
- Faculty Search
- Japanese Language Education
- Tuition and Fees
- University Housing
- Entry to Japan (eligibility to reside in Japan)
- Insurance
- Application Procedures and Deadlines
- Application Submission
- FAQs
1. Summary
The University of Tokyo accepts exchange students from partner universities with which the University has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding concerning student exchange. Exchange students may be enrolled at courses or conduct research under the guidance of a faculty member in the University faculties and graduate schools. Applications will be accepted through the partner universities’ office responsible for student exchange.
2. Partner Institutions (administered by Division of International Affairs)
| Country/Region | Partner University | Eligible students |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Taiwan | National Taiwan University | Undergraduate Graduate |
| China | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Republic of Korea | Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Singapore | National University of Singapore | Undergraduate |
| Canada | University of British Columbia | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Canada | University of Toronto | Undergraduate Graduate |
| United States of America | Yale University (Yale Fox International Fellowship Program) | Graduate |
| Finland | University of Helsinki | Undergraduate Graduate |
| France | École Polytechnique | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Germany | Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Germany | University of Cologne | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Russia | St. Petersburg State University | Undergraduate Graduate |
| Sweden | KTH Royal Institute of Technology | Undergraduate Graduate |
3. Exchange Students' Status
| Status | Definition | Credit awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Special Auditors | Students registering courses | yes |
| Special Research Students (undergraduate students excluded) |
Students receiving research guidance | no |
Note: Special Research Students are the students conducting research under the guidance of a faculty member and not pursuing to earn credits.
Note: Regarding procedures of transferring credits, exchange students may need to contact their home universities.
4. Academic Calendar
| -Summer semester: | April 1 to September 30 |
| -Winter semester: | October 1 to March 31 |
5. Period of Study / Research
| -1 year: | April to March or October to September |
| -Summer semester: | April to September |
| -Winter semester: | October to March |
| Note: The actual period of study / research (including examination period) varies at each faculty and graduate school. | |
6. Qualification
Students satisfying all of the following requirements may apply:
- Students enrolled in a partner university for the entire period of study that has concluded a university-wide memorandum on student exchange with the University of Tokyo.
- Students who will return to their university after completing their study or research at the University of Tokyo.
- Students demonstrating excellent academic performance.
- Students having a clear intention to study or research at the University of Tokyo.
- Students having required language proficiency and meeting other conditions. (For more detail, see Section 8 and check the other conditions.)
Note: The first and second year level undergraduate students are not accepted at the University Tokyo due to the internal structure of the university.
7. Faculties and Graduate Schools Accepting Exchange Students
Faculties: (3rd and 4th year level)
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Letters
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Economics
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Faculty of Education
Note: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Medicine do not accept exchange students.
Graduate Schools:
- Graduate Schools for Law and Politics
- Graduate School of Medicine
- Graduate School of Engineering
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology
- Graduate School of Science
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences
- Graduate School of Economics
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
- Graduate School of Education
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies
- Graduate School of Public Policy
Details of each faculty and graduate school are available from the following URL:
http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/about/organization/institutes.html
8. Language Skills and Other Conditions of each faculty and graduate school
Application requirements vary at each faculty and graduate school.
See the following URL for more information about the language skills and other conditions of each faculty and graduate school:
Language skills and other conditions
Note: Generally speaking Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level N1 is required by majority of the faculties and graduate schools. In addition, a supervisor’s acceptance is required before applying by some faculties and graduate schools.
9. Course Catalogues
Courses available at each faculty and graduate school can be searched at the following URL:
Undergraduate courses, Graduate courses:
http://catalog.he.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index
Note: Courses available change annually and the courses currently on the webpage may not be offered in the subsequent year.
Notes for Special Auditors registering courses:
Special auditors are expected to be enrolled at courses offered by the faculty or graduate school to which they originally belong. However, if it is necessary for students to register courses offered by other faculties or graduate schools, they may be permitted to do so provided both the faculty or graduate school offering the course and the host faculty or graduate school approve. Undergraduate students basically may not register graduate school courses without special circumstance. Other details shall be as prescribed by the faculty or graduate school concerned.
Note: For reference, courses offered in English in undergraduate faculties are as follows:
Courses offered in English in undergraduate faculties(as of June 15th, 2012)
10. Faculty Search
Exchange students who will conduct research under the supervision of a research adviser may use the faculty search system at the following URL:
http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/people/
Locating an adviser in the search results does not guarantee that the adviser will be able to supervise the students' research.
11. Japanese Language Education
Center for Japanese Language Education offers Japanese language courses. (General Course) Students accepted on the student exchange program are eligible to register for these courses. Please note that credit is not awarded for this. Further information about the course is available at the following URL:
http://www.nkc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/course_info/info02_01_e.html
In addition, some faculties or graduate schools may provide their own Japanese language classes.
12. Tuition and Fees
Pursuant to the memorandum on student exchange, examination fees, admission fees and tuition fees will not be charged against the exchange students.
13. University Housing
Exchange students may apply for university housing arranged by the University of Tokyo. However, because of the limited number of facilities, university housing may not be guaranteed. The host faculty or graduate school will contact the students with details of the procedure after their applications to study or research at the University of Tokyo have been approved.
Further information about university housing is available at the following URL:
http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/administration/housing-office/index.html
14. Entry to Japan (eligibility to reside in Japan)
Exchange students must have a valid passport during their stay in Japan. There are several protocols to which the students need to adhere, including that in principle all students will require a visa providing the status of "College Student" to study at a Japanese university. After their applications to study or research at the University of Tokyo have been approved, the host faculty or graduate school will provide information about the process of obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility. The students will then need to take the Certificate of Eligibility and other required documents to the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate to obtain a College Student visa.
15. Insurance
- Exchange students must be insured on their own responsibility for the entire period of their studies or research before leaving the home country.
- National Health Insurance Program
Exchange students who plan to stay in Japan for more than three months will need to join the National Health Insurance Program. They must complete the required procedures at the city or ward municipal office.
- Personal Accident Insurance for Students Pursuing Education and Research
This system provides necessary support in the case of accident or injury suffered in the course of activities related to research or education. Exchange students do not need to apply for this insurance as the University of Tokyo enrolls students and pays all premiums.
16. Application Procedures and Deadlines
Exchange students need to be nominated by the student's home university to the University of Tokyo. They must contact the office responsible for student exchange at their home universities and check the application procedures for taking for the exchange program for study or research at the University of Tokyo.
Application documents
Common documents for all faculties / graduate schools
- Application Form
- Study plan or Research plan
- Letter of recommendation (signed by a professor at the home university)
- Official academic transcript from each college, university, or other institution of higher learning attended
- Photocopy of passport (page with photograph and name of applicant)
- Proof of language proficiency (refer to the language skills and other conditions required by each faculty / graduate school)
- Proof of financial support
- Health Certificate
- Four photographs (4 cm x 3 cm) with applicant's name written on the back of each (One of the photographs must be attached to the top page of the application form.)
- Faculties or graduate schools may require further documents in addition to the above application documents. （e.g. printouts of e-mails between the exchange student and a supervisor of the University of Tokyo) See Section 8 for more information about additional requirements of each faculty and graduate school:Language skills and other conditions
Note 1: In addition to the original documents, "1.Application Form" and "2. Study plan or Research plan" must be submitted electronically in MS Word format. (Signatures are not required in MS Word format.)
Note 2: All documents must be in English or Japanese.
Deadline for application and its procedure
- Winter (October) admission:
February 28 (April 15 for the Yale Fox International Fellowship Program) - Summer (April) admission:
September 30
Note:
-The deadlines above are set for the office responsible for student exchange at the partner universities to send nominated students' applications to the University of Tokyo. Partner universities set their own deadlines for their students.
-Exchange students need to be nominated by the student's home Universities. They need to complete the required procedures at their home universities and then apply for the students exchange program through the office responsible for student exchange. Applications sent directly from the students to the University of Tokyo will not be accepted.
Result of application
Each faculty or graduate school will review the applications from exchange students nominated by partner universities. The International Exchange Group of the International Affairs Department at the University of Tokyo will inform applicants of the outcome of their application through the office responsible for student exchange at the partner universities.
Schedule
| Semester | Winter (October to March) | Summer (April to September) |
|---|---|---|
| Application period | From January 1 to February 28 | From August 1 to September 30 |
| Application deadline (Note 1) | February 28 (Note 2) | September 30 |
| Notification of Admission | May | December |
| Courses start (Note 3) | Early October | Early April |
| Courses end (Note 3) | Mid February | Late July to September |
Note 1:
The deadlines indicated are when the applications sent by the office responsible for student exchange at the partner universities must arrive at the University of Tokyo.
Note 2: The deadline for Yale Fox International Fellowship Program application is April 15.
Note 3: The actual period of study / research (including examination period) varies depending on the faculty or graduate school.
17. Application Submission
Exchange students must make all contact and submit all applications through the office responsible for student exchange at the home universities.
*In addition to the original documents, "1.Application form" and "2. Study plan or Research plan" must be submitted electronically in MS Word format. Signatures are not required in MS Word format.
18. FAQs
Q1. I'm interested in student exchange programs offered by the University of Tokyo (Todai). However, my university is not included in the partner institutions list of the University-wide Student Exchange. Is it possible for me to enroll in a student exchange program offered by Todai?
A. The partner institutions on this page are partners of the “University-wide” Student Exchange which is administered by the Division of International Affairs. A faculty or graduate school of Todai may have student exchange programs with a faculty or graduate school of your university. Please consult your university’s study abroad office and ask if your university has any student exchange program with Todai.
If not, we are sorry to inform you that currently there are no student exchange programs available for you to enroll in.
Q2. Other than the student exchange program, are there any "study abroad programs" or "visiting student programs" for students enrolled at foreign universities?
A. We are sorry to tell you that currently there are no such programs at Todai. If you have graduated from a university or are expected to do so, some graduate schools may accept foreign students as research students.
Please refer to the website of faculties or graduate schools you are interested in from the lists on the website. If you have any question, please contact them directly.
Q3. Does the University of Tokyo have summer school for international students?
A. Some faculties or graduate schools may have short-term programs for international students. Please refer to the website of faculties or graduate schools you are interested in from the lists on the website. If you have any question, please contact them directly.
Otherwise, we have a summer program called IARU Global Summer Program, which is only open to students enrolled at IARU member universities.
