The Study in Kansai Program (SKP) at Ritsumeikan University (RU) offers students a wide variety of courses on its three campuses. RU is one of the most internationally-focused universities in Japan, and SKP attracts students from every corner of the globe. Students who participate in SKP will improve their Japanese skills, learn more about Japanese culture, and meet people from all over the world.

Academic Calendar

Spring (first) Semester

April - July

Fall (second) Semester

September - March

Due to the differences between the AU and RU academic calendars, students' options for participation are a full academic year (fall-spring) or spring semester only for those who want to go on a one-semester exchange.

Courses

Students will enroll full-time for either one semester or one year alongside RU undergraduate students. Students will select one of three program tracks. Course offerings will vary by location: Kinugasa Campus (Kyoto), Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (Shiga), Osaka Ibaraki Campus (Osaka).

• Intensive Japanese Language (IJL): Open to all students who want intensive language classes. Students take 8-9 credit hours of Japanese language coursework. The remainder of their schedule will be fulfilled with classes from the other tracks (students must maintain full-time enrollment of 12-17 credits while abroad).
• Regular Courses in English(RCE): The language of instruction is English for these courses from the humanities and social sciences, such as political science, economics, business administration, sociology, cultural anthropology, law, area studies, and contemporary Japanese culture, to courses in the natural sciences such as information (computer) science.
• Regular Courses in Japanese (RCJ): The Regular Courses in Japanese track allows students with Japanese language proficiency equivalent to JLPT N1 to take both liberal arts and specialized courses offered by 16 Ritsumeikan University colleges in Japanese.

Students in the Program also have the opportunity to enroll in a Japanese Traditional Arts class.

Language Requirement

Proficiency in Japanese is not required for students in the Regular Course in English Track (RCE). However, students should study the language before going to Japan to gain communication skills for daily life in Kyoto. Students in the Intensive Japanese Language Track (IJL)will take a language placement to determine the best level of study. The Regular Course in Japanese (RCJ) does require high level Japanese proficiency (JLPT N1) at the time of application.

More program details