Global Education

Keio University Exchange Program

Program Dates

Term	Start Date	End Date
Fall 2024	Mid-Late September, 2024	Early February, 2025
Spring 2025	Mid-Late March, 2025	Late July, 2025

These dates are tentative. Confirm program dates before booking travel.

Where

Established in 1858 by Yukichi Fukuzawa, Keio University is the oldest and one of the most well-renowned private universities in Japan created originally as a School for Western Studies. Still today, Keio University remains committed to its founding philosophy of internationalization through student exchanges and global partnerships.

Keio University is located in Tokyo, Japan on the eastern side of the main island, Honshu. With a population of over 8 million people, Tokyo is home to the Imperial Family, the seat of the Japanese Government, and the Nikkei Index. Keio University has 6 different campuses spread throughout the 23 different wards that make up Tokyo. Students participating in the Keio University Program will be enrolled in courses at the International Center on the Mita Campus in Minato-ku.

The Academic Program

Two different study tracks are available at the International Center at Keio University. Accepted students can choose to enroll in either the Keio University International Program or the Japanese Language Program.

The Keio International program offers core courses taught in English in combination with Japanese Language Courses intended to improve students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Over 90 courses are offered in English each year and include subject areas such as Economics, Politics, History, Literature, and Area Studies. A Language proficiency test will be given at the start of each semester to determine language course levels.

The Japanese Language Program is intended for those students interested in developing or improving their Japanese language skills while learning more about the society and culture of Japan. Even complete beginners may be accepted into the program. Based on language proficiency tests at the beginning of each semester, students will be able to choose from a wide variety of courses taught in Japanese like conversation and grammar to reading and writing as well as content courses. Elective courses in English are also available for the Japanese language track.

An academic year at Keio University is composed of two semesters: Fall Term (September-February), and Spring Term (early April to late July) and during each term, students are able to take a combination of both English and Japanese depending on their study track. Allegheny students participating in this program will be enrolled at Keio University for the entire academic year from September to July. Spring semester students (April-July) may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

KIP: A student must register for a minimum of seven (7) courses per semester.

JLP: We have no requirements on the number of credits. In principle, students must register for 7 or more subjects/credits per semester from the Main Course suited to their study level and/or subjects from the Japanese Language Program (JLP).

Academic Structure

Courses taken with local or other international students.

Courses

For a full list of course offerings, visit Keio University’s website here.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Keio University program, students must have completed four semesters at Allegheny by the time of participation.  Previous coursework related to Asia or Japan in particular is strongly recommended but not required.

Student Life

As a large university, Keio University provides a warm and welcoming environment for students through a variety of social activities including many traditional and cultural events. Students can easily fill their time by studying at one of the four libraries (media centers) which house over 4 million books and periodicals or by exercising in one of the campuses fitness centers. Students can also get a taste of Japanese culture by joining one of the many student clubs on campus like sports, music, and drama clubs. Keio University offers some off-campus housing and exchange students have priority access to a room in these apartments during their stay in Tokyo. These residences are typically one hour away from the main campus where students will study. Meals are available in the campus cafeterias or at local eateries surrounding the campus or residences.

Application Process

Allegheny students must apply for approval to study off-campus from the Global Education office AND apply directly to their chosen program. For this program, the program requires a nomination from Allegheny’s Global Education Office before students can apply directly to the program. So, students must complete the Allegheny approval application and then wait for further instructions to apply to their program. The Allegheny approval application deadline is February 20 for fall programs and September 20 for spring programs. Study away approval applications will be reviewed immediately following the appropriate semester deadline. After a student has been approved by Allegheny, the Global Education office will send the student’s nomination and/or application documents to the program abroad. Students will receive instructions directly from the host program’s visiting student office with their next steps. For more information about the study away application process, please visit the application steps page.

Costs

Students are charged Allegheny tuition and the $800 off-campus fee. Allegheny aid, except work-study, will be applied to program costs. The program fee covers tuition and fees at Keio University; The Kondoh scholarship (approximately 110,000 yen per month) awarded to one Allegheny student per year will cover housing expenses; and international airfare. If not receiving the Kondoh scholarship, students pay for housing on-site Additional costs include passport and visa fees, local transportation costs, meals, and personal expenses.