International Christian University (Japan)
The Program
Spend time just outside Tokyo getting to know the fast paced city, the famous cherry blossoms, and perfect your Japanese skills.
International Christian University (ICU), founded in 1949, is Japan’s oldest and largest American-style university. ICU offers four options for Japanese language study. One-year visiting students typically enroll in the appropriate level of Program Two, though you may opt for Program One or Program Three, depending on your language proficiency. In addition to the language offerings, students will be able to take regular university courses taught in English. ICU currently offers about 30% of their courses in English.
Program Locations
Mitaka
Tokyo
Mitaka is a city in Tokyo Prefecture with a population of some 200,000. It is home to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan as well as to a popular museum that features the anime work of Studio Ghibli. While the city neighborhoods are mostly residential with a “forest” of high-rise condominiums around Mitaka Station, there are also many farmlands and forests showing traces of the old Musashino area, as well as rich natural greenery along the four water routes of the city, the Nogawa, Senkawa and Kandagawa rivers and the Tamagawa Josui Canal. Mitaka lies along the JR Chuo line and students can easily reach Shinjuku station in about 30 minutes.
Academics
Students will have the option to spend a full Academic Year, Fall, Spring semester, or add the Summer program to a semester/year at ICU. In order to have an idea of what classes are available, you should visit the ICU website. You will be a part of the ICU Exchange/Invitee program.
Summer + option (intensive Japanese language learners):
Start your semester off with an intensive Japanese course. The ICU Summer + semester/year Intensive is designed for outstanding Rutgers students who will have completed Japanese 102 prior to going abroad. Priority will be given to students looking to major in Asian Languages and Cultures.
Students selected for the ICU Summer plus program will begin their studies on the ICU international summer program in Japan. Upon completing this program students will transition into the ICU fall term where they will take an Intensive Language course. In addition to the language class students will be able to select one elective from another ICU department. More information about these courses can be found on the College of Liberal Arts course offering web page.
Students will take one of the following course tracks (placement will be based upon the results of the ICU Japanese placement test):
1) Summer Intensive 2 (5.5 credits) + Fall Japanese 5 (5.5 credits) + 1-2 Fall English taught electives (credits vary by course)
2) Summer Regular Japanese 2 ( credits) + Fall Intensive 2 (9.5 credits) + 1 Fall English taught elective (credits vary by course)
3) Summer Intensive 2 (5.5 credits) + Fall Intensive 3 (9.5 credits) + 1 Fall English taught elective (credits vary by course)
Academic Year, Fall, or Spring option:
The academic year at ICU is divided into three trimesters (Autumn, Winter, and Spring) of approximately eleven weeks each. Visiting students will follow a Japanese language program each semester. ICU offers several different options for Japanese Language study. Information about these options can be found on the ICU Language Program web page. Visiting students normally enroll in the appropriate level of the Japanese as a Foreign Language Program (Intensive or Regular). Students with native proficiency in speaking may choose to enroll in the Heritage program.
In addition to a Japanese Language course, visiting students are also able to select courses from the College of Liberal Arts offerings each semester. More information about these courses can be found on the College of Liberal Arts course offering web page.
You will need to be sure that you are registered as a full time student according to ICU and Rutgers University. That means you will need to take approximately 12-15 credits while abroad. The credit translation system between the ICU and Rutgers University is 1:1, meaning a 3-credit course at the ICU will also be a 3-credit course on your Rutgers University transcript EXCEPT for language courses. Language courses (J-course, JLP intensive) convert at a different rate. It is not possible to take classes as not-for-credit or pass/fail.
For information about Study Abroad credit transfer, registration, and transcripts please visit the Academics section of our website.
Housing and Meals
Participants may stay in one of ICU’s on-campus dormitories – rooms will be double-occupancy with shared bathrooms and kitchenettes. Occasionally students will be placed in off-campus residences or apartments near campus. The ICU Student Services Office will assist students in securing off-campus accommodations. ICU is also able to provide information about homestays which normally include 2 meals per day.
More information about these options can be found on the ICU web page.
Financial Information
Program Costs
| NJ Residents | Non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| ATW Program cost* | $10,000 | $13,900 |
Program Cost includes:
• Tuition
• Administrative Fees
• Emergency Medical Access Abroad
• *Access the World (ATW)
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $1,500 |
| Housing | $1,575 |
| Meals | $4,000 |
| Japanese Health Insurance | $65 |
| Visa | $36 |
| Books and Classroom Materials | $200 |
| Local Transportation | $250 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,000 |
| Total | $9,626.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket, while some of these expenses, such as meals and personal expenses, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Program Costs
| NJ Residents | Non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| ATW Program cost* | $10,000 | $13,900 |
Program Cost includes:
• Tuition
• Administrative Fees
• Emergency Medical Access Abroad
• *Access the World (ATW)
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $1,500 |
| Housing | $1,575 |
| Meals | $4,000 |
| Japanese Health Insurance | $65 |
| Visa | $36 |
| Books and Classroom Materials | $200 |
| Local Transportation | $250 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,000 |
| Total | $9,626.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket and visa costs, while some of these expenses, such as meals and local transportation, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Program Costs
| NJ Residents | Non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| $3,470 | $4,420 |
Program Cost includes:
- Tuition
- Housing
- Administrative Fees
- Emergency Medical Access Abroad
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | |
| Housing | |
| Meals | |
| Japanese Health Insurance | |
| Books and Classroom Materials | |
| Local Transportation | |
| Personal Expenses | |
| Total | $0.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket, while some of these expenses, such as meals and personal expenses, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.