2014 Meiji University Student Exchange Program

Transcription

1 2014 Meiji University Student Exchange Program What is a Student Exchange Program? Student Exchange Program is a study abroad program held at the partner institutions of Meiji University with student exchange agreements. Meiji University has partner institutions all around the world, where you can study in languages such as English, Chinese, German, French, Italian, etc. To participate in a Student Exchange Program, you will need to apply for the internal selection and be nominated by Meiji University. Please refer to the following information on how to apply for the internal selection, and also refer to 2014 Student Exchange Admission Details for each partner institution s requirements. *Please note that Student Exchange Programs are NON-DEGREE programs, and you are required to return to Meiji University after the program. 1. Where can I study? Meiji University s partner institutions (with student exchange agreements) *Please note that not all institutions accept exchange students every year, and some institutions limit to undergraduate or graduate students. Please refer to the 2014 Student Exchange Admission Details for the details. 2. How long can I study abroad? One semester to a maximum of one academic year starting in between August to October 2014, depending on the academic calendar of the institution *Some institutions accept students for only 1 semester. Please refer to the 2014 Student Exchange Admission Details for the details. 3. How many students per institution can participate? 1-2 students per institution *A student may not be selected unless there is an appropriate candidate 4. Am I qualified to participate in the program? Applicants must meet the following qualifications in order to apply for the internal selection. Applicants who do not meet the qualifications will be rejected after the screening of the application documents. (1) Meet all the eligibility requirements (language requirement, GPA, etc) of the institution(s) you wish to apply for. - As for the GPA requirement, not only you must fulfill the GPA requirement when you apply for the internal selection, but you must also need to fulfill the requirement when you apply to the institution after chosen as a candidate which includes the grades for the 2013 second semester. - Some institutions have different qualifications for specific departments/ courses. Please refer to the institution s website for details. - Official language tests must be taken after 2012 April. If you are handing in TOEFL scores, you may apply

2 for the internal selection with a copy of the online test results from My Home Page. However, you must submit your official TOEFL score to the International Student Office as soon as you receive them. (2) Undergraduate students: If you are a first year undergraduate student, you will need to earn 30 credits when you complete the second semester. If you are above second year, you will need to earn approximately 15 credits for the last semester of enrollment depending on the total earned credits needed for graduation. Consult your department/ graduate school office for details. Graduate Students: Will need permission of your academic supervisor. (3) If you have chronic disease or any pre-existing conditions, you will need an approval of your physician before applying for the student exchange program. (4) International students (students whose nationality is not Japanese) must exclude your home country as your destination. Some institutions restrict nationality or educational background of the student. Please refer to the 2014 Student Exchange Admission Details for more information. International students must submit an Educational Background Information Sheet with other application documents. (5) Understands the costs needed in studying abroad, and is prepared for necessary expenses (See section 8 "Living Expenses for more information). - In some cases, you will need to submit a copy of your bank statement for financial proof when applying to the partner institution. (6) Understand and submit a signed Program Agreement with an approval of your guarantor. 5. When is the deadline? English Programs: November 1 to 29, 2013 Non-English Programs: November 1 to November 21, Where do I submit the application? Application materials must be handed to the office of the school you belong WITHIN THE OFFICE HOURS. LATE APPLICTIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED, 7. What do I need to submit for the application? All following materials are required to be submitted before the deadline. Please make sure you hand in ALL the necessary materials when submitting them to the School office. Insufficient applications may be rejected at the screening of the application documents. (1) Application Form for Student Exchange: Must be printed single-sided (black/white), within 2 pages. You may apply for up to 3 partner institutions. (2) Program Agreement: Must attain approval of your guarantor. If your guarantor lives abroad and it is difficult to receive a signature on the Program Agreement, you may attach a copy of a letter with a signature of your guarantor stating that they understand and will accept conditions written in the Program Agreement. (3) Your grade report from the Oh-o! Meiji portal site: This is NOT the official transcript. Please consult your School office if you do not know where to find them. (4) A copy of your certificate of language proficiency (if required by the partner institution): Students

3 applying for English programs MUST submit an original copy of your official TOEFL / IELTS score report. (5) Study Abroad Plan (English): - Include the following: 1. why you would like to participate in the Student Exchange Program, 2. what you would like to achieve/ study, 3. your future goal or how you would like to make use of your study abroad experience in the future. - Type in your name / department/ year/ Student ID number on the right hand corner. - The essay should be 800 to 1000 words. Indicate the total number of words at the end of your report. - Must be typed with font size of at least 10.5, with a margin of at least 1.5 cm on both sides, and printed single-sided. It does not require a cover and DO NOT staple the documents. (6) Study Abroad Plan (in the language you wish to study): - If you are applying for a non-english program, you must also submit a Study Abroad Plan in the Language you wish to study. Conditions are the same as (5) Study Abroad Plan (English). If you are applying for an English Program, you only need to submit a Study Abroad Plan in English. (7) Educational Background Information Sheet: International students cannot apply for Student Exchange Programs of your home country. All international students are required to submit an Educational Background Information (designated form). 8. Living Expenses (How much does it cost to study abroad?) (1) Tuition: Tuition of the host university is waived under the student exchange agreement. However, tuition for Meiji University is required. (2) Travel insurance: Travel insurance is MANDATORY for students who participate in the student exchange program. Students must enroll in a travel insurance designated by Meiji University, due to university s crisis management policies. Some institutions may require enrolling in a health insurance designated by their institution/country. In this case, you must enroll to both insurances. (3) Other expenses: Living expenses may vary according to the destination. Some institutions require comprehensive fees such as facility fees, international student fees, lab fees, or material fees to exchange students. Housing fees and travel fees are necessary along with daily expenses. For details, please refer to the information provided by each institution. 9. How are students selected? Candidates are selected according to the overall evaluation of their GPA, application documents, and the interview. Please note that the International Student Office will not provide information regarding each applicant s screening results. 10. What is an Internal Selection? The internal selection will be held in two different phases: (1) screening of application documents and (2) an interview.

4 (1) Screening of application documents For English programs: results for the screening of application documents will be notified through the Oh-o! Meiji portal site by December 9th. For Non-English programs: results for the screening of application documents will be notified through the Oh-o! Meiji portal site by November 29th. (2) Interview English Program: Sat, December 14th (around 10am 2pm)at Surugadai Campus (Specific time/ place will be announced for those who passed the screening of application documents) Chinese Program: Thu, December 5th (from 6pm-) at Surugadai Campus (Specific time/ place will be announced for those who passed the screening of application documents) French Program: Tue, December 3rd (from 6pm- ) at Surugadai Campus (Specific time/ place will be announced for those who passed the screening of application documents) German Program: Wed, December 4th (from 6pm- ) at Surugadai Campus (Specific time/ place will be announced for those who passed the screening of application documents) Other Languages: Specific date/ time/ place will be announced for those who passed the screening of application documents 11. When are the results released? Final results of the internal selection will be announced by mid-january, 2014 through the Oh-o! Meiji portal site. Important messages will be sent through Oh-o! Meiji portal site. You are responsible to check all messages and meet the deadline directed by the International Student Office. 12. What is the schedule after the internal selection? *Schedule may differ depending on the institution. Details and schedule will be informed to each candidate. (1) January 9th /10th: Information session for students who passed the internal selection (2) January to March: Prepare for application materials needed for admission to partner institution (3) March to April: Apply to partner institution (through the International Student Office) (4) May to June: Receive acceptance letter from host institution (if admitted) (5) June to July: Receive approval from your department (6) June to July: Visa application (7) July: Pre-departure orientation (8) August to September: Departure 13. Important Notes (FAQs) (1) Applying to more than one study abroad programs: You may apply up to 3 institutions for the Student

5 Exchange Program. Moreover, you may apply with other study abroad programs such as Departmental Student Exchange Programs/ Study Abroad Programs, and other authorized study abroad programs. However, you must state which programs you are applying on the application form. If other programs do not allow multiple applications, you must conform to the condition of those programs. You are not allowed to withdraw from the student exchange program once you are chosen as a candidate. (2) Information on Study Abroad and Partner Institutions: Not many institutions have paper-based catalogs, syllabi, or pamphlets. Please refer to the institution s website to see their latest information such as department list, course list, and other relevant information on study abroad. (3) Credit Transfer: Credits earned at the host university may be transferred to Meiji University under certain conditions. NOT ALL CREDITS ARE AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRED TO MEIJI UNIVERSITY. How many and what credits could be transferred to Meiji highly depends on what course credits you have earned at the host institution and the School you belong to at Meiji. Make sure to consult the office of your School regarding credit transfer BEFORE applying for the Student Exchange Program. It is your responsibility to consult your School and to submit an official transcript along with other necessary documents after returning to Japan. (4) Students studying abroad on their final year: If you are a student in your 4th year of undergraduate school or your 2nd year of Master s program etc., please consult with the office of your department for your graduation/ completion period. (5) Language Requirements: In some cases, even if you meet the indicated language requirement(s), you may be recommended/ required to take language courses depending on the judgment of the host institution. (6) Major/class registration: The department at the host institution does not necessarily have to be the same department as the one you belong to at Meiji University. However, it is important to check beforehand what courses/ classes you wish to take at the host institution, as the credit transfer highly depends on what course credits you earned, rather than what you majored in or which department you studied at the host institution. Student exchange programs are offered to students to deepen their understanding and to broaden their perspectives of their field of study; therefore, majoring in a different field will need a convincing reason. Course registration at the host institution cannot be guaranteed until the semester starts. Some courses/classes may have prerequisites; therefore, make sure you meet the conditions of each courses/classes you wish to take (Meiji University is not responsible for your class registration at the host institution). (7) Withdrawal of Student Exchange Program: You are not allowed to withdraw from the Student Exchange Program for unjustifiable reason(s) once you are chosen as a candidate. Any concerns should be considered and be settled before applying for the internal selection. (8) Internal Selection: Internal selection is held to choose a candidate for student exchange. However, being a

6 candidate does not guarantee admission to the partner institution. The final decision for entry is made at the partner institution and is not ascertained until obtaining the letter of acceptance (which should arrive at around May-June at the earliest). (9) Duration of Study Abroad: You may study abroad for 1 semester (4 to 5 months) up to 1 academic year (9 to 10 months). Duration must be decided before applying to the program, and it cannot be changed after receiving your study abroad approval from your department. You are required to return and complete your academic work at Meiji University after participating in the Student Exchange Program. (10) Visa: Visa is required to study in a foreign country. Please remember that you are responsible for gathering documents and visa application. (11) Accommodation: Accommodation is usually not guaranteed for exchange students at most institutions. When applying for on-campus housing, it is important that you apply and pay deposit as early as possible, as it fills up very quickly. Please understand that you are responsible to communicate with the housing office of the host institution to arrange accommodation of your preference. Meiji University is not responsible for communicating with the housing office and organizing students accommodation. Study Abroad Advising International Student Center offers study abroad advising to those who wish to know more about the program or concerns regarding the application. Remember to include your name/ department/ contact information as well as a title when sending messages or inquiries by . Messages without titles, names, and contact information will not be replied. General questions about study abroad: Study abroad advising by Study Abroad Advisor *Schedule is subject to change. Please contact the Study Abroad Advisor by sending an to: s_abroad@meiji.ac.jp Application details: Study abroad advising by Student Exchange Coordinator International Student Office, Surugadai Campus Weekdays: 9am to11:30am, 12:30pm to 5pm Saturdays: 8:30am to 12pm *Schedule is subject to change. Please contact the Student Exchange Coordinator in advance by to kokusaik@meiji.ac.jp