May 04th, 2021
Akita International University
Semester Abroad
Akita International University
Akita, Japan
Akita International University (AIU) brings together students from around the world in small, discussion-based classes for a unique exchange of ideas and values. With class sizes averaging 18 students and over 20% of the student body coming from 195 partners in approximately 50 countries and regions, AIU gives you the opportunities to forge personal connections across cultural barriers and develop intercultural communication skills.
AIU’s Japanese Language and Japan Studies programs are second to none and AIU is Japan’s only university to offer all content courses in English. The Language Development & Intercultural Studies Center and Academic Achievement Center offer learning skills workshops and guest speakers, course support for Japanese & foreign language practice courses, online resources, print materials, equipment rentals, and free peer tutoring.
At AIU, you will have the opportunity to do more than just study abroad. You will have the opportunity to be a part of a community. Choose from over 200 community events that allow you to get involved with rural Japanese life and culture, more than 40 clubs and societies, and several excursions around beautiful Japan. Akita City offers incredible sights from castle ruins to cherry blossoms and azaleas. Visit Mt. Taihei, art museums, and festivals to celebrate Japanese history and culture.
AIU is rated the #1 Undergraduate Program in Japan (Asahi Shinbun University Rankings 2015 & 2016), the #1 University for Internationalization and the #4 University for Student Care (Daigaku Tsushin, 2014 & 2015), and a Top Global University in the Leading Internationalization Category by the Japanese Ministry of Education. AIU’s Japanese Language and Japan Studies programs are second to none and AIU is Japan’s only university to offer all content courses in English.
AIU’s Japanese Language and Japan Studies programs are second to none and AIU is Japan’s only university to offer all content courses in English. The Language Development & Intercultural Studies Center and Academic Achievement Center offer learning skills workshops and guest speakers, course support for Japanese & foreign language practice courses, online resources, print materials, equipment rentals, and free peer tutoring.
At AIU, you will have the opportunity to do more than just study abroad. You will have the opportunity to be a part of a community. Choose from over 200 community events that allow you to get involved with rural Japanese life and culture, more than 40 clubs and societies, and several excursions around beautiful Japan. Akita City offers incredible sights from castle ruins to cherry blossoms and azaleas. Visit Mt. Taihei, art museums, and festivals to celebrate Japanese history and culture.
AIU is rated the #1 Undergraduate Program in Japan (Asahi Shinbun University Rankings 2015 & 2016), the #1 University for Internationalization and the #4 University for Student Care (Daigaku Tsushin, 2014 & 2015), and a Top Global University in the Leading Internationalization Category by the Japanese Ministry of Education. AIU’s Japanese Language and Japan Studies programs are second to none and AIU is Japan’s only university to offer all content courses in English.
Program Fees
Tuition & Academic Fees
Standard HPU rates to be paid to HPU.
Housing
AIU rates to be paid to AIU.
Meals
Meals are self-catered.
Health & Safety Plan
At the time of publishing, the rate is estimated at $325 per semester, to be paid to HPU.
Additional Expenses
Students will be responsible for all travel, immigration, and personal and other expenses.
Akita International University
Akita, Japan
Terms
Fall Semester Study Abroad:
- August through December
- Application Deadline: March 1
Spring Semester Study Abroad:
- April through July
- Application Deadline: May 1
- August through December
- Application Deadline: March 1
Spring Semester Study Abroad:
- April through July
- Application Deadline: May 1
Requirements
2.75 GPA & Sophomore Status
Office of Global Education, Cottrell Hall, Suite 142
Academic Information
Small, discussion-based, classes with Japanese students and other exchange students will allow you to gain a greater understanding of different worldviews and cultures.
AIU offers 10 levels of core Japanese, with a placement test offered during orientation, as well as skill and practice courses at the upper levels. Students studying at AIU for an academic year, including the Winter Intensive Program, can earn 18 credit hours of Japanese language. In addition to small class sizes, internationally experienced professors, and extracurricular study opportunities, graduate students from AIU’s “Japanese Language Teaching Practices” program and tutors from the Academic Achievement Center are eager to work with exchange students one-on-one.AIU’s Japan Studies courses are designed to provide a scholarly and experiential perspective that will deepen personal insight into the nature of Japanese culture, society, and sensibilities. The curriculum has expanded to include a wider range of locally focused courses that invite careful consideration across multiple academic disciplines, incorporating analysis from political, legal, international, economic, historical, anthropological, religious, cultural, and aesthetic viewpoints. Course options enable students to perceive connections among current popular culture phenomena and the more traditional cultural roots from which these artifacts spring. Topics include everything from Akita studies and traditional arts, such as anime and manga, and the traditional arts of sado (tea ceremony) and kado (flower arrangement), to advanced courses in Contemporary Japanese Economy or Japan-U.S. Relations.
AIU’s business program gives students a firm grounding in economic theory as well as practical education in in-demand skills, like marketing, leadership, OxMetrics and Big Data analysis of current market conditions. Students will use examples from Japanese media and current events to get an inside perspective on Japanese economics and business while studying Japanese Business Culture, Japanese Finance and Practices under Globalization, and Contemporary Japanese Economy. AIU’s Global Studies Program has three concentrations: East Asian Studies, North American Studies, and Transnational Studies.
AIU offers 10 levels of core Japanese, with a placement test offered during orientation, as well as skill and practice courses at the upper levels. Students studying at AIU for an academic year, including the Winter Intensive Program, can earn 18 credit hours of Japanese language. In addition to small class sizes, internationally experienced professors, and extracurricular study opportunities, graduate students from AIU’s “Japanese Language Teaching Practices” program and tutors from the Academic Achievement Center are eager to work with exchange students one-on-one.AIU’s Japan Studies courses are designed to provide a scholarly and experiential perspective that will deepen personal insight into the nature of Japanese culture, society, and sensibilities. The curriculum has expanded to include a wider range of locally focused courses that invite careful consideration across multiple academic disciplines, incorporating analysis from political, legal, international, economic, historical, anthropological, religious, cultural, and aesthetic viewpoints. Course options enable students to perceive connections among current popular culture phenomena and the more traditional cultural roots from which these artifacts spring. Topics include everything from Akita studies and traditional arts, such as anime and manga, and the traditional arts of sado (tea ceremony) and kado (flower arrangement), to advanced courses in Contemporary Japanese Economy or Japan-U.S. Relations.
AIU’s business program gives students a firm grounding in economic theory as well as practical education in in-demand skills, like marketing, leadership, OxMetrics and Big Data analysis of current market conditions. Students will use examples from Japanese media and current events to get an inside perspective on Japanese economics and business while studying Japanese Business Culture, Japanese Finance and Practices under Globalization, and Contemporary Japanese Economy. AIU’s Global Studies Program has three concentrations: East Asian Studies, North American Studies, and Transnational Studies.
Credits Information
AIU utilizes a 4.0 GPA, similar to HPU, and has a 15-week semester to align with university systems around the world. Credits are valued one-to-one with HPU's credits. For High Point University to recognize the credits you complete abroad, you must earn at least a grade equivalent to a C in the U.S. HPU will not accept credit for courses with grades of C– or below. Grades for all courses earned abroad are recorded on the international transcript. Credits are received by HPU as transfer credits, which means the credit is received but the grade is not. Your HPU grade point average will not be impacted positively or negatively by your study abroad courses.