2020-2021 Study Abroad Handbook
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NOTE!! Information regarding partner universitiesʼ individual information (GPA, Language Proficiency, Academic Fees, etc) will be updated on the Center for International Education (CIE) website “Study Abroad Program List” as needed. The “Program List” listed on this booklet is purely referential. Please be aware that the information may change for 2019 Study Abroad. Check the CIE website “Study Abroad Program List” for up-to-date information. Message from the Dean of CIE Hello! If youʼre a student viewing this page, you are probably considering studying abroad. If so, I strongly encourage you to do so! Studying in another country allows you to grow and learn in myriad ways. It is one of the most valuable forms of education, a cultural encounter that will remain an important part of you long after you have returned to your home country. There are obvious gains, frequently noted by those planning to study abroad, such as becoming more proficient in another language and becoming more independent and mentally strong by living apart from a comfortable everyday existence surrounded by friends and family in uncomplicated circumstances. These are certainly worthy aims, and in most cases, study abroad will enable this kind of development. But focusing just on benefits of this ilk is similar to beholding a gorgeous feast and thinking that it will be a good source of protein and fiber. The experience provides these, of course, but it is so much richer than just that. At the same time, it is hard to describe the essence of what it is reaped from study abroad. I think one analogy sums it up well. The acclaimed writer David Foster Wallace gave a commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005. He began the speech with a brief, odd anecdote: “There are two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, ʻGood morning, boys. Howʼs the water?ʼ The two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks at the other and goes, ʻWhatʼs water?ʼ” Wallace explains the story by saying that “the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are the hardest to see and talk about.” The fish spend their lives in water but are never aware of it. Itʼs just there, and they cannot imagine any other kind of existence. The culture we grow up in is like water for fish. It encompasses us, and it is so integral and natural to us that it can be well-nigh impossible to even properly notice it unless we leave the fish bowl, so to speak. A primary challenge of study abroad is to swim in a new medium. Your “water” is exchanged for something that feels denser. Swimming is harder and seems strange. Learning to cope in this new environment is exhilarating. I still remember my elation the first time I successfully found a telephone number in a Japanese telephone book by myself, as a study abroad student in days long before the Internet. But beyond that, you become able to recognize many of your own long-held but undetected cultural expectations and attitudes. This broadens exponentially your potential for learning and for engaging with the world at large, not just with the particular foreign country you are studying in. This is what it means to be a true cosmopolitan or, as Japanese people often put it, global jinzai. I wholeheartedly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to study abroad during your time at Waseda. Prof. Kate Elwood, Dean of Center for International Education The data is based on the records of study abroad 2019-2020 and is subject to change. For up-to-date information, please make sure to check the CIE website and other sources. Table of Contents Message from the Dean of CIE Waseda University's Study Abroad System Ⅰ. Purpose of Study Abroad …………………………………………………………………………………… 6 First Step … Study Abroad Fair / Study Abroad Week ……………………………………………………………… 6 Ⅱ. Roadmap to Study Abroad ………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Ⅲ. Planning and Preparing for Study Abroad ……………………………………………………………………… 11 1. Planning your Study Abroad ……………………………………………………………………………………… 11 2. Collecting Information ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 3. Test your language proficiency through examinations ………………………………………………………… 11 4. Preparation to meet requirements ………………………………………………………………………………… 11 5. Preparatory courses for study abroad …………………………………………………………………………… 12 6. Study Abroad Assistance (Waseda Global Gate) ………………………………………………………………… 13 Ⅳ. Study Abroad Programs ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 1. Names of the programs …………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 2. Types of the programs ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 3. Other ways of studying abroad …………………………………………………………………………………… 15 4. Study abroad programs for graduate students (Exchange programs offered by Waseda University) ……… 16 Ⅴ. Study Abroad System at Waseda University …………………………………………………………………… 17 1. Status during overseas study period: “Studying Abroad”, “Registered in School” and “Leave of Absence” ……………………………………………………………… 17 2. Study abroad procedures at each school office ………………………………………………………………… 19 3. Course registration at the host university and credit transfer ………………………………………………… 19 4. Procedures for continuous enrollment at Waseda University ………………………………………………… 20 5. Tuition payment while studying abroad …………………………………………………………………………… 20 Ⅵ. Recruitment …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 1. Internal screening …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 2. Selection process …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 Ⅶ. Language Proficiency Tests and Admission Tests ……………………………………………………………… 23 1. TOEFL® ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23 2. IELTS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24 3. Other language proficiency tests ………………………………………………………………………………… 25 4. Other admission tests ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 26 Ⅷ. Scholarships for Study Abroad …………………………………………………………………………………… 27 1. Characteristics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 2. Types of Scholarships ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 3. Method of Application / Results …………………………………………………………………………………… 29 4. Factors to Consider ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 29 5. <FYI> Scholarships which are not grants but loans ……………………………………………………………… 30 Ⅸ. Overseas Security and Risk Management ……………………………………………………………………… 33 1. (Mandatory enrollment) Overseas travel insurance and risk management service ………………………… 33 2. Research on the country where you would like to study ……………………………………………………… 33 3. Preparation before departure ……………………………………………………………………………………… 33 4. Program cancellation or evacuation advice before and during the program ………………………………… 34 Preparation for Study Abroad Ⅰ. Schedule until Departure …………………………………………………………………………………………… 36 Ⅱ. Before Receiving the Enrollment Notification from Host Universities ……………………………………… 37 1. Necessary Documents ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 37 Ⅲ. After being Admitted to Enroll ……………………………………………………………………………………… 41 1. Submitting notifications and other documents …………………………………………………………………… 41 2. Exchanging documents with the host university ………………………………………………………………… 42 3. Collecting information about the host university and Waseda University ……………………………………… 42 4. Contacting students who studied at your destination and who will study with you …………………………… 42 5. Letter of acceptance ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 43 6. Application and procedures for accommodation ………………………………………………………………… 43 7. Health examination ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 44 8. Medical institutions near Waseda University ……………………………………………………………………… 44 9. Visa application in general ………………………………………………………………………………………… 45 10. Enrolling in the Overseas travel insurance ……………………………………………………………………… 45 11. Registering for Risk Management Support Service …………………………………………………………… 47 12. Preparing for travel in general …………………………………………………………………………………… 47 Ⅳ. Notes before Departure ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 48 1. Researching and gathering local information …………………………………………………………………… 48 2. Valuables, consulates & police station phone numbers to make a note of …………………………………… 48 3. Medical report ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 48 4. Study Abroad Aptitude Test ………………………………………………………………………………………… 48 5. Final Check of your belongings …………………………………………………………………………………… 48 During Study Abroad Ⅰ. Notes during your Study Abroad ………………………………………………………………………………… 52 1. Upon arrival at your host institution ……………………………………………………………………………… 52 2. During your life abroad ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 53 3. Two to three months before returning to Japan ………………………………………………………………… 55 Ⅱ. Overseas Safety and Crisis Management ………………………………………………………………………… 56 1. Crisis management ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 56 2. Health management ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 56 3. Other useful links …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 57 Ⅲ. In Case of Emergency ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 58 1. Incidents, accidents ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 58 2. Theft, property loss ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 59 Ⅳ. Using Overseas Health Insurance ………………………………………………………………………………… 62 1. Applying for insurance of your host university …………………………………………………………………… 62 2. When you get sick or injured ……………………………………………………………………………………… 62 Ⅴ. How to use the Waseda University Emergency Card ………………………………………………………… 65 Ⅵ. Useful Contact Information from the MOFA and Related Ministries ………………………………………… 66 1. MOFA Safety Webpage - by country/ region ………………………………………………………………………