Program Overview
Illinois Wesleyan is one of a handful of small liberal arts colleges in the US with an exchange agreement with Keio University—a wonderful opportunity for IWU students to both interact with Keio students here in Bloomington and to then study alongside them in Tokyo.
Keio University in Tokyo is both one of the oldest and one of the top-ranked universities in Japan. A large research university, Keio has approximately 29,000 undergraduates—of which about 470 are international students.
IWU students may study at Keio for a spring semester or the full academic year, and with the choice of studying mainly Japanese language or a variety of English-taught courses in Japanese culture, history, politics, and business.
Location
Tokyo (which means "Eastern Capital"), with a population of over 13 million, is the capital city of Japan and also the most populous metropolitan area in the world. Home to over 50 Fortune 500 companies, more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city, and the amazing Studio Ghibli, Tokyo is a global leader on many fronts. While there, you can ride it's 13 subway lines, visit the world's largest fish market, explore ancient temples and Japanese street fashion, and relax to the purrs of many cats in a Cat Cafe.
Keio University, located in the Minato area of Tokyo, dates back to 1858. Since the school's inception, Keio has continued to the idea of jitsugaku, which holds that one should not just acquire information from book learning, but should learn from real-life experiences in order to apply viable solutions to actual problems.
The University has multiple campuses, and your studies would mainly be done at the historic Mita Campus, home to the Center for Japanese Studies. However, some International Center courses are held on the Hiyoshi and Yagami campuses.
Eligibility
- Declared major
- 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Cannot be on academic or social probation
- IWU account must not be in arrears
For More Information
Academics
IWU students can study at Keio University for a full academic year or for the spring semester (study at Keio only in the fall is not possible, as the semester overlaps the start of the spring semester at IWU). While there, students can participate in either the Keio international Program or the Japanese Language Program.
The Keio international Program (KIP) is suitable for undergraduate students who wish to focus on studying in various academic fields in English. Fields include economics, business, politics, history, culture, area studies, and the global community. KIP students with advanced Japanese proficiency may also focus on undergraduate courses taught in Japanese, offered by the Keio University faculties that are open to exchange students. In addition, they may choose to take up to four (4) Japanese language courses. The main purpose of KIP is for students to attend a wide range of Japanese Studies and/or International Studies Courses taught in English, and/or attend regular undergraduate courses taught in Japanese, rather than emphasizing the study of Japanese language.
The Japanese Language Program (JLP), offered by the Center for Japanese Studies, is for undergraduate and graduate students who would like to focus on Japanese language learning. The curriculum is designed to assist students in attaining the high level of Japanese proficiency required for research and other academic activities in specialized disciplines.
Housing & Meals
Keio assists students in arranging accommodation in Japan. Students are provided with a room at one of the student dormitories subsidized by Keio University. In some dormitories, weekday meals are included in the fee, and in others students are responsible for their own meals.
Students are required to pay rent through automatic debiting from their bank account each month. The monthly rent charged to students varies from ¥51,000– ¥78,000 (approximately $480–$735). Students will also be charged ¥20,000/$190 maintenance fee on their first month's rent. Deposits and key charge are not required.
Financial Info
Financial Aid and Scholarships
IWU normally allows students to use all federal, state, and institutional aid, as well as any external scholarships, toward one semester of study abroad. Students who participate in an IWU Exchange Program are given the option to participate in a second abroad experience using their full aid package.
Additional assistance is available. Students are encouraged to talk with the Financial Aid Office about loan eligibility. In addition, IWU has a Study Abroad Scholarship, supported by a generous gift from Betty Ritchie-Birrer ('47). Further Information on financial aid, including a list of possible scholarship options, can be found on the
IWU Study Abroad website.
Program Cost
IWU has a home-school tuition policy, which means that students studying abroad pay the regular IWU tuition—unless the study abroad tuition is higher, in which case the student pays that higher cost. For the IWU Keio Exchange, students are charged only for the IWU tuition: housing costs are paid directly to Keio University. Students' regular financial aid package will be applied to IWU costs, and IWU will bill participants using the regular billing cycle.
Included in these costs are:
- Tuition for full course load
- Housing for the semester
- Pre-departure and onsite orientations
Not included:
- Airfare to/from Tokyo
- Meal costs
- Local transportation
- Personal expenses
Paid to IWU
| Spring 2019 |
Per Semester |
| Tuition* |
$23,717 |
| Subtotal - Paid to IWU |
$23,717 |
*For semester programs, you regular financial aid will be applied to the tuition portion of your bill (for one semester). Bills will be issued on their regular schedule and you can continue to pay in installments.
Estimated Additional Costs
| Spring 2019 |
Per Semester |
| Airfare |
$1300–$1600 |
| Passport and Photos |
$110–$145 |
| Room |
$1920–$3000 |
| Meals* |
$1150–$2300 |
| Local Transportation |
$300 |
| Japanese Health Insurance |
$100 |
| Personal Expenses/Miscellaneous* |
$2000 |
| Subtotal - Additional Costs |
$6880–$9445 |
*Spending amounts will vary by student and will be affected by how often a student goes out, travels, and the items they purchase.
Program fees and student expenses are based on preliminary estimates and are subject to change. Please contact the International Office for more information.
