Aoyama Gakuin University

Type of Program: Semester
City: Aoyama, Japan
When offered: Fall or spring
Cost: See Program Costs page

Although Aoyama Gakuin's history dates from October 1874, when missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States established three small schools, the institution took its present form in 1949 when Aoyama Gakuin College was established as a comprehensive university. The main campus, located in Aoyama in central Tokyo, is complemented by the Sagamihara Campus in Kanagawa Prefecture.   As a vibrant educational and research community, the university maintains a number of active international exchange programs for students and faculty. Due to this, Aoyama Gakuin University is well known for its international ambience: many of the students and faculty have attended universities and research institutes abroad, while numerous scholars and students from around the world have studied at the university.  Goucher students would enroll in Japanese language and culture courses, and would also take English-language courses in some subjects (including International Politics, Economics, Sciences, Business, and Communications) alongside Aoyama Gakuin's 20,000+ undergraduates. 

2013 Academic Dates

Spring 2013: mid-April-mid-July
Fall 2013: Late September-late December

Eligibility and Prerequisites

Students must have taken at least two semesters of Japanese language before attending Aoyama Gakuin.  While Japanese is not typically offered on Goucher's campus, Goucher students may take Japanese language courses at Johns Hopkins or Towson University.  Students must have declared a major and taken prerequisite courses.  Students must have completed three semesters in college-level residence and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in order to apply.  There are a limited number of spaces available on this program.

Application and Study Abroad Deposit Deadlines

Please note that both the application and fee are due in the Office of International Studies. All students must attend an advising session at least one week prior to the deadline in the Office of International Studies to obtain an application.