Iwate University Student Exchange Program (IU-SEP)

Iwate University offers an exciting and eye-opening international community program "Iwate University Student Exchange Program (IU-SEP)" for exchange students from partner universities according to the student exchange agreement. This program provides 5 courses. Students will take one of the following courses depending on their major at their home university.Please note that if the IU-SEP is adopted by a scholarship program from Japan Student Services Organizations (JASSO), this program may be subject to change.

1. Iwate Area Studies Program（Humanities course）
2. Product Design and Information Design Program（Design course）
3. Iwate Science and Engineering Research Program （Science and Engineering course）
4. Iwate Agricultural Science Research Program （Agricultural Science course）
5. Open Study Program（Free Choice Courses）

• （English）202504outline_of_iusep_en.pdf
  
• （Japanese）202504outline_of_iusep_jp.pdf

Requirement for Application

To apply for IU-SEP, applicants must:

1. not be of Japanese Nationality.

2. be registered as a full time regular student as an undergraduate or a graduate (MA or PhD) at one of the universities that has a student exchange agreement with Iwate University. In addition, applicants must maintain their regular student status at their home university throughout the period they are enrolled at Iwate University. They also must return to their university after completing the program at Iwate University, and continue their study at their home university. However, stutents who graduate from their home university during their study at Iwate University and proceed to the graduate school of the home university will be eligible to apply. But they will not be eligible to receive the scholarship that would be awared if the IU-SEP is selected for the "Study Abroad Support System" run by the Japan Stutent Services Organization (JASSO).

3. have a good academic standing and good personal record at their home university.

4. have clear objectives and plans, and good outcomes can be expected from their study and
   research.

5. have good enough Japanese or English proficiency to understand courses and instructions.
   (Note) Iwate Agricultural Research Program (agricultural course) applicants must have:
   A. obtained a TOEFL-iBT score of 46 points or more, or
   B. passed JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N2 or more, which is organized by the
   Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, or
   C. passed an interview test using SNS and such by the prospective academic supervisor.
   Please note that an interview test may be required even if you have 46 points or more of
   TOEFL-iBT score or JLPT N2 or more.

6. be able to obtain a college student visa to enter Japan.
7. be recommended by the President or a head of a department of their home university.

Capacity

The number of exchange students from one university cannot be more than the number determined by
each agreement. Students who are eligible for this program may differ depending on the courses.

School Year

1. The term of this program is generally either one semester or two semesters.
2. Spring Semester：April 1 ? Mid-August
   (Period of course: Early April ? Early August) (15 weeks)
   Fall Semester ：October 1 ?Mid February
   (Period of course: Early October ? Mid February) (15 weeks)

Classes are not held on Saturdays, Sundays and Japanese national holidays. There are summer, winter and spring vacations when the students study by themselves.

Application and document deadline

April enrollment: November 29

Guidance and Support

Each student will have an academic supervisor. These supervisors and teachers at the Global Education Center will give them guidance and support not only for college life but also for life in Iwate. Students will also have a student tutor who supports their study and everyday life.

Evaluation, Credits & Diploma

1. Exchange students who earned credits will receive a transcript to prove their completion of courses, course scores, and acquirement of credits. To those who completed the Iwate Area Studies Program (Humanities course) and Online Japanese Language Program, a certificate of completion will be issued.
2. Credits students earn at Iwate University can be transferred to their home institutions. Some credits, however, may have to be confirmed with the home institutions' supervisors before being accepted.

Courses after arriving in Japan

Each course has a list of "Subjects taken by the exchange students in the past". This list of subjects is a sample/reference for your class registration. please note, Iwate University will be reorganized in April 2025. Due to this, the cources offered will also change significantly, so please check the new coureses when registering after arriving in Japan in April 2025. With the exception of Japanese language courses and some courses offered in English, most lectures at Iwate University are conducted in Japanese, so a high level of Japanese language proficiency is required.

If students would like to take such subjects, they have to consult with their supervisor at Iwate University beforehand.

You can view the "Subjects taken by the exchange students in the past" by clicking on the link below.

• English
• Japanese

The overall list of courses offered at Iwate University (Japanese only) are linked below.

• Iwate University Web Syllabus

Tuition and other expenses

The admission fees and tuition for the dispatched international students will be not collected by Iwate University. However, students have to pay their tuition to their home institutions. Also, students must pay their own personal costs, including travel expenses, accommodation fees, living expenses, and costs of learning materials such as textbooks. After arriving in Japan, you will be required to take out insurance designated by Iwate University to cover your own injuries or illness, and damage to university facilities or other people. The insurance premium is 15,000 yen (annual). Please note that coverage period will begin after you have completed the insurance procedure, so we recommend that take out additional insurance before traveling to cover injuries, illness, accidents, etc. that may occur during your trip until you switch to the insurance designated by Iwate University.

Housing

International students can live in a dormitory called International House located on campus. It has a share house type room (a unit to share with 4 roommates).

• Rent (including utility fees) to be paid monthly：【Share Room Type 】33,000 yen/month　【Single Room Type 】36,000 yen/month
• Facility handling charge：30,000 yen (One time fee)
• Internet access fee：24,200 yen (Up to 12 months) / 11,000 yen (Up to 6 months)
• Bedding set rental fee：15,400 yen (Up to 12 months) / 7,700 yen (Up to 6 months)
• Facilities: desk, bed, air-conditioner, curtain, wardrobe, book shelf, laundry hook, kitchen drawer, wireless LAN
• (Shared area) kitchen, toilet, coin-operated shower, refrigerator, microwave oven, dinning table, cupboard, kitchen drawer

International House website:
/iuic/english/international-students/campus-life/housing-and-living-environment.html
International House Introduction Video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir_oH-DI27Y

Scholarship

If the IU-SEP is adopted by a scholarship program from Japan Student Services Organizations (JASSO), students may receive this scholarship.

* The applicants must meet certain academic requirements.

* The credits obtained by the recipients of the scholarship at Iwate University must be transferred to the credits of their university.

Application Procedure and Required Documents

1. To the person in charge of handling partnerships at the partner institution
①Please enter the information of the recommended students into the form below.
　https://forms.office.com/r/6R3Ha10mWg
②Please download and fill out the documents required for application below and send the completed forms as attachments via email to: gryugaku@iwate-u.ac.jp

★Note
?Please enter "Student Exchange Program" in the subject of your email.

2. To the applicant student himself or herself
①Please enter the required information from the IU-SEP application form below.
　https://forms.office.com/r/552nvFSfT8
②Please fill in the required information from the International House Application Form.
　https://forms.office.com/r/d1nUZnZ9H2
※Below is the list of required documents for application.
Students will need to submit an Application for the Certificate of Eligibility to study in Japan along with the application form for IU-SEP.

Contact

Iwate University International Office
3-18-34 Ueda, Morioka-City, Iwate, 020-8550, JAPAN
TEL：+81-(0)19-621-6927
FAX：+81-(0)19-621-6290
Email：gryugaku@iwate-u.ac.jp

Notification of Documentation

The acceptance letter and the Certificate Of Eligibility will be sent out from Iwate University in mid-August (October enrollment).
The information for Japanese Visa, Passport procedure and the placement test of Japanese language skill will be enclosed in the notification.

Arrival Schedule

Please arrange your schedule to allow yourself to arrive in Morioka before one week prior to the start of the term. After the decision of acceptance, the schedule and method of entering Japan will be provided by the International Office.

For further information, please contact your supervisor at your home institution,your designated Iwate University supervisor, or our International Office at Iwate University.