KANSAI GAIDAI UNIVERSITY — HIRAKATA, OSAKA, JAPAN
Location and Academics
Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata, Japan, offers a yearlong or single semester program with all courses offered in English for undergraduates. Students enroll in the Asian Studies Program intended for those with an interest in Japan but limited experience.
Students choose Asian Studies Program courses from a variety of disciplines, including economics, history, religion, studio art, art history, and more. One of these courses will be a required spoken Japanese language course.
Kansai Gaidai University has two campuses, both located in Hirakata in the Osaka prefecture. Hirakata is a brief train ride from Osaka City and Kyoto, integral cities in Japan’s rich history.
How does the Exchange Work?
Under the terms of the exchange, students pay Morris tuition and fees which covers equivalent costs at Kansai Gaidai University. Students are expected to pay living expenses (including room and board), transportation, international health insurance, personal expenses, and any other applicable expenses.
Eligibility Requirements
The program is open to University of Minnesota Morris students regardless of major who have completed at least one year at the University of Minnesota Morris prior to applying for the program. Typically, study in Japan is completed in the sophomore or junior year. Students are expected to have a solid academic average of at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and a clear statement of purpose for studying in Japan. Previous study of Japanese is encouraged but not required.
Interested students should contact the Morris Study Abroad Adviser to learn more about this opportunity and to request nomination by the Morris campus prior to completing the online application.
Students hoping to study at Kansai Gaidai for a full academic year must maintain good academic standing, a 2.0 GPA minimum, and no F’s during the first term in order to stay for the second. The host university reserves the right to refuse to allow a student to continue studying at Kansai Gaidai if they do not meet criterion.
Application Procedures
Students hoping to attend Kansai Gaidai University for a semester or year must get in touch with the Morris Study Abroad Adviser prior to beginning the application process. Interested students will need to submit a number of items to the Academic Center for Enrichment for review prior to nomination.
Student must send in all required materials for review to ACE by April 1 for fall semester or full academic year exchange and September 15 for spring semester only exchange. These deadlines allow adequate time for the review and nomination process and time for nominated students to complete the online application prior to Kansai Gaidai’s application deadline. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis by Kansai Gaidai as are the required materials for nomination at ACE.
If students are nominated for the exchange, they will receive a username and password to complete the online application process. Applications are due to Kansai Gaidai by May 15 for fall semester or full academic year exchange or November 1 for spring semester only exchange. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all application materials are complete. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis by Kansai Gaidai University.
If you apply directly to the host university, your application will not be considered for the exchange and agreement rates will not apply. To participate in the exchange, students must submit their required nomination materials to the University of Minnesota Morris’ Academic Center for Enrichment for review and receive nomination before they are able to complete the online application for exchange.
Students interested in applying for the exchange should contact the study abroad adviser ahead of time to provide notification of their intention to apply. The study abroad adviser will run an academic and disciplinary record check for students applying for the exchange. This exchange program is only available for University of Minnesota Morris students. Interested students from outside of the University of Minnesota Morris may seek enrollment to the Asian Studies Program as independent students on the Kansai Gaidai web site and by working with their home campus study abroad advising office.