Why AICAD in Japan?
As an AICAD in Japan student, you split your days between intensive Japanese lessons and art classes at Osaka University of Arts. With an intensive language curriculum, commitment to a language pledge, and a housing setup aimed at accelerating your adjustment to life in Japan, your semester in Osaka is full of creativity and language progress. This program is open to students of AICAD consortium schools.
Academics
Semester
Snapshot
- Recommended Credits: 15-18
- Intensive Japanese language course
- Art classes based off your portfolio
- 8 one-on-one hours for target language learning
- Optional electives in Japanese or English
- Limited language pledge
- Host Universities: Osaka Gakuin University and Osaka University of Arts
Curriculum & Syllabi
You take one comprehensive Japanese course for 10 credits, then choose direct-enroll electives at OUA or OGU to meet the recommended 15 to 18 credits.
You are placed into one of these 10-credit courses:
You are assigned to art classes by the host university (Osaka University of Arts) based on your submitted portfolio and language capabilities. Classes are 3 to 4 credits each and may include:
- Textiles & Dyeing
- Print Art & Wood Block Printing
- Book Making
- Glassblowing
- Japanese Painting (Intermediate Japanese required)
- Animation (Advanced Japanese required)
- Manga (Advanced Japanese required)
- Gaming (Advanced Japanese required)
- Poster Design (Advanced Japanese required)
You select up to 2 electives at Osaka Gakuin University, schedule permitting. Electives come in many shapes and sizes, and are taught in Japanese or English. Options differ each term and are 1.5 or 3 credits each.
- Area studies class (taught in English)
3 credits - Area studies class (J-Bridge, taught in Japanese for non-native Japanese speakers) [Fall terms only]
3 credits - Japanese language electives
1.5 credits
See more direct-enroll courses on the Osaka Gakuin University website.
Intensive Japanese Learning
Your mornings are dedicated to Japanese—a lot of it. You fly through the textbook as your lessons maintain a challenging pace and your teachers keep you on your toes. And with smaller class sizes, a limited language pledge, and even Japanese in Daily Life—a class section that teaches you the language you need to thrive in your new day-to-day—Japanese will be in everything you do.
Study Art at OUA
During the application process, Osaka University of Arts (one of the program’s host universities) reviews your portfolio and assigns you to appropriate art classes. These classes are taught in Japanese, so until your language skills start to kick in, you’ll learn by observing and following. Already have a good handle of the language? You might take more advanced classes like Gaming, Animation, or Poster Design. Regardless of your language abilities, you earn studio arts credits alongside Japanese art school students.
"CET has sparked a love for Osaka for me, and allowed me to make so many new friends and to experience a whole new culture. Even though the program is short, there have been thousands of unforgettable memories."
Soka University of America | Spring student
Housing & Meals
COVID Modifications
Because of precautions CET is taking related to COVID-19, your housing experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the COVID playbook page for more information.
- Japanese sharehouse or apartment
- Off-campus housing
- Live with CET peers & local Japanese students
- 4-10 people/house
- 1-2 people/room
- Simple communal kitchen or kitchenette, washer access, shared bathroom
- Internet access, A/C, bed linens, basic furnishing, kitchenware
Your Osaka home is different from apartments in the US—spaces are smaller and there may not be a common room—but it has everything you need. Your neighborhood is cozy and residential and offers a short commute to OGU where CET offices and classes are located. Your commute to OAU will be longer, but will give you time to catch up on readings or just enjoy people-watching. Residences have varying layouts, but you always have peers and Japanese roommates around to cook dinner with or go through your Japanese vocabulary before your next quiz.
Local Roommates
Want to learn the train route to the longest shopping arcade in Osaka? The kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) with the best bang for your buck? The best spots downtown for creative inspiration? Sharing a home with a local student from Osaka Gakuin University gives you instant insider’s access to the city, language, and culture…to say nothing of the instant support network.
Eating in Osaka
For meals, take full advantage of living in the “The Nation’s Kitchen” by diving into the local food scene and enjoying the city’s many cheap eateries. For busier days, try out the campus cafeteria or explore the extensive ready-to-eat selections at your neighborhood konbini (convenience store). Feeling a home-cooked meal? Try your hand at a local dish with common Japanese ingredients, or cook something from back home for you and your roommate.
Life in Osaka
- Known locally as: 大阪 Ōsaka
- Population: 2.691 million
- Local Currency: Japanese Yen
- Famous for: Great food, Osaka Castle, less English prominence, major transport hub, mom-and-pop shops
The cultural heart of the city is just 15 minutes away. Explore the incredible art supply stores in Osaka and pick up just the right tool for your next project. Strike up a conversation with the owner of your favorite ramen shop. Visit the many art galleries in the city to understand trends in the local art scene. Learn what makes okonomiyaki an Osakan specialty. Hike to breathtaking Minoh Waterfall. Take in the colors of the seasons, and soak your feet downstream.
Activities & Excursions
Around Osaka
Each term, the program offers different extra-curricular activities that let you see the city, learn about Japanese culture, practice your language skills, or just unwind with your roommates as well as all of the CET Japan students. You might attend a takoyaki-making (fried dough ball with octopus) party, explore local temples, or have a movie night. And there’s more of Osaka to explore on your own—sing your heart out at karaoke, try out a public bath, or explore a game center in the Dotonbori area.
Away from the city
Join your roommates and fellow students on an overnight excursion that takes you off the beaten path. In Mie, you might visit a recreated ninja village, spend the night in a minshuku (Japanese-style housing), and marvel at the sacred Wedded Rocks. You could head to Kagawa to make pottery, stay at the first school for non-samurai children, and take in the serenity of a Japanese garden. Head to Kyoto for a day trip and check out the many UNESCO World Heritage sites or soak in the hot springs of Arima.
"The trips are great in that they give us the rare opportunity to actually explore Japan and explore what we've learned in the classroom. It's a very enriching experience and definitely one of my favorite parts of the program."
Lewis & Clark College | Spring student
On-site Staff
Masatomo Yonezu
Assistant Resident Director
Program Fees
Spring
$26,140
|
Fall
$22,390
Fall: $22,390
Spring: $26,140
Of the total spring program fee, $17,390 goes to tuition and fees, and $8,750 goes to housing and other related costs.
Of the total fall program fee, $17,390 goes to tuition and fees, and $5,000 goes to housing and other related costs.
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We arrange for you to live in an apartment or sharehouse with other CET students and local roommates. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, and other management costs.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan through GeoBlue that even includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!
We guide you step-by-step through the visa process. You do the legwork, but we’ll make sure you have the documentation and information you need, when you need it.
We give you a stipend to cover your commute between the OGU and OUA campuses. And we’ll help you figure out the best train or bus routes.
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you in Osaka.
You receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and OGU at the end of the term, as well as an OUA transcript for all studio arts courses. You also have the option to request a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota for an additional fee if necessary.
Estimated
Out-of-Pocket
Costs
- Round-trip Airfare: $800 - $1,200
- Meals: $1,400 (fall) - $2,100 (spring)
- Personal Expenses: $1,000 - $1,400
- Cell Phone Plan: $55/month
- OGU Area Studies Trips: $20
- Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
- Open to students of art schools that are both in the AICAD consortium and affiliated with OUA as a sister school
- GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
- Open to all levels of Japanese, from absolute beginner to advanced
Complete the application through your online CET account. This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous language instructors.
This is an online form that your study abroad office completes to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of your online account.
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
You will send an application and a portfolio of recent pieces directly to Osaka University of Arts. Based off your submission and language abilities, OUA selects which art classes will be the best fit for you. You can find specific instructions for this step in your online CET account.
Fall deadline:
May 1st
Spring deadline:
October 1st
Price Subject to Change:
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.
Have a question? Get in touch!
Melanie MacKenzie
Senior Student Services Coordinator
Advises on CET programs in Brazil, Colombia, Japan, and Jordan.
202.846.7662
[email protected]