Why CET Japan?
CET Japan students are ready to move closer to Japanese fluency and dive into life in Japan. With your intensive curriculum, commitment to the language pledge, and housing with a local Japanese student, language isn’t just in the classroom in Osaka—it’s in everything you do.
Academics
Semester
Snapshot
- Recommended Credits: 15-18
- 10 hours/week of Japanese learning
- 8 one-on-one hours for targeted language learning
- Direct-enroll electives in Japanese or English
- Cover one year's worth of Japanese each semester
- Host University: Osaka Gakuin University
COVID Modifications
Because of program modifications CET is making related to COVID-19, your academic experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the Spring 2022 Program Updates page for more information.
Curriculum & Syllabi
You take one comprehensive Japanese language course for 12 credits, then choose direct-enroll electives to meet 15 to 18 recommended credits.
You are placed into one of these 12-credit courses:
You select 1 to 3 direct-enroll electives at Osaka Gakuin University for a minimum of 15 total credits (including language). Electives come in many shapes and sizes, and are taught in Japanese or English. Options differ each term and are either 1.5 or 3 credits each. Some past courses have included:
- Japan’s Environmental Issues
- Japanese Technology Companies
- Japanese Business Culture & Practices
- Japanese Culture & Society
- Power of Japanese Pop Culture
CET converts final grades from OGU to US letter grade equivalents.
1 Textbook = 1 Semester
You will fly through your textbook (and the textbooks we use are the same ones favored at US universities, so it’s easy to keep track of where you are). That pace, along with a small class size, a limited language pledge, and plenty of out-of-class language practica, puts your Japanese skills on the fast track. You even have one-on-one hours to help turn your language weaknesses into strengths or explore your own interests. Get ready to learn you’ve skipped a level when you return home.
Japanese in the Real World
A front-loaded Japanese in Daily Life class segment teaches you the language you need to thrive in your new day-to-day. Assignments take you off-campus to chat with locals and hear how Japanese is spoken colloquially. You might visit the library to find a book you need for your research, stop by the pharmacy to find a medicine that you need, or practice ordering lunch in Japanese. And your Language Project has you interviewing locals on a topic of your choice—dig into restaurant culture, LGBTQ awareness, or even Japanese music trends. From beginning to end, your classes emphasize real-world learning.
"One of the most beneficial things about CET Japan is the language pledge—it forces you to speak Japanese inside and outside of the classroom. This can seem quite intimidating but it was so helpful for my Japanese. In addition, it strengthens camaraderie with other students who also took the pledge."
Brandeis University | Fall 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, washing machine access, shared bathroom
- Internet access, A/C and heat, 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 boasts a 30-minute commute at most (impressively short by Japanese standards!). Residences have varying layouts, but you always have peers and Japanese roommates around to cook dinner with or run through Japanese vocabulary with you 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 quietest study lounge on campus? 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. Your roommates take the same language pledge you do too, providing ultimate encouragement to speak Japanese all the time.
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, strong culture of small family businesses
Take the train to downtown and enjoy the neon lights of the city at night. Shop for fun souvenirs — Osaka-themed Hello Kitty goods and takayoki flavored-pretzels are perennial favorites. Strike up a conversation with the owner of your favorite ramen shop. Find out 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 classmates and roommates. You might attend a takoyaki-making (fried dough ball with octopus) party, explore local temples, or try your hand at pottery. And there’s more of Osaka to explore on your own—have a karaoke night in Namba, try out a public bath, or have a BBQ.
Building a Community
Each term is designed to help you build a community in Osaka. In the fall, embrace the campus community. Sell pancakes at the campus festival, check out the gym, or stroll around the beautiful grounds. In the spring, get out into the local community. Bond with a Japanese family during a weekend homestay. Volunteer at a local elementary school. Want to experience both the campus and local community? Stay in Osaka for a full academic year!
Away from the City
Join your roommates and fellow CET students on an overnight excursion to an off the beaten path location. 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. Perhaps your group 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. Your cohort might even head to Kyoto for a day trip and check out the many UNESCO World Heritage sites or soak in the hot springs of Arima.
"I love the extra-curricular activities and excursions. They break up the monotony of the classroom and I get to see more of Japan, its people and the local atmosphere while practicing my listening and speaking skills."
University of Washington | Fall student
On-site Staff
Masatomo Yonezu
Assistant Resident Director
Program Fees
Fall/Spring
|
$22,390
Fall/Spring: $22,390
Of the total spring 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.
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you on site.
You’ll also receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and OGU at the end of the term. 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: $1,200 - $2,200
- Meals: $1,400
- Personal Expenses: $1,000
- Cell Phone Plan: $55/month
- OGU Area Studies Trips: $20
- Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
- Open to students from any US college or university
- 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.
Though you take an in-depth placement exam on site, the language evaluation form in your online CET account helps staff get a better idea of your abilities before your arrival.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous 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.
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]