Location

The University of Notre Dame's program in Japan operates in conjunction with the Center for Japanese Studies at Nanzan University in Nagoya. Nanzan is a Catholic university founded in 1949 by the Society of the Divine Word. Its 5,000 Japanese students enroll in Nanzan's five faculties of Arts and Letters, Economics, Foreign Languages, Business Administration and Law. In 1974, Nanzan opened the Center for Japanese Studies to teach Japanese language and culture to students from the United States and other countries. The Center currently enrolls about 140 students per year.

Nanzan overlooks the city of Nagoya, famous as the home of the Toyota Corporation, Noritake China and the castle that Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa built in 1610 for his ninth son. Nagoya is located in the center of Honshu, Japan's main island, midway between Tokyo and Kyoto, and only an hour from the Kii Peninsula and the Ise-Shima National Park, famous for its shrines.

Program of Study

The year-long program begins in early September and ends in late May. The Nagoya program also offers a semester-long option. Notre Dame students enroll in a mandatory intensive Japanese language course and three or four other courses.

Students choose their other courses in the areas of Japanese society, literature, religion, business, economics, history, art, and politics. Except for Japanese language classes, all courses are taught in English, and the subject matter is often placed in a larger Asian context.

Grading is according to the American system and course results are entered on the students' records at the University of Notre Dame, where they are included in the computation of the grade point average. Course descriptions for the Nagoya Program are available here.

Eligibility for the Program

The program in Japan is open to qualified students of the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College. A limited number of students from other institutions may be accepted if space permits. While most of the participants are sophomores, juniors may participate with approval of the chair of their major department and the dean of their college.

First-year intensive Japanese taken at Notre Dame is a prerequisite for the year at Nanzan. Students must achieve at least a B in Japanese and have a 3.0 overall GPA. Candidates must demonstrate adaptability to new situations; desire and motiviation for residence and study abroad; and be free of serious moral, social, or psychological problems. Participants are chosen by a selection committee for International Study Programs. Application deadline: November 15..

Additional Information

There is much more we can tell you — about this location, vibrant religious, cultural and recreational life of this community ... about the student housing, transportation, health care and much, much more. It is, after all, the details that make this program so appealing. Interested? Just click here for additional information.