Arts +Sciences
Unique Experiences
Take giant steps
in your Japanese language skills with classes at your level, from pure beginner to nearly fluent
Take the bullet train
to explore Hiroshima’s famous Peace Memorial Museum and see firsthand the impact of the world’s first atomic bomb
Share classes
and lasting friendships – with Japanese students
90
countries represented by Sophia University students
13.6 M
people make this the most densely populated place on Earth
142,000
square miles of total land space in Japan
Your Destination
A city like no other, Tokyo is all about what’s new. With a population of more than 13 million people, it’s crowded, but it’s also super clean and safe. See how limited space has been maximized in ingenious ways and enjoy an astounding variety of shopping options and entertainment. In Tokyo, every customer gets the royal treatment - from helpful clerks and super-fast trains to plenty of places to relax in nature.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Tokyo.
The Culture
Excursions & Activities
- Take an overnight trip to heritage sites where you will immerse yourself in Japanese culture
- Visit the Ghibli Museum, where Totoro is waiting for us at the entrance.
- Find your inner peace in an authentic Zen garden
- Get involved in campus life by joining a club at Sophia University.
- Academic-year students take an additional weekend to discover other regions like Sendai, Kansai, or Nagano, practicing the language while they explore.
- Choose from a range of group cultural activities – there’s always more to see and do.
Projects
- Volunteering: We’ll help you find the perfect place to volunteer your skills: helping at a local school, collecting food for the homeless, or offering support to disabled youth.
- Internships: We are happy to assist you with ideas for non-credit opportunities.
Program Blogs
The 13 Best Gifts for a Study Abroad Student in 2024
Are you looking for the best gifts to give someone traveling abroad? Perhaps you need to find some study abroad gifts for a student planning to study overseas. You've come... keep reading
5 Reflections from Studying Abroad in Tokyo
Study abroad will change your life! We asked alumni to reflect on their time abroad and share a few tips to help future students prepare for the journey ahead. Check... keep reading
EAT, DRINK, EXPLORE: TOKYO
EAT Since the 17th century, soba (buckwheat) noodles have been a staple in the Japanese diet. These tasty noodles are as thick as spaghetti and are eaten either in a... keep reading
Housing & Meals
Housing
CIEE Tokyo offers various housing options, including homestays or residence halls. Typically housing options are located within 45-75 minutes of CIEE Tokyo.
Standard Housing: Includes a single room at a homestay with a local host family or a single occupancy room in an international student residence hall.
Typical housing for a homestay features a family residence with a kitchen, living room, and a bathroom shared with the host family.
Residence halls feature rooms with private bathrooms, Wi-Fi access, lounge areas, and laundry facilities. Residence halls house CIEE students, students from Sophia University, and other nearby universities, and other young professionals in modest-sized rooms. These private facilities are managed by bilingual staff who communicate with students and plan activities. Residence halls are co-ed, with a female-only floor available.
Select Housing: Double or Triple occupancy room in a student apartment with a private bathroom. Residences are within 30 minutes of CIEE Tokyo and/or the city center.
Select Plus Housing: Single occupancy room in a student apartment with a private bathroom. Residences are within 30 minutes of CIEE Tokyo and/or the city center.
A note: The default criterion to assign housing is first-come, first-served; however, other factors may also be considered. If we cannot accommodate your first housing choice, we'll let you know before you arrive.
Meals
Homestays: Breakfast and dinner are provided by your host family daily. Plan to get your own lunch.
Residence halls: Students are responsible for providing and paying for all meals and may prepare their meals in the shared kitchen.
Academics
Students enroll at the renowned Sophia University to explore Japanese language and culture, furthering their studies with courses from anthropology to political science (taught in English) while experiencing all that Tokyo has to offer. Students enroll in a Japanese language course and English-taught elective courses, one of which must have a Japan-related focus. Students have the ability to take the Intercultural Communication and Leadership course taught by CIEE as an elective course. Language level placement is based on Sophia University’s placement test conducted at the beginning of the semester. 1-2 semesters of college-level Japanese is recommended but not required. Students must be full-time students with at least one completed semester in a degree-seeking program at a four-year or two-year institution.
Sophia University was founded by Jesuits in 1913, and today, is one of the leading universities in Japan. It welcomes more than 13,000 students, including international students from more than 90 countries. Located in central Tokyo, the Yotsuya campus includes a library, computer labs, faculty and administrative offices, classrooms, and sports grounds.
CIEE Tokyo is conveniently located on the Yotsuya campus of Sophia University, minutes away from the vibrant Shinjuku and Ginza districts in Tokyo.
Course Information
Course Notes
- One elective course must have a Japan-related focus.
- Students are legally required to enroll in 10 hours of contact hours per week under a study visa.
Communication, Journalism, and Media
Communication, Journalism, and Media
SOPHIA UNIVERSITY COURSES
Sophia University offers a large selection of Japanese language courses and area studies courses taught in English. Some courses are taught on a rotational basis and may only be offered in alternate years. Students are advised to remain flexible in selecting courses.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE COURSES
Students are required to take one Japanese language course. For the most up-to-date listings on Japanese language courses, and regular and intensive tracks, visit Sophia University’s Center for Language Education and Research website. Advanced students with near-native fluency may enroll in courses with varying credits, then select three other courses. These upper-level language courses focus on subjects such as translation or advanced reading and writing. Level placement is determined by Sophia University’s placement test conducted at the beginning of the semester.
- Japanese M3 (4 credits)
- Business Japanese 1-2 (2 credits)
INTENSIVE JAPANESE LANGUAGE OPTION
Students who have taken at least one semester of college-level Japanese through intermediate-level Japanese have the option to enroll in the Japanese Language Intensive Program (JLIP) at the appropriate level. In the JLIP, students study Japanese for 16 hours and 40 minutes each week. Students then choose two other courses. Level placement is determined by Sophia University’s placement test conducted at the beginning of the semester. Recommended credit: 8 semester/12 quarter hours.
FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS COURSES
Students may enroll in courses under three majors: Comparative Culture, International Business and Economics, and Social Studies. Not all courses are offered every semester. For the most up-to-date elective course listings, visit Sophia University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts website.
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.
Scholarships & Grants
CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.
Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
- Wollitzer Merit Scholarships in Area or Comparative Studies
- Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
- CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
- MSI Grant
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.
Dates & Fees
You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Fees & Housing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Spring 2025 18 weeks | Application Due Deadline Passed | Start Date * | End Date * | Fees & Housing $26,950 |
| Program Fall 2025 20 weeks | Start Date * | End Date * | Fees & Housing $26,950 | |
| Program Calendar year 2025 44 weeks | Application Due Deadline Passed | Start Date * | End Date * | Fees & Housing $26,950 |
| Program Fall 2024 19 weeks | Application Due Deadline Passed | Start Date | End Date | Fees & Housing $26,950 |
| Program Academic year 2024-2025 | Application Due Deadline Passed | Start Date * | End Date TBD* | Fees & Housing $52,550 |
*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $20,956**
Housing = $5,500***
Insurance = $194
Total Fees = $26,950Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $630†
International Airfare = $1,700††
Local Transportation = $100†††
Books & Supplies = $200
Visa Fees = $22††††
Personal expenses = $280†††††
Other = $100††††††
Total Costs = $3,032Optional Housing
CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee. Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; however, other factors may also be considered.
Select Housing Fee = $750
Select Plus Housing Fee = $2,500
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable fee
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.
†For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals a day. For students in apartments, you should budget approx. $420 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††Local transit costs not covered by commuter pass
††††Visa application fee
†††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries (Sim requires one-time fee of $25)
††††††national insurance
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $20,956**
Housing = $5,500***
Insurance = $194
Total Fees = $26,950Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $700†
International Airfare = $1,700††
Local Transportation = $100
Books & Supplies = $200
Visa Fees = $22†††
Personal expenses = $280††††
Other = $100†††††
Total Costs = $3,102Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable fee
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.
†For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals a day. For students in apartments, you should budget approx. $420 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††visa application fee
††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries (Sim requires one-time fee of $25)
†††††Japanese National Health Insurance
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $20,956**
Housing = $5,500***
Insurance = $194
Total Fees = $26,950Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $1,330†
International Airfare = $1,700††
Local Transportation = $200†††
Books & Supplies = $400
Visa Fees = $22††††
Personal expenses = $560†††††
Other = $200††††††
Expenses during break = $2,700†††††††
Total Costs = $7,112Optional Housing
CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee. Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; however, other factors may also be considered.
Select Housing Fee = $750
Select Plus Housing Fee = $2,500
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable fee
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.
†For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals a day. For students in apartments, you should budget approx. $420 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††Local transit costs not covered by commuter pass
††††Visa application fee
†††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries (Sim requires one-time fee of $25)
††††††Japanese National Health Insurance
†††††††academic year students who wish to stay onsite are responsible for arranging their housing and meals during the semester break
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $20,456**
Housing = $6,000***
Insurance = $194
Total Fees = $26,950Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $700†
International Airfare = $1,550††
Books & Supplies = $200
Personal expenses = $280†††
Other = $100††††
Total Costs = $2,830Optional Housing
CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee. Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; however, other factors may also be considered.
Select Housing Fee = $750
Select Plus Housing Fee = $1,500
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable fee
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.
†For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals a day. For students in apartments, you should budget approx. $420 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries (Sim requires one-time fee of $25)
††††Japanese National Health Insurance
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $40,556**
Housing = $11,500***
Insurance = $194
Total Fees = $52,550Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $1,330†
International Airfare = $1,550††
Local Transportation = $100
Books & Supplies = $400
Personal expenses = $560†††
Other = $200††††
Expenses during break = $2,700†††††
Total Costs = $6,840Optional Housing
CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee. Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis; however, other factors may also be considered.
Select Housing Fee = $750
Select Plus Housing Fee = $1,500
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable fee
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
***Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.
†For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals a day. For students in apartments, you should budget approx. $420 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries (Sim requires one-time fee of $25)
††††national insurance
†††††academic year students who wish to stay onsite are responsible for arranging their housing and meals during the semester break
What's Included
Tuition
Housing
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext travel protection
24/7 emergency on-site support
Our Staff
Saya Nishina
Director of Operations
Starr Miyata
Academic Manager
Starr has several years of experience working in education equity and international education in both the U.S. and Japan.
Get Started
1
2
Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.
3
Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.
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