Study in Japan for the Spring or Year!
Institution
Okayama University was founded in 1870 as a medical school yet has since evolved into a full four-year institution. The Exchange Program Okayama (EPOK) is a program for students to learn about Japanese language, culture, customs, and social backgrounds. Okayama offers Japanese language courses from Beginner to Advanced for learners of any level. A number of interdisciplinary courses are offered in English as well.
Location
Japan is an east Asian island chain made up by the four main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu as well as approximately 3,000 small islands. Okayama is located on the western half of the main island of Honshu roughly between Osaka and Hiroshima. Okayama is often referred to as the Land of Sunshine due to its sunny weather year round.
Academic Calendar
- Fall Semester: Early October to Late February (Quarters 3 & 4 at Okayama)
- Spring Semester: Early April to Late July/Early August (Quarters 1 & 2 at Okayama)
Due to Okayama's calendar exchange students are only able to study at Okayama for the Academic Year or the Spring semester unless the fall is their final term. For more information about the academic calendar please visit
Okayama University's website.
Housing
Appalachian students are housed in the International Student Shared House at Okayama University. Opened in March of 2016 the building is made up of 30 units. Each unit consists of individual rooms for each student. Four students will live together in each unit, which is designed to enable the students to intermingle with each other in a natural way during their daily lives. Each unit is set to house three international students and one Japanese student.
Housing costs will not be billed through Appalachian State. Students will submit their housing payment directly to Okayama University.
For more information about housing please visit the Okayama website.
International Student Shared House
Shared Living Room
Single Room
Financial
Program Costs
Paid to Appalachian State
1The OIED Program Development Fee will be placed on students’ accounts upon acceptance by the Education Abroad Office. The fee payment confirms your spot and is non-refundable.
Estimated Additional Costs
| |
Semester |
Academic Year |
| Airfare |
$1500 - $2000 |
$1500 - $2000 |
| 1Housing |
$1500 - $1800 |
$3000 - $3600 |
| Meals |
$1500 - $2000 |
$3400 - $4400 |
| 2Personal Expenses |
$1200 - $2000 |
$2400 - $4000 |
| Books and Materials |
$150 - $350 |
$300 - $700 |
| Local Transportation |
$100 - $300 |
$200 - $600 |
| Required JPN Insurance |
$200 |
$320 |
| Visa (for US Citizens) |
$0 |
$0 |
| Travel to Consulate for Visa Appt |
$100 - $300 |
$100 - $300 |
| Passport |
$150 |
$150 |
| 3US Based Health Insurance |
Varies |
Varies |
| 4Personal Travel and Spending |
$800 - $1800 |
$1600 - $3000 |
1Internet access is included in rent.
2Personal expenses includes but is not limited to: toiletries, cell phone, emergency funds, laundry, clothing, utilities, basic travel and entertainment, etc.
3Students are encouraged to maintain a US based health insurance plan while abroad (to exempt out of AppState insurance students must follow the App exemption process - proving that they have insurance coverage for the entirety of the semester.
4Personal Travel and Spending amounts will vary by student and will be affected by how often a student goes out, travels, and the items they purchase.
Please note that non-billable costs are estimates only and will be affected by personal spending habits, currency fluctuations, etc. Prices listed in USD unless otherwise noted.
Students are encouraged to start planning for their study abroad program costs well in advance. Please use the Student Financial Planning Worksheet to help estimate your anticipated expenses and your anticipated financial resources. When planning for estimated additional costs students are encouraged to research currency conversion rates. To see a total of the estimated costs for this program please visit the program budget sheets: Spring, Academic Year.
Financial Aid
The majority of financial aid and scholarships can apply to semester and year-long study abroad programs. For more information please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid web page.
Scholarships
OIED Scholarships
Each semester OIED offers a variety of different scholarship opportunities for students. Scholarship awards range from $250 to $2000.
Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship
The Gilman Scholarship Program application is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.
Fund for Education Abroad
Applicants from groups underrepresented in study abroad and those destined for non-traditional locations are given preference, in an effort to make the demographics of U.S. undergraduates studying abroad reflect the rich diversity of the U.S. population.
Freeman Awards for Study in Asia
Provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduates with demonstated financial need to study abroad in East of Southeast Asia.
Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan
Administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and funded by donations from businesses, individuals, and foundations, these scholarships offer stipends of $2,500 and $4,000 to American undergraduate students studying abroad in Japan on semester- or year-long programs.
For information about additional scholarships please visit our External Scholarships web page.
Academics
To locate the Okayama University course offerings please visit the EPOK Curriculum website. Okayama's semesters are broken up into four 8 week quarters with each level of Japanese running for a total of 16 weeks before progressing to the next level.
All students are given a Japanese language placement test online prior to arrival. Placement is then confirmed during the first week of courses to ensure the student is in the appropriate level for the duration of the quarter.
All students are expected to maintain at least the equivalent of a full time course load according to Appalachian State and the host university while abroad (whichever is greater). Students participating on the Okayama program will normally enroll in 12-18 credits per semester. For more information about study abroad enrollment policies, credit approval, and credit and grade conversions please visit the Academics section of our website.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and some programs may fill up before the listed deadline. Each year applications for Fall, Spring, and Summer will open up on August 1st. Once open the deadline will be listed below and an Apply Now button will be available at the top and bottom of this page. Most applications will have a 2 part application process so students are encouraged to complete their OIED application well before the listed deadline.
For more information about deadlines and how to apply please visit our
Guide Me web page.