Kyoto University
Throughout history, Kyoto has been at the center of Japanese society and culture. Today, Kyoto is renowned as a world-class center of innovation that simultaneously maintains its traditional industries. With over 40 universities and colleges, some 160,000 students, and over 7,000 international students, Kyoto is considered by many to be Japan’s principal center of learning.
"There are so many mountains and tempels in and around Kyoto to explore. Apart from that, in the evenings I would go to small bars or do karaoke. The culture with all the tiny bars in Kyoto is really fun."
a WUR exchange student
General Information
- Academic calendar: Autumn semester: October– February, Spring semester: April – August
- Language of instruction: English, Japanese
- Areas of agreement: We have 2 contracts with Kyoto University: 1. Uni-wide agreement 2. Graduate School of Agriculture and the Graduate School of Economics
- Course information: Undergraduate students can follow courses in English at KU's Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS). Master students have access to English-taught courses at the Master's level (limited) at the different faculties.
- Restrictions: Additional requirement for non EU universities: GPA 7.0 or higher
- Visa applications:
International students at Kyoto University must have a student visa. To apply for a student visa, students must first obtain the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) through Kyoto University's International Service Office and then use the COE to apply for a visa at the embassy/consulate of Japan in their home country.
The student visa requires taking a minimum number of credits during the exchange (7 courses for Bachelor's students and 4 courses for Master's students). - Arrival in Japan: Students are advised to arrive in Japan from mid-September (Fall Semester) or from mid-March (Spring semester).
Important information: Transcripts are issued very late in Japan, meaning you will have to wait several months before your electives can be added to your WU study progress overview. Please take this into account if you intend to graduate right after your exchange and/or if you intend to enrol in a Master's program at a different university.
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General information
Information on the university-wide contract - only available for the Spring Semester (April-August):
Undergraduate (Bachelor's) students are nominated as KUINEP students and mainly follow courses at the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS). Graduate (Master's) students are nominated as GEA students and are assigned to the Graduate School that best matches their field of study, where they follow courses offered in English. Japanese-speaking students who wish to follow courses in Japanese at the different faculties/graduate schools need to submit proof of Japanese proficiency at the JLPT N1 level.
Information on the contract for the Graduate School of Agriculture - available for either Fall or Spring Semester
Undergraduate (Bachelor's) students mainly follow courses at the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS).
Graduate (Master's) students take courses in English offered by the Graduate School of Agriculture
Information on the contract for the Graduate School of Economics - available for either Fall or Spring Semester
Important: students can only take courses offered by the Faculty/Graduate of Economics. Undergraduate applicants are required to provide proof of Japanese Language Proficiency (e.g., JLPTN N1), as the majority of our undergraduate courses are conducted in Japanese. Master's students can follow courses offered in English at the Graduate level.
Student experiences
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