- Private university located in Yotsuya within the Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo, Japan
- Offering studies in the Faculties of Humanities, Law, Foreign Studies, Economics, Science and Technology
- The Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA), which offers Japanese courses and courses taught in English, also located at Yotsuya
- Leading university in the fields of international relations and foreign studies, which are pursued at the Faculty of Foreign Studies at the Graduate Division of Foreign Studies
- Approximately 12 000 students
- Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and the most populous metropolis in the world
Visa + Requirements|Travel advice + advisories
Partner university’s areas of study
- In English:
- Liberal Arts (Comparative Culture, International Business and Economics, Social Studies, Japanese Language and Studies)
- Global Studies (Graduate Level - International Relations, Area Studies, Global Studies)
- Global Environmental Studies (Graduate Level)
- In Japanese:
- Theology, Philosophy, History, Japanese Literature, English Literature, German Literature, French Literature, Journalism, Education, Psychology, Sociology, Social Services, Nursing, Law, Economics, Management, English Language and Studies, German Language and Studies, French Language and Studies, Spanish Language and Hispanic Studies, Russian Language and Studies, Portuguese Language and Luso-Brazilian Studies, International Legal Studies, Legal Studies of the Global Environment, Materials and Life Sciences, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Information and Communication Sciences, Science and Technology, Global Environmental Studies
Eligibility and Timing
Terms Offered
Who can go?
- Exchange students can take coursework in most areas of study
Term Dates
- Semester 1: Mid September to Early February (UBC Fall Term)
- Semester 2: Early April to Early August (UBC Spring Term)
- When applying to Go Global, please select the UBC term(s) that you wish to be abroad
Timing
- Recommended for Asian Studies and Arts students
- Students must have a 75% average to apply for this partner
Credits
Summer programs
Course equivalency formula
- 4 Sophia credits = 3 UBC credits
- Japanese language credits x 1.5 = UBC credits
Credit transfer process
The transfer credit process takes approximately 16 weeks following each submission deadline. You should allow sufficient time to meet important deadlines that may affect you (e.g. application for graduation, registration in courses that require prerequisites that you took on exchange, entry to a major/honours program, etc.)
Passing grade
D = 60 = 1.0 (C = 2.0 for "good standing")Course Information
* Students who have special requirements or require academic accommodation should contact a Go Global advisor regarding their needs at least six weeks prior to the application deadline.
Type of Go Global Experiences
Course information and restrictions
- Students take courses from the Faculty of Comparative Culture
- All courses except language classes are conducted in English
- Intensive training in the Japanese language is offered for students whose native language is not Japanese + classes in reading and writing in Japanese provide special training for native speakers who have been educated abroad or in a non-Japanese speaking environment
- The aim is for all students to acquire a bilingual capacity in both English and Japanese
- When selecting courses, ensure that they are available in the semester for which you are applying
Transfer Credits And Equivalent Courses At This University
Check out the courses that previous students have transferred back to UBC in the last 5 years using our Course Search Tool. If you don't see a particular course you listed, it simply means you need to submit it as a new course request through the Transfer Credit Portal while on your Go Global experience. For more information, please visit the Go Global Transfer Credit webpage.
Exchange Tuition
- 15 credits or equivalent full-time program fee per term, paid to UBC
- Some exceptions may apply
Scholarships and awards
The Go Global Award $1000
All students accepted to Go Global for Exchange, Research Abroad, or Study Abroad travel programs are automatically considered for this award. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you'll be notified of your award after you're accepted to Go Global and after you get nominated to apply to the partner university.
Additional awards
Students who are eligible for awards may receive one UBC or UBC-affiliated international learning award. If you're eligible, you are always offered the highest-value award. Unless stated otherwise, you need to meet eligibility criteria set out by the University Senate regarding awards.
Check out international learning awards and eligibility.
- Students with outstanding academic performance may be nominated for the JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) scholarship
Information for US students:
If you are a student from the United States, please check the US Department of Education Lookup Tool to ensure that any partner institution you wish to attend on Exchange is Title IV ‘eligible’ for Federal Student Aid for the year in which you intend to study there. For institutions outside of the US, select “Foreign Country” from the “State” dropdown menu.
If you attend an eligible institution, then you may receive Title IV federal student loans while on Exchange.
If you attend an ineligible institution:
- You will not be eligible for US federal student loans,
- You may invalidate any US student aid you have previously received for your studies at UBC,
- You may be required to immediately begin repaying your US student loans, and
- You may not be eligible for any future US student aid for the remainder of your studies at UBC.
Types of accommodation available
Housing notes
- Students can choose from a number of housing options
- Sophia University dormitories (with convenient transportation access)
- The university recommends several private residential facilities
- Some companies offer dormitory rooms to foreign students (information on such opportunities is posted on the Office of Student Affairs Bulletin board)
- Many students rent apartments on the market, however this is not very feasible for international exchange students who study in the Faculty for up to one year because rental contracts are usually for two years and require large upfront payments