Double Degree Program (Undergraduate) St. Edward's University (SEU) | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Double Degree Program (Undergraduate) St. Edward's University (SEU)

Double Degree Program (Undergraduate) St. Edward's University (SEU)

  • Pursue Your Field of Specialization

Program Characteristics

The aim of the double degree program is to enable students from APU and St. Edward’s University (SEU) to take courses for two years at each university (four years in total) to receive the degrees from both universities.

Students must not only have good command of English but must aslo have strong interest in the field they wish to pursue and have clear future objectives in addition to a concrete study plan to be able to complete the Double Degree Program. Students must also need to listen to others, think themselves and be able to convey their opinions.

Receiving two degrees in 4 years is not easy and students must satisfy the graduation requirements set by both universities and thus, subjects they can take may be limited. Therefore, students need to keep themselves motivated and actively engaged in studies and extra-curricular activities throughout these 4 years.
At the end of this, the experience gained as a result of the hard efforts put in, will provide a great advantage in an increasingly internationalized society.

In order to provide some context, please find below a chart comparing the exchange program and the Double Degree Program.


Study Abroad Exchange Program Double Degree Program
Duration of the study abroad Up to 1 year 2 years
Subjects Students choose a number of subjects they want to take/are interested in. Some of the subjects are predetermined and some subjects are chosen by the student.
Number of years until graduation 4 years 4 years
Degrees obtained upon graduation Bachelor degree from APU Bachelor degrees from both APU and SEU
Program Schedule
Semester Fall Enrollees status Spring Enrollees status Enrolled University
Fall 1st Semester APU
Spring 2nd Semester 1st Semester APU
Fall 3rd Semester 2nd Semester SEU
Spring 4th Semester 3rd Semester SEU
Fall 5th Semester 4th Semester SEU
Spring 6th Semester 5th Semester SEU/APU*
Fall 7th Semester 6th Semester APU
Spring 8th Semester 7th Semester APU
Fall 8th Semester APU

*Come back to APU from the 2nd Quarter of the Spring semester

Graduation

Upon satisfying all program requirements, students will first receive their APU degree and the degree from SEU will be conferred a few months later.

Credit Acquisition During the Program

Double Degree Program students need to plan their studies well in advance and make sure that they obtain the designated number of credits for each university to complete the program in 4 years.

Below are charts describing the model of credit acquisition during the program.

Model of Credit Acquisition for Fall (September) Enrollees
Model of Credit Acquisition for Spring (April) Enrollees

*Transfer of up to 60 credits from the credits obtained from curricular subjects at SEU is allowed. However, only credits for subjects related to those offered at APU can be transferred (e.g. credits from sports, arts, etc. are not transferrable).

Academics and Requirements of the Program

1) Study Plan

Concrete study plan for the time abroad is absolutely necessary! Satisfying both APU and SEU graduation requirements in 4 years is required and thus, planning course registration ahead of time is very important. The Double Degree Program coordinators in both APU and SEU work with students to help them create the most appropriate study plan.

2) GPA and Credit Requirements

Students must have cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher at the end of the semester preceding departure to SEU and must maintain cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher at the end of every semester while studying at SEU. Furthermore, students must obtain the minimum number of credits determined by APU every semester while studying at SEU.

3) APS Areas of Study

Courses offered in the SEU School of Behavioral and Social Science (Global Studies) center on international studies and society and culture and Double Degree Program students should choose “International Relations and Peace Studies” or “Culture, Society and Media” as their Area of Study at APU. Therefore, students should complete “Introduction to International Relations”, “Introduction to Media Studies” or “Introduction to Culture and Society” at APU based to their desired area of study.

SEU Requirements for Program Completion

At SEU, students must satisfy the requirements for General Education subjects, Major Subjects and also take a number of Electives. Subjects taken at APU will generally fulfill the Major Subjects requirement at SEU and thus, students focus on General Education subjects at SEU. Once they fulfill the General Education requirement, they can choose Major Subjects and Electives they are interested with.

Program Fees

1) APU Tuition and Scholarships

Double Degree Program students pay tuition to APU during the 4 years in the program. Students do not have to pay tuition to SEU!.
JASSO scholarships may be available for domestic Japanese students.
Tuition reduction scholarships will remain in effect even while on exchange for students who meet the scholarship continuation conditions before leaving APU.

2) Fees

The following fees will be the responsibility of the participant during the program period.

Fee Amount
Accommodation1 Approx. 17,500 USD / 2 years
Insurance Approx. 11,000 USD / 2 years
Insurance required from SEU2 Approx. 5,000 USD / 2 years
Insurance required from APU Approx. 280,000 JPY / 2 years
Other Expenses
(travel expenses, meals, books, passport/visa application fees, entertainment and any other fees incurred for the participant’s private activities)
Appox. 1,500,000 JPY / 2 years

1Dormitories are available but not guaranteed.

2Payment of insurance at SEU may be waived if an application is submitted during the designated application period.

Please also check this St. Edward’s University official webpage for up-to-date fees.

Dismissal from the Program

Participants who fail to meet the program requirements including GPA and credit requirements will be dismissed from the program.

Academic Office/Undergraduate Dual Degree Program Team
E-mail : dudp@apu.ac.jp

Double Degree Program (SEU) [2023 Fall Departure]

This is the information for the AY 2023 Double Degree Program with St. Edward's University.
Program Length 4 years (2 years study abroad period) Program Timing Study abroad period:
Fall enrollees: Semester 3 - Semester 6 of enrollment
Spring enrollees: Semester 2 - Semester 5 of enrollment
Location Austin, Texas, USA Acquired Skills/Abilities
  • Self Management
  • Autonomy
  • Specialized Knowledge
Program fee None (excluding travel expenses, rent, insurance, living expenses etc.)
Number of Participants Maximum 5 Application Period March 1, 2023 – 14:00 on March 22, 2023
Eligibility

Be a 1st year student in the College of Asia Pacific Studies who enrolled either in the AY2022 Fall Semester, or s scheduled to enroll in the AY2023 Spring Semester.
*There are other application requirements. Please check the Application Information for details.

Additional Information
Guidance Session

The recordings of the guidance sessions are available from the links below by 14:00 JST on March 22, 2023.
Watch the video in English
Watch the video in Japanese

How to Apply Apply through this online survey during the above application period

The above is an overview of the program. Please be sure to check the details from the Application Information below before applying.

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