Academic Progression and Graduation
Share on:
This page gives an overview of academic progression and graduation at APU.
Year Level
Upon enrollment, students become 1st year students. After each year of enrollment at APU, students advance to the next year level. Students who have not completed their graduation requirements by the end of their 4th year will become 5th year students, then 6th year students, and so on. However, students cannot stay enrolled at APU for longer than eight years (16 semesters). Year levels may not be repeated.
Graduation
In order to graduate from APU, students must fulfill all of the following requirements. Students who have fulfilled these requirements are eligible for graduation and cannot remain enrolled at APU.
- Requirement 1: Be enrolled at APU for at least four years
-
However, the following three cases are exceptions.
- Accelerated Graduation Program students can graduate after at least three years of enrollment.
- 2nd year transfer students can graduate after at least three years of enrollment.
- 3rd year transfer students can graduate after at least two years of enrollment.
- Requirement 2: Complete the required number of credits for graduation
-
Students must complete at least 124 credits in total and fulfil the requirements specified by their respective curriculum. Further details can be found on the pages for each curriculum and college.
Credit System
Coursework at APU is based on the credit system. The number of credits earned per course is determined by the
Japanese University Establishment Criteria, and is based upon the number of class hours (including study
conducted outside of class, homework, etc.).
Students who receive a passing grade in a class for which they are registered receive credits based on the hours
completed.
| Course Type | Number of Classes | Number of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture Course | 14 classes + preparation/review, etc. | 2 |
| Language Course | 56 classes + preparation/review, etc. | 4 |
