5. FAQ
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The following section is a list of frequently asked questions. Please check here for answers before asking the Office.
For answers which differ depending on the curriculum and college, the applicable curriculum and college are written above the answer. If no curriculum year or college is written above the answer, the information applies to all students.
Contents
Basic Information
Semester and quarter refer to the length of the course.
Each academic year is split into two semesters, the Spring Semester and the Fall Semester. Each
semester is made up of two quarters (the 1st Quarter and the 2nd Quarter), plus the winter or summer
session.
A credit shows that you have learned and mastered the content of a course. Credits are based on the
Japanese government’s University Establishment Standards, determined based on the hours of study
required to master each course (including preparation and review) expressed in numerical form.
All students must earn at least 124 credits to graduate. The specific types of credits required are
established by curriculum based on year of enrollment, college, and language basis. Please confirm the
details at guidance sessions or through the website.
Language Courses
Please refer to the following table.
| English A | English B | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Track | Communication class | Grammar class |
| Advanced Track | Discussion and Debate class | Reading and Essay class |
[2023 Curriculum Students]
If a student has no prior experience studying Japanese, they will be registered for Japanese Foundation I and Japanese Foundation II (4 credits each) in their first semester, for a total of 8 credits. If they pass Japanese Foundation I and fail Japanese Foundation II, the university will automatically register them for only Japanese Foundation II in their second semester.
[2011 / 2017 Curriculum Students]
If students have no prior experience studying Japanese, upon enrollment they will be registered for the three Japanese Foundation Courses: Japanese Foundation I, Japanese Foundation II, and Japanese Foundation III (4 credits each) at the same time, for a total of 12 credits. If a student passes two of the courses but fails one, the university will automatically register them for the course they failed in the following semester. For example, if a student passes Japanese Foundation I and III and fails Japanese Foundation II, they will be automatically registered for Japanese Foundation II only in the next semester.
English language courses are courses in which students study the English language, ranging from
levels “Elementary English A and B” to “Advanced English 2A and 2B.” The level of a student’s English
language course is determined based on the results of their placement test taken upon enrollment.
Courses taught in English are courses in which students study a topic in English, in other words,
Common Education courses or Major Education courses taught in English. Japanese-basis domestic
students must earn at least 20 credits from these courses taught in English to graduate.
Languages spoken in the Asia Pacific region are referred to as “AP Languages”.
There are 6 AP languages that students can study: Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Malay / Indonesian, Thai,
and Vietnamese.
As Level I in these courses is often popular, please try to register as soon as possible once the
course registration period begins if you are interested in taking one of these courses.
No. To register for AP Languages, the following conditions must be met.
| Language Basis | Conditions for Registration |
|---|---|
| Japanese-basis | Completion or exemption of credits for "Elementary English A" and "Elementary English B" |
| English-basis | Completion or exemption of credits for "Japanese Foundation I","Japanese Foundation II" and "Japanese Foundation III" |
Additionally, as a registration requirement for AP Languages, the AP Language you wish to
take cannot be your native language.
Asia Pacific Language Education
Yes, if the conditions for registering for an AP Language are met.
However, most language courses are worth 4 credits, so they have more class meeting times than other
courses. Therefore, in order to take a required language course and an AP language course at the same
time, self-management and time management are very important.
Yes. Applications for language exemption are usually accepted in July and the following January.
For details, please refer to the following webpages:
Yes.
●To register for “Advanced English 1A /1B”:
You can only register if you have a TOEFL ITP®Test score of 500 – 524 points. You cannot apply in the cases below:
- Do not have a qualifying TOEFL ITP®Test score
- Your TOEFL ITP®Test score has expired
If you wish to register for the course, please submit your TOEFL ITP®Test score sheet in the semester before you want to take the course. If you pass the screening, you can register for the course yourself in the following semester, during Course Registration Period B, if seats are still available.
※Only students in their 2nd semester or above can apply.
※Information about how to apply will be posted to Campus Terminal before the start of the semester.
● To register for “Advanced English 2A /2B” or other Advanced Track courses for specific purposes:
If seats are available during Course Registration Period B, you can register for the course(s) yourself.
Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
As explained below, this depends on your college and curriculum.
- 【2023 Curriculum Students】
-
(APS)
You must register for an Area of Study to graduate. You can register for or change your Area of Study from your 2nd through your final semester, during course registration periods (Period A, Period B, Correction Period 1, Correction Period 2). For details, please see the APS Graduation Requirements / Areas of Study / Required Subjects page, select AY 2023 Curriculum, then scroll down to Area of Study.(APM)
Registration in a Area of Study is not a requirement for graduation. However, if you register and fulfill the requirements, the name of your Area of Study will appear on your degree certificate. Students may register or change their Area of Study during the course registration periods (A-period, B-period, Modification 1, and Modification 2) from the first semester to the last semester of study. For more information, please select the 2023 Curriculum in the APM under "Graduation Requirements, Required Courses, and Areas of Study" and check "Areas of Study".(ST)
Does not have Areas of Study. - 【2017 Curriculum Students】
-
(APS)
You must register for an Area of Study to graduate. You can register for or change your Area of Study from your 2nd through your final semester, during course registration periods (Period A, Period B, Correction Period 1, Correction Period 2). For details, please see the the APS Graduation Requirements / Areas of Study / Required Subjects page, select AY 2017 Curriculum, then scroll down to Area of Study.(APM)
You are not required to register for an Area of Study to graduate. However, if you register for an Area of Study, and earn at least 12 credits from courses in that Area, you can have the name of that Area listed on your diploma.
You can register for or change your Area of Study from your 1st through your final semester, during course registration periods (Period A, Period B, Correction Period 1, Correction Period 2). - 【2011 Curriculum Students】
-
(APS and APM)
You are not required to register for an Area of Study to graduate. However, if you register for an Area of Study and earn the required number of credits, you can have the name of that Area listed on your diploma. For details, please see your college’s [Area of Study (2011 Curriculum)] information.
As explained below, this depends on your college and curriculum.
- 【2023 Curriculum Students】
-
(APS)
You can only register for one of the 3 Areas of Study. You can change your Area as many times as you like during the Area of Study registration period.
You can change your Area in the same way as you registered for it. (Area of Study Registration Manual). APS Area of Study Registration / Change Period: from 2nd semester to final semester, during course registration periods (Period A, Period B, Correction Period 1, Correction Period 2).(APM)
Of the 4 Areas of Study, you can register for one major and one minor. For details, please see the APM Graduation Requirements / Areas of Study / Required Subjects page, select the 2023 Curriculum, then scroll down to Area of Study.
APM Area of Study Registration / Change Period: Students can register/change their Areas of Study at any point between the start of Period A and end of Correction Period 2.(ST)
Does not have Areas of Study. - 【2017 Curriculum】
-
In both colleges, you can only register for one Area of Study. You can change your Area as many times as you like during the Area of Study registration period. For details, please see each college’s Graduation Requirements / Areas of Study / Required Subjects page, select 2017 Curriculum, then scroll down to Area of Study.
APS Area of Study Registration / Change Period: from 2nd semester to final semester, during course registration periods (Period A, Period B, Correction Period 1, Correction Period 2).
APM Area of Study Registration / Change Period: from 1st semester to final semester, during course registration periods (Period A, Period B, Correction Period 1, Correction Period 2). - 【2011 Curriculum Students】
-
In both colleges, you can only register for one Area of Study. You can change your Area as many times as you like during the Area of Study registration period. For details, please see each college’s Graduation Requirements / Areas of Study / Required Subjects page, select 2011 Curriculum, then scroll down to Area of Study.
APS / APM Area of Study Registration / Change Period: from 1st semester to final semester, during course registration periods (Period A, Period B, Correction Period 1, Correction Period 2).
No. Only Japanese-basis domestic students are required to earn 20 credits from courses taught in English to graduate. However, students who graduated from a Japanese high school but do not have Japanese nationality may be categorized as domestic students. Please be sure to check Campusmate to confirm your category.
How to check Campusmate (PDF)
No.
Curriculums are created by considering how to systematically structure student learning over four years. A student’s curriculum stays the same from admission to graduation, and in principle should not change during their course of study. For this reason, even for students in the same college, the 2017 and 2023 curriculums have different course systems, and they offer different courses (however, some courses have not been changed). As such, courses that have been newly added for the 2023 curriculum do not exist in the 2017 curriculum, and cannot be registered.
As explained below, this depends on your college and curriculum.
- 【2023 Curriculum Students】
-
(APS)
No. APS students are required to earn credit for “Graduation Research II” in which you write a graduation thesis (or graduation report) as a requirement for graduation. For details, please check the information on the Seminar Courses page for your curriculum.(APM)
Yes. You are not required to write a graduation thesis in order to graduate.(ST)
It depends on the course you select for your final results.
One graduation requirement is to “Complete at least 2 credits of Final Results Subjects.” If you choose “Graduation Project” to fulfill this requirement, you will be required to write a graduation thesis (or activity report). - 【2017 / 2011 Curriculum Students】
-
(APS or APM) Yes. You are not required to write a graduation thesis in order to graduate.
FOR APS STUDENTS
Yes. APS students are required to take at least one introductory-level course (common liberal arts course) from each Area of Study. If students earn credits for both “Introduction to International Relations” and “Introduction to Comparative Politics,” the extra two credits will be counted as Common Liberal Arts subject credits.
These courses are not required. Introduction to APS contains a lot of information that APS students should know, so it is automatically registered by the University in the first semester. Introduction to Area Studies teaches the basic information required to begin studying the Asia Pacific. This course is not automatically registered, but the University strongly recommends taking it.
If you complete more than the required 28 credits for an “Area of Study’s Major Education Subjects,” the excess credits count towards “APS Major Education Subjects.” For details, please check “*C in the Garde Report Screen of Campusmaten.”
FOR APM STUDENTS
Yes. Mathematics and Statistics are required courses that can be registered from first year, so we recommend taking those courses early.
- 【2023 Curriculum Students】
-
Normally, “Introduction to Economics,” “Introduction to Marketing,” and “Finance” are registered for you by the University in your second semester. However, if the University registers 16 or fewer credits for you in your 1st semester, you can register for the courses yourself during your 1st semester. If you earn credits for these courses in your 1st semester, the university will not register them for you in your 2nd semester.
- 【2017 Curriculum Students】
-
Normally, “Introduction to Economics,” “Accounting I,” and “Introduction to Marketing” are registered for you by the University in your second semester. However, if the University registers 16 or fewer credits for you in your 1st semester, you can register for the courses yourself during your 1st semester. If you earn credits for these courses in your 1st semester, the university will not register them for you in your 2nd semester.
Course Timetable / Syllabus
- Check your graduation requirements and credit status, and confirm which subject fields require credits.
- Review subject information through the course timetable and syllabus.
- Check the timetable for automatically registered subjects (required subjects and language subjects). The schedule for automatically registered subjects will differ for each student. Confirm your schedule for automatically registered courses by checking the Action Required messages on Campus Terminal.
- Find courses that do not overlap with your automatically-registered courses and that fit into the subject fields of credits still required for graduation. As courses may sometimes fill up before you register, it is recommended that you have a few backup plans.
- Register for courses when the Course Registration Period begins.
The timetable for automatically-registered courses (required and language courses) is announced a few days before the start of the course registration period. Please check the “Action Required” messages on Campus Terminal periodically.
The course timetable can be found on the “Course Timetable
/ Classroom Changes” page.
Please make sure to check the timetable for your particular curriculum.
Please confirm the syllabus under “Syllabus”. It may also be found on Campus Terminal.
The first letter after the subject name is the course language, and the second letter is the class.
Please make sure you are entering the course name correctly (for example, it cannot include any extra punctuation or slashes). If a course is still not shown in the published timetable, the course will not be offered that semester.
Course Registration
Please refer to the Course Registration Manual. Your APU ID and password are required to log in to Campusmate.
Courses that have been dropped correctly are not graded, so you will not receive an F (failing grade).
Credits from courses in other colleges will be applied to the “Other College Courses” subject field and count towards the 124 credits needed to graduate.
No. Please check the Subject List or the Course Timetable for the “Semester” information to see whether you can register for a course. You must be in that semester or higher to register the course.
Major Education courses in other colleges can be taken from the 3rd semester and can be registered from Course Registration Period B.
There is no minimum number of credits that must be registered each semester, but at least 124 credits are required to graduate. As there is a maximum number of credits that can be registered each semester, it is recommended to register for this maximum number of credits each semester to ensure that you will earn the 124 credits required to graduate. Furthermore, students receiving scholarships often need to register for a certain number of credits to maintain their scholarships. Please refer to the Student Office website for details.
You do not have to register the maximum number of credits possible every semester. However, as it is not guaranteed that you will be able to pass and earn credits for all of the course that you have registered, we recommend registering the maximum number of credits each semester to ensure that you will earn the 124 credits required to graduate.
The period during which classes are held varies.
| Semester Course | Students take classes for four months (during the semester) to receive credits |
|---|---|
| Quarter Course | Students take classes for two months (during the 1st or 2nd Quarter) to receive credits |
The classes and times for automatically registered subjects cannot be changed.
These are intensive one-week (five-day) sessions that take place during the long breaks. As with other types of courses, credits will be earned with a passing grade. Winter and Summer Session courses may be registered during Course Registration Period A and B and Course Correction Period 1 and 2. Courses cannot be registered or dropped outside of the Course Registration Period.
Class sizes are not published, but classes with seats available are shown on the Campusmate Course Registration screen. Please check the number of seats available shown during the Course Registration Period.
Course During Course Registration Period A (for current students only) and Course Registration
Period B, all courses can be registered or dropped.
However, during Correction Period 1, courses offered in the Semester or 1st Quarter which have already
begun cannot be registered, only dropped. During Correction Period 2, courses offered in the 2nd
Quarter can only be dropped, and Session courses can be registered or dropped.
Please be sure to refer to “Basic Information on Course Registration” for details. Any registration or
dropping is not permitted outside of the Course Registration Period.
You can drop the course, but you can only newly register 2nd Quarter or Session courses that still have seats available. For details, please be sure to refer to “Basic Information on Course Registration.”
Other
Please use the three resources listed below. More details are available on the website.
We accept questions about course registration, course planning, or graduation requirements anytime.
We provide support for finding your own academic or personal goals. If you are concerned about your student life or future, please talk with our faculty advisors about your concerns.
3. Speaking with Professors during their Office Hours
If you want to discuss the courses you are currently taking or consult about seminars, please make an appointment with a faculty member and speak with them directly.
Information about faculty members such as their field of expertise can be found on our Faculty Information Page.
If you are having issues in your Fundamental Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, Business Mathematics, or Statistics course, please consider making use of the AMC（Analytics and Math Center）. Support is offered in English or Japanese in one-on-one sessions with trained tutors.
All 1st-year students are automatically registered for Study Skills and Academic Writing (SSAW). In SSAW, students learn about how to be “proactive, self-motivated, independent learners who can identify problems and find solutions on their own,” important qualities for writing reports. Furthermore, if you have questions or concerns about a writing assignment you can use the Writing Center service and receive one-on-one support.
Please be sure to refer to the syllabus for required learning materials. When purchasing a required textbook, please use the COOP store or online shop, or online retailers.
