1. Accelerated Graduation Program
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The accelerated graduation program has been devised to encourage the academic efforts of outstanding students who wish to graduate in three years or three and one half years. Those who wish to enroll in the "accelerated graduation program" must meet a number of specific criteria.
Once enrolled, as long as students meet the assessment criteria at the end of the 4th semester, they will continue on the program through the time of their graduation.
*This program is not for APS students in the 2023 curriculum.
Contents
Schedule
| Application for AY 2023 Fall Semester | Application for AY 2024 Spring Semester | |
|---|---|---|
| Application Materials Available | Early July 2023 | Early January 2024 |
| Application Period | Mon. July 3 - Fri. July 7, 2023 | Mon. January 8 - Fri. January 12, 2024 |
| Results Announced | Wed. September 6, 2023 | Wed. March 6, 2024 |
| Program Registered | Thu. September 21, 2023 | Mon. April 1, 2024 |
In the following cases, students will be ineligible to register for the Accelerated Graduation Program.
- Transfer from a non-4 year university or 3rd Year transfer students.
Application and Selection Procedures
Initial Application
Students in their 2nd semester are eligible to apply to begin the program from the 3rd semester.
Screening will be conducted upon completion of the 4th semester. Those who do not meet the following
criteria will be removed from the Accelerated Graduation Program.
Screening Criteria
- Completion of at least 32 credits by the end of the 2nd semester, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20
Re-evaluation Criteria
- Completion of at least 74 credits by the end of the 4th semester, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20
- Completion of all required language courses by the end of the 4th semester.
Supplementary Application
Applications to the Accelerated Graduation Program are also accepted in the 4th semester for entrance into the program in the 5th semester. Applications will be accepted from new applicants and from those who previously applied unsuccessfully.
Screening Criteria
- Completion of at least 64 credits by the end of the 4th semester, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20
- Completion of all required language courses by the end of the 4th semester
Application guidline / Documents for Submission (new and supplementary applications)
Tuition
Students who register for the Accelerated Graduation Program will be charged tuition under a different model
from regular students, shown below. As such, after registering for the Accelerated Graduation Program the
tuition costs per semester will be higher than those of regular students, so please be sure to check each
semester’s tuition costs carefully.
In addition, it is not possible to switch back to the regular program after registering for the Accelerated
Graduation Program unless you fail the re-screening process in your 4th semester.
APU Tuition is split into two parts: Tuition A (the same for all students) and Tuition B (differs by year).
Tuition A is charged to all current students each semester, so if you graduate in three years you will not have
to pay Tuition A in your 4th year.
If you graduate in three and a half years, you will have already completed your Tuition B payments so you will
only be required to pay Tuition A in your 7th semester and will not be charged for Tuition B.
Please check the Tuition Fees page of the APU homepage for details.
https://en.apu.ac.jp/home/life/content9/
| Year | Tuition | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester | 1・2 | 3・4 | 5・6 | 7・8 | |
| Example A (half year) | Tuition A | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 |
| Tuition B | ¥270,000 | ¥555,000 | ¥555,000 | ― | |
| Total (half year) | ¥650,000 | ¥935,000 | ¥935,000 | ¥380,000 | |
| Total (1 year) | ¥1,300,000 | ¥1,870,000 | ¥1,870,000 | ¥760,000 | |
| Example B (half year) | Tuition A | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 |
| Tuition B | ¥270,000 | ¥555,000 | ¥277,500 | ¥277,500 | |
| Total (half year) | ¥650,000 | ¥935,000 | ¥657,500 | ¥657,500 | |
| Total (1 year) | ¥1,300,000 | ¥1,870,000 | ¥1,315,000 | ¥1,315,000 | |
| Example C (half year) | Tuition A | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 | ¥380,000 |
| Tuition B | ¥270,000 | ¥370,000 | ¥740,000 | ― | |
| Total (half year) | ¥650,000 | ¥750,000 | ¥1,120,000 | ¥380,000 | |
| Total (1 year) | ¥1,300,000 | ¥1,500,000 | ¥2,240,000 | ¥760,000 |
- Example A:
A first year enrollee registers for the accelerated graduation program in their second year. - Example B:
A first year enrollee registers for the accelerated graduation program in their second year, but is removed from the program during a re-evaluation at the end of their fourth semester. - Example C:
A first year enrollee registers for the accelerated graduation program in their third year.
Seminar for Accelerated Graduation Program
For students enrolled in the accelerated graduation program, the registration of seminar subjects (3rd and 4th year) will differ from that of normal students. In particular, students planning to graduate in their 6th semester will write and submit an undergraduate thesis in just one year. You may begin writing your thesis during your third-year seminar, with the assistance and guidance of your instructor.
Accelerated Program students should refer to the following chart for information on registering 3rd and 4th year seminars.
| Period | Registration Details | Application Period |
|---|---|---|
| 6th Semester Graduation | Registration of Major Seminar, Research Seminar and Undergraduate Thesis in 6th Semester (Total 8 credits) | Applications will be accepted during the regular application period. For students who do not obtain credits for Research Seminar or Undergraduate Thesis in their 6th or 7th semester, the University will register these subjects again the following semester. |
| 7th Semester Graduation | Registration of Research Seminar and Undergraduate Thesis in 7th Semester (Total 6 credits) |
Notes on Study Abroad
Certain students should consult with a study abroad officer before applying for the Accelerated Graduation Program. Please contact the office if in the future you plan to:
- apply for an international student exchange program.
- apply for the Ritsumeikan University domestic student exchange program.
- participate in an independently arranged study abroad program.
Please note that students cannot study abroad during their final semester (of scheduled graduation).
Current Accelerated Graduation Program Students
Application for Preferred Graduation Date
Each semester, students registered for the Accelerated Graduation Program will be contacted to confirm their preferred graduation date.
Application Method
Students will be contacted via [Action Required] of the Campus Terminal.
Important
In the case that a requested graduation period was changed, course schedules for seminar subjects (3rd and 4th year seminars) will also change. The changes will be reflected during the Course Registration Period B.
- Students intending to speed up their graduation period are required to speak to a professor or faculty member about their course plans.
- Please refer to the "Seminar Subjects" section of the "Undergraduate Academic Handbook" for course schedules.
- Please be aware that Accelerated Graduation Program Students are unable to participate in Exchange Programs and take Session subjects in their final semester.
Announcement of Graduation Assessment Results
Schedule
Results will be announced on the graduation result release date of the semester of their intended graduation.
Conditions of the Accelerated Graduation
- Submission of the Graduation Selection Period Application at the beginning of the semester of intended graduation.
- Completion of at least 124 credits in the requisite fields.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.
- Completion of at least 20 credits of lecture/seminar subjects held in the non-basis language (excluding J/E classes)
Interview
- An interview by a faculty member is required on the semester immediately preceding your graduation.
Scholarships
International students receiving a reduction in tuition fees who have become Accelerated Graduation Program students should review "The Guide to Scholarship" available on the student office website for information regarding the conditions of the reduction.
