The purpose of studying abroad varies depending on the person, such as "for research" or "wanting to broaden their international horizons." Here you will find various information about studying abroad.

Form of study abroad

The study abroad period and method differ depending on the purpose. The University of Tokyo has concluded agreements with famous universities in various countries, and has prepared a large number of open recruitment programs for those who wish to study abroad. In the open application program, you can receive various support from the university.
There is also a method of individual application. This has the advantage of a high degree of freedom, but on the other hand, you will be responsible for everything from collecting information, applying for documents, and preparing funds for studying abroad. However, in some cases, the university may provide scholarships such as study abroad support for students of the International Distinguished Graduate School (such as the overseas warrior training program of the Graduate School of Engineering).

Type of study abroad and implementing body (in the case of open recruitment)

study abroad period	Implementing body	remarks
Long-term study abroad (4 months to 1 year)	Department of the University of Tokyo	Depends on the graduate school with a university-wide agreement with a famous school
Short-term study abroad (2 weeks to 3 months)	international organizationsoverseas universities	Research conferences, language training, etc.

Rate of graduate students studying abroad

Conducted by the University of Tokyo in 2019Student Life SurveyAccording to the report, the study abroad experience rate of graduate school students is shown in the table below. While the rate of study abroad experience among all graduate students after enrollment does not seem to be that high at 9.7%, it has risen significantly from 4.7% to 19.1% from the master's course to the doctoral course. Interesting facts can be read, such as the higher rate of study abroad experience compared to Also, although it is not listed in the table below, 12.9% (master's: 8.1%, doctoral: 24.8%) answered that they had experience in overseas academic research, which is slightly higher than the items in the table below. It is the numerical value of

Percentage of graduate school students who have studied abroad

study abroad period	be	do not have
whole	9.7%	90.3%
Master's Course	4.7%	95.3%
doctoral course	19.1%	80.9%
liberal arts	10.4%	89.6%
Science	9.4%	90.6%

From the 2019 "Student Life Survey"

study abroad process

The actual situation of study abroad varies depending on the purpose and program, but the general process is common. Here is a summary of the steps you need to take before studying abroad. Please refer to the website of the applicant for the specific period and required documents.

Information collection

When considering studying abroad, first check the website of your graduate school and contact the department in charge of international exchange. This is because, in principle, students apply for study abroad through their graduate school. Some graduate schools have their own agreements with overseas universities, and such universities are often chosen as study abroad destinations where they can conduct research in fields similar to their own fields of specialization. If you want general information about studying abroad rather than specific study abroad programs, visit the “Go Global Center” in the East Wing of Faculty of Science Building No. 1 in Hongo, or the “Globalization Office” on the first basement floor of 21 KOMCEE West in Komaba. is also good.
It is also the official study abroad information site of the University of Tokyo.Go Global WebsiteIn addition to learning about the basic knowledge of studying abroad, there are also plenty of pages about information sessions, scholarship systems, and testimonials. It is characterized by introducing not only study abroad but also overseas internships and international volunteers.

What do you get from studying abroad?

It is important to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad. Here, based on the actual experiences of the students of the University of Tokyo, I have summarized what I learned from studying abroad and points to note. For information on studying abroad for research purposes, please also refer to the testimonials below.

growth

○ I was able to learn about foreign cultures
○ Deeper understanding of Japan
○ Courageous

Language skill

○ Improved out of necessity
× I can't hear more than I imagined
× It's meaningless if you don't talk positively

job hunting

○ Changed my perspective and broadened my horizons
△ Study abroad alone will not be evaluated
△ It is necessary to understand the selection schedule

friend

○ I made friends all over the world.
○ Learned to rely on friends
× Lonely when relationship building fails

Study abroad experiences

N.W. (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
Destination: Moscow (Russia) Purpose: Field survey Period: 1 year

Selection of study abroad destination and its purpose

I major in Russian linguistics and wanted to do field research. In addition, in order to aim to become a Russian teacher in the future, a certain period of study abroad experience is required. On the recommendation of my academic advisor, I went on a one-year exchange program at a university that had an agreement with my graduate school.

procedure done

I contacted the person in charge at the host institution in advance, and was introduced to an academic advisor who was close to my research field. There were no complicated procedures, probably because of the exchange agreement. In addition, I did not notify the University of Tokyo of my leave of absence, etc. due to the JSPS, but went through the procedures for overseas travel.

things to watch out for

First and foremost, it is important to clarify your goals and make a plan before studying abroad. My research didn't quite go according to plan, but I managed to achieve what I had planned in advance. Various procedures before studying abroad may take longer than expected, so it is a good idea to start early. There are quite a few noodles who are confused by spending time in a place with different languages ​​and customs, but I was able to have many valuable experiences. I realized once again how important it is to go to the actual place in order to study the humanities.

S・M (Graduate School of Information Science and Technology)
Destination: Munich (Germany) Purpose: Overseas experience and acquisition of credits Period: 1 semester (half a year)

Selection of study abroad destination and its purpose

This is true for all sciences, but as a computer science major, I conduct my research using English every day, such as when reading academic papers. For this reason, even at the University of Tokyo, lectures dealing with cutting-edge content are often held in English. I had always been interested in living abroad, so I thought, "If I'm going to take a lecture in English, I'll take a lecture at an overseas university and get credits for it." I applied for a six-month exchange program through the program. I was originally interested in Europe, which is a multilingual cultural area, so I chose a German university as my study abroad destination because the timing was the most convenient.

procedure done

First, I contacted the department in charge of international exchange at the graduate school and followed the instructions to create the documents. In addition, I took the TOEFL iBT and submitted the score. In addition, since the study abroad was basically a format of taking lectures and earning credits locally, after consulting with the administrative staff of the department, I did not go through procedures such as taking a leave of absence. Instead, I had a discussion with my supervisor about the research I would do while studying abroad. It is extremely important to coordinate research plans with your academic advisor, especially when you are studying abroad to earn credits.

things to watch out for

I wanted to study abroad without extending the term of my master's course, but in order to do so, I needed to exchange information closely with my supervisor, administrative staff of the department, and administrative staff in charge of studying abroad. was. This can be said to be an important thing for studying abroad in general, so if you have even the slightest bit of uncertainty, you should get into the habit of contacting the appropriate person or department to confirm. Also, some people may want to experience an internship abroad while studying abroad, but since overseas internships are basically long-term internships such as 2-3 months, those who are considering it should start before actually studying abroad. Better prepare. When I found out that my German student visa allowed me to participate in an internship, I thought that I would like to participate in an internship for one month after the end of the class period, so I applied for it, but it was only one month. It was rejected because it was too short.