Japanese Language & International Studies

Per J. F. Oberlin, 1 JFO credit is equivalent to 15 contact hours, which is the equivalent of 1 U.S. semester credit and 1.5 quarter units. Many courses at JFO are 4 credits and these may transfer back as 3 - 4 U.S. semester credits. We encourage you to meet with your academic advisor to determine credit transfer for this program.

You are required to take one core Japanese language course, in addition to three or four other courses which can be a combination of English-taught classes and elective Japanese language classes. Courses are taught in English, with the exception of the language courses, which are taught in Japanese. A must enroll in a minimum of 12 JFO credits to meet visa eligibility requirements.

Students will enroll in courses once onsite, so please note that courses are not confirmed or guaranteed until the program has started. We recommended selecting 6 - 8 courses in order to have enough to select from in the event that you do not fulfill prerequisites or there are courses that overlap on the timetable. JFO University typically only offers 4-6 English-taught courses per term, so flexibility with courses is key!

The academic system may be different than what you are used to in the U.S. You may have considerably fewer assignments throughout the semester, and often the final grade is heavily based on the final exam. Courses are typically introductory to intermediate undergraduate level, designed for exchange and study abroad students.