Graduate Programs

Foremention: A huge thanks goes to JETWIT, the JET alumni magazine, for allowing AJET to use its list of graduate school programs to complete the below list. To visit JETWIT, please go to http://jetwit.com.

Graduate school listings are initially separated by the country in which they reside, followed by category.

Japanese Language Study

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (Oakland, CA) – JETAA US Country Rep Shannon Quinn says that she attended their summer language school pre-JET in 1999, and many of her classmates were former CIRs and ALTs.

Update: As of 2018, the intensive summer program is no longer offered in Japanese. Japanese language courses are offered in a variety of personalized formats, including online, but must be applied for on an individual case basis. You can find more details in the above link.

Blakemore Freeman Fellowship – A great way to finance intensive language study. Four to five grants for Japanese are available every year. (Comment: Shannon Quinn, JETAA USA Country Rep and former JETAA Pacific Northwest President, attended the IUC from 2005-2006, thanks to a generous fellowship (worth nearly $36,000) from the Blakemore Freeman Foundation. Feel free to contact Shannon (via the JETWIT site) if you have questions about the program.)

International Relations/Policy/Language/Cultural Study

Monterey Institute of International Studies (Monterey, CA) – Offers programs in topics including International Policy Studies, Translation & Interpretation, Language Teacher Education, and International Business.

School for International Training (SIT) (Battleboro, VT) – Offers programs in International Education, Language and Culture, NGOs and Civil Society Peace and Conflict Transformation, Socially Responsible Management, Sustainable Development and Teacher Preparation.

Second Language Studies M.A. Program, University of Hawai’i at Manoa (Honolulu, HI) – A great program, according to Leslie Reynolds, Niigata-ken, 2005-07, who is an M.A. candidate and reports that there are several other former JETs in the program as well. Ph.D. programs are also available.

American University – School of International Service (SIS) (Washington, DC) – American University’s top-ten ranked School of International Service (SIS) offers master’s degrees in international relations online, enabling you to advance your career and gain a master’s degree while you teach in Japan. Through a unique blend of live online classes and coursework designed by renowned SIS faculty, International Relations Online provides students with the foundational knowledge to analyze and influence global challenges. Students develop specialized skills by focusing their studies on a specific concentration. Earn the degree you need to jumpstart your career in making a positive impact on the world. Request more information today.

The International Training and Education Program (ITEP) at American University recruits JET alumni for their international work experience, cultural exchange skills and interest in international education. ITEP offers up to 6 credits (3 credits per year) to JET alumni towards a 36 credit Master’s degree in International Training and Education. Students can focus their studies on higher education, training and facilitation, study abroad and international exchange education, international development through education, to name a few. American University is located in Washington, DC, which is a prime location for jobs and internships with the State Department, Non-Government Organizations and Education focused Institutions.

Current JETs and JET alumni can contact the program at for program inquiries or to schedule a campus visit.

Teaching

School of Teaching English as a Second Language (Seattle, WA) – In cooperation with Seattle University’s College of Education. Seattle University and the School of Teaching ESL have created a cooperative agreement that gives students several choices regarding professional development in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Students can choose to become certified in TESOL, TEFL, or go on to an MA in Teaching, Adult Education and Training, or in Curriculum and Instruction among others.

University of San Francisco School of Education (San Francisco, CA)

The Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Others Languages (TESOL) program, is dedicated to understanding formal and informal education within its sociocultural, linguistic, and political contexts around the world. The program critically addresses the role of language in schools and communities in the United States and internationally.

Please contact Amy Fogliani at for more information or receiving a waived application fee!

For more course details please go here: https://www.usfca.edu/education/programs/masters-credential-programs/tesol/program-details

University of South Florida Graduate Program for Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language (Tampa, FL) – Primary program offered is an MA in Linguistics: Teaching English as a Second Language, but there are also certification programs for TESL, ESOL, and ESOL Endorsement. According to a native Floridian JET alum, USF also has an English Language Institute on campus so there are visiting students from all over the globe going to USF just to improve their English. There was at least one Florida JET alumnus who worked at the ELI for a while.

Business Schools

Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management (Ithaca, NY) – The school has had many former JET students (and even a professor) pursue its program and also offers a dual MBA/M.A. in Asian Studies degree. (Thanks to Johnson alum A.J. Figliolini (Niigata-ken, 1998-2001) for the info.)

Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)– Enables prospective students to get an MBA from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business or a University of Pennsylvania J.D. in combination with a Japanese-focused MA. The program has a great reputation among JET alumni.

Moore School of Business (University of South Carolina), International MBA Program (Columbia, SC) – Ranked as the #2 International Full-time MBA program by US News & World Report.  (MBA alma mater of playwright Randall David Cook, Fukui-ken, 1991-93)

Thunderbird School of Global Management (Glendale, AZ) – Ranked as the #1 International Full-time MBA by US News & World Report.

 

Law Schools

University of Washington Law School (Seattle, WA) – This law school has an Asian Law Center with excellent Japan-related resources and professors.

Scholarships

Japanese Government Monbukagakusho Scholarship (MEXT) – A scholarship funded by the Japanese government that is aimed at foreign students studying in higher education. There are 7 types of scholarships available. The application process takes about a year to complete and requires you to take an interview and an examination in your home country. There is an opportunity here to enter into an MA or PhD degree stream, while studying in a Japanese university for 18-24 months.
If you wish to apply for this scholarship, you will need a recommendation from a university that wishes to accept you and from an embassy or consulate general. If you wish to request a recommendation from your embassy, or would like more information about the application process, please visit the respective diplomatic mission websites of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Japanese Language Study

Inter-University Center (IUC) for Japanese Language Studies  (Yokohama) – Administered by Stanford University, the IUC’s 10-month program attracts graduate students and professionals from across the US. (Comment: Shannon Quinn, JETAA USA Country Rep and former JETAA Pacific Northwest President, attended the IUC from 2005-2006, thanks to a generous fellowship (worth nearly $36,000) from the Blakemore Freeman Foundation. Feel free to contact Shannon (via the JETWIT site) if you have questions about the program.)

Blakemore Freeman Fellowship – A great way to finance intensive language study. Four to five grants for Japanese are available every year. (Comment: Shannon Quinn, JETAA USA Country Rep and former JETAA Pacific Northwest President, attended the IUC from 2005-2006, thanks to a generous fellowship (worth nearly $36,000) from the Blakemore Freeman Foundation. Feel free to contact Shannon (via the JETWIT site) if you have questions about the program.)

International Relations/Policy/Language/ Cultural Study

American University – Ritsumeikan (Kyoto) – A graduate dual degree program for students fluent in both English and Japanese. Students begin their studies at American University’s School of International Service and complete their second year of study at the Graduate School of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. Graduates receive simultaneously a master’s degree from the School of International Service and a master’s degree from Ritsumeikan University’s Graduate School of International Relations.

Waseda School Graduate Schools (Tokyo) – The Waseda Graduate School programs offer a wide selection of graduate MA and Ph.D. Programs with which to choose from such as Asia-Pacific Studies, Japanese Applied Linguistics, and Global Information and Telecommunication Studies among others.

International University of Japan (IUJ) – Graduate School of International Relations (Tokyo) – Established in 1982, GSIR is the first professional school in Japan. It offers a variety of subject degrees including an M.A. in Public Management and Policy Analysis, an M.A. in International Relations, M.A. in International Peace Studies, M.A. in International Development, and an M.A. in Economics. Interested parties can check out positive peer reviews for IUJ on iAgora.

Teaching

Temple University – Japan Campus (Osaka/Tokyo) – Offers Ms.Ed./Ed.D. in TESOL degrees at both its Osaka and Tokyo Centers.

Business Schools

McGill University MBA in Tokyo (Tokyo) – Very good program. Competitor of Temple MBA in Tokyo program.

Doshisha’s Global MBA (Kyoto) – See JetWit post on JET alum Eleanor Robinson who has been involved with the administration of the program.

Temple University – Japan Campus (Tokyo) – Offers MBA.

Law Schools

Temple University – Japan Campus (Tokyo) – For prospective students who do not have a first degree in law, Temple Law School offers two certificate programs at its Tokyo campus. By obtaining a certificate, you will obtain valuable legal knowledge and distinguish yourself from your peers. For those who have acquired their first law degree (LL.B./J.D./equivalent), applicants may apply to one of the LL.M programs offered. Temple is fully accredited by the American Bar Association.

Sciences

University of Tokyo- Global Science Graduate Course (GSGC) (Tokyo) – Shared with us by a JET alumni, the GSGC is an international graduate program that was recently launched by Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo and allows students to obtain their degrees in English. This program welcomes excellent graduates from universities all over the world, fostering
world-class science professionals, and standardizes a five-year integrated education scheme in which students attend both the Master’s program and the Doctoral program in sequence. Students on GSGC are also provided with a monthly scholarship during their time on the program and support in finding employment following graduation. If you have any inquiries, please contact the Graduate School Office at .

Continuing Education

Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) – Continuing Education (Tokyo) – Continuing Education offers a wide array of short-term non-degree courses designed to meet the diverse education objectives of the community members. The program offers online and in-person courses in areas such as Japanese language, Education, Investment and Finance, Business, Leadership, Translation and Interpretation, Culture and Arts, and many more. Most courses are held in the evening or on weekends to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. Semesters begin in January (spring), May (summer) and September (fall), and typically last from eight to twelve weeks.

International Relations/Policy/Language/ Cultural Study

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) (London)

Rotary Centers for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution – Fellows can earn either a Master’s degree in International Relations, Public Administration, Sustainable Development, Peace Studies, Conflict Resolution, or a related field, or a professional development certificate in Peace and Conflict Resolution. Rotary centers can be found around the world including the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, Japan as well as Australia, England, Thailand, and the USA! Prospective candidates must apply through their local rotary club and not directly to the universities or centers hosting the program. Many JET alumni have been a part of this program and highly recommend it. One such is Nagasaki JET alumni Mark Flanigan, who would be happy to answer any questions you may have.