FAQ for the Admitted Students

Admissions

Yes. You do not have to wait until the deadline to submit the documents by postal mail (Friday, July 30, 2021 [JST]).

No, your admission will not be affected. However, we expect your continuous efforts on academic activities until enrollment.

 

Be ready for school by finding your place to live, going to city hall, opening a bank account, obtaining a mobile phone, etc.  Please see the following website for details:

Starting your life in Japan

 

Before arrival, all successful applicants will receive “September Package” by early September. It consists of “Schedule and Formalities after Completing Admission Registration,” course registration guide, documents that are required to be submitted after enrollment, SFC International Student Handbook and other information. Students can also make inquiries by email. After arrival, a staff member and current students will help them with housing paperwork, city hall paperwork, opening a bank account, contracting a mobile phone, and other every day life issues. The Freshmen Session will also be held at the beginning of the new semester.

 

We strongly encourage you to bring a copy of your medical records in English in case of an emergency or if you are suffering from a chronic illness.

 

There is no check in process and pick up at the airport. Your first day will be “Orientation,” which will be held in mid-September (details will be posted on the timeline as soon as they are decided). For transportation, please refer to the information in International Student Handbook. There is a detailed information on directions from airports to Shonandai area.

https://giga.sfc.keio.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/3-1-Directions-from-airports-to-SFC.pdf

*In the case the events are rescheduled or cancelled due to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), notices will be posted on this website. Please check for the latest information and updates.

 

Academic Activities (Curriculum, Seminar/Kenkyukai, Study Abroad Program)

1st Period starts from 9:25 a.m. Classes begin on October 1, but all of you will need to attend the Guidance that starts from mid-September. Please see the timeline for details.

*In the case the above events are rescheduled or cancelled due to the situation regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), the notice will be posted on this website. Please check for the latest information.

 

Yes, it is possible. It’s even possible to take courses offered by faculties located on other campuses.  Please check the latest SFC Guide Vol.2  for further details.

 

Yes, it is possible for you to take courses conducted in Japanese. There is no Japanese proficiency requirement.

(From current student) If you want to take courses offered in Japanese, of course you will need a certain level of Japanese skills to follow classes and earn credits. Required Japanese level depends on course or seminar, but the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2 or N1 level would be desirable.

 

Please access the Keio SFC Course Syllabus and see the details for each course.

In “Title” section, by entering “GIGA” as a search keyword, you can find the courses offered in English (=GIGA courses).

*Please understand that you can see the course/seminar title only, not whole contents. Admitted students can obtain login ID around the end of August.
Since the offered subjects will change depending on the year, the information above does not guarantee they will be offered in 2022 and later.

Around the end of August, the Admissions Office will send a login ID to each student so that the syllabus can be viewed.

 

Although you can earn credits fully in English, we still suggest you start to learn Japanese language as early as possible, not only for academic purposes but also for your daily life.

The following websites are recommended for your practice:

<MARUGOTO Japanese Learning>

hiragana:https://a1.marugotoweb.jp/ja/hiragana.php

katakana:https://a1.marugotoweb.jp/ja/katakana.php

In addition, one of the required courses at SFC is Data Science, whichrequires basic knowledge of mathematics. If you feel unsure of your mathematical ability, you are encouraged to review mathematics. You will receive the detailed information on the placement test for Japanese Language and Data Science classes from the Academic Affairs Office later.

 

No. It is possible to take classes entirely in English and still graduate. ​However, it is strongly recommended you take Japanese. You will need to get 8 credits in a foreign language other than your mother tongue in order to graduate.

Also, if you wish to obtain a GIGA Certificate (different from a graduation certificate), you will need to obtain a Japanese level equivalent to the JLPT N2 if you are a non-native Japanese speaker.

 

As for Japanese language classes, the Japanese Lab at SFC has classes for all levels of language ability, from beginners to advanced students looking to do research papers in Japanese.

https://giga.sfc.keio.ac.jp/global/japanese-courses/

 

Depends on the class. A few students to more than a hundred students. Courses offered in English (GIGA courses) tend to be taken by a small number of students.

 

Yes, it is possible to study abroad! Many GIGA students in the past have completed study abroad before. If you are studying as part of an official Keio study abroad program, you can study under tuition waiver agreements. However, there is a selection process since Keio can only nominate a certain number of students per partner university. There are also short-term programs and fieldwork opportunities for SFC students. ​

http://www.ic.keio.ac.jp/keio_student/exchange/ex_partners.html

https://giga.sfc.keio.ac.jp/global/

 

Please access the Keio SFC Course Syllabus and enter “Seminar” in “Title” section as a search keyword, you can find the list of seminars(Kenkyukais).

*Please understand that you can see the course/seminar title only, not whole contents. Admitted students can obtain login ID around the end of August.
Since the offered subjects will change depending on the year, the information above does not guarantee they will be offered in 2022 and later.

It’s up to you. You can continue your research at the same Seminar, but when your interest changes, you may change your Seminar (Kenkyukai). During your first year, you are , but once you become a second year student, you may register 2-3 Seminars (Kenkyukai) if you wish.

(From current student) I strongly encourage you to join a Seminar (Kenkyukai) from your first year so you get a feel for what you are interested in. If you end up not liking it, you are free to change, but if you end up loving it, you can stay in that lab for the remainder of your time at SFC if you want.

 

It varies greatly from Seminar to Seminar (Kenkyukai), depending on the topic and professor.

(From current student) There are also larger joint Seminars (Kenkyukai) with multiple professors who share resources, but will have smaller, more dedicated sub-groups that meet together and study.

 

(From current student) Honestly, it depends from Seminar to Seminar. My Seminar personally does not pre-screen students, but instead takes anyone and will require you to complete a “new comer challenge” by the end of your first semester. There’s no real way to say definitively without saying what your individual interests are. However, your life in Seminar (Kenkyukai) will be significantly easier if you have some Japanese background.

 

(Comment from a current student) No. Most support Japanese primarily, with a large number supporting English. See the Keio SFC Course Syllabus for a list of all the Seminars (Kenkyukai). If you check the box of “With English Support,” they are held in Japanese but support English speakers.

Yes, there is no distinction between Seminars (Kenkyukai) based on language generally. Many are still getting used to having more international students and are trying to hold mixed meetings where they’ll support both languages.

 

Extracurricular Activities (Sports and Activities, School Festivals, Others)

There are nearly 500 officially authorized student clubs in academic, cultural, sporting and other fields at Keio University, and students enjoy their extracurricular activities. Eighty of them are registered here at SFC. Please refer to the links below for more details.

Circle Square (Only in Japanese) https://circle-square.sfc.keio.ac.jp/

Handbook for SFC International Students “Students Organizations”

https://giga.sfc.keio.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/4-7-Student-Organizations.pdf

Keio University Website “Athletics & Recreation”

https://www.keio.ac.jp/en/student-life/athletics-recreation.html

SFC Guide Vol. 1 (p30- List of Clubs/Circles at SFC in English)

https://www.students.keio.ac.jp/en/sfc/pmei/class/registration/files/sfcguide2020vol1en.pdf

There are so many clubs that you can join, and the AIS (Association for International Students) holds the Circle Orientation every October. You will be able to have a great chance to see all the Circles (clubs) in one place.​

 

Please access the SFC website that shows the number of international students at SFC. The latest available data is as of April 2019, and it shows that SFC students come from different countries/regions, including China, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, United States and so on.​

 

Yes. We have both in the Wellness Center located on campus. You can see a doctor and consult with a clinical psychologist in English. Please also refer to the link below.

https://counseling.sfc.keio.ac.jp/english.html

 

There is no official way to do so, but every year students make their own Facebook page and communicate with each other.  of the Facebook page has already been notified to admitted students, but if you don’t have it, please contact the Office of International Affairs.

 

Before arrival, all successful applicants will receive “September Package” by Friday, September 4. It consists of “Schedule and Formalities after Completing Admission Registration,” course registration guide, documents that are required to be submitted after enrollment, SFC International Student Handbook and other information. Students can also make inquiries by email. After arrival, a staff member and current students will help them with housing paperwork, city hall paperwork, opening a bank account, contracting a mobile phone, and other every day life issues. The Freshmen Session will also be held at the beginning of the new semester.

 

Housing

First, please read the SFC International Student Handbook to see the housing conditions or situations in Japan. Then you will have to decide whether to live in an apartment or dorm. Each one has its positive and negative aspects so we recommend that you understand the system first and then decide. If you need our support on apartment contract, let us know.

Handbook for SFC International Student

1-1 How to find your accommodation or housing

1-2 Preparations to make while you are still in your home country

Shonan Fujisawa International Dormitory is scheduled to open in the Spring Semester of the 2021 academic year! This is the first dormitory for the exclusive use of Keio students at Shonan Fujisawa Campus. It is a mixed dormitory for male and female students that offers morning and evening meals and provides plenty of space for students to interact with each other.

In addition, SFC has some contracts with private dorm management companies. Please see the following page for details:

https://giga.sfc.keio.ac.jp/cost/housing-and-living-costs/

 

It’s up to students, but normally, they come to Japan at the beginning of September. By that time, they have already contacted some realtor agencies in Japan and confirmed private view appointments.

 

A fairly sizable number of GIGA students chooses to stay near Shonandai Station, at least during their first year.

 

You will first need to take a train to get Shonandai Station or Tsujido Station. From each station, you may take a bus or bike to SFC.There are many students who bike to SFC, but recently there is an increase in the number of accidents where students become the victims or perpetrators. If you plan to bike to SFC, make sure that you are covered by a bicycle insurance. The insurance fee costs several hundred yen per month.

 

Career Options (Internships, Job Hunting, Startups)

There is the SFC-IV facility. There are job hunting information sessions available for international students, and they may also get support from the Career Services Section, etc.

The Career Services Section and its website provide internship opening information.

Students can consult with the Section to find internships.

https://giga.sfc.keio.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/9-1-Seeking-Employment-in-Japan.pdf

Graduate School: 16% Getting a job in Japan: 58% Getting a job overseas: 8%   Other: 18%

(From current student A) It really depends on how good your Japanese is and if you are applying to a Japanese company or not. If you are, then yes, it’s relatively easier for GIGA students too. But as a rule of thumb, being proactive is necessary regardless of which university you go to 🙂

(From current student B) That’s partially why it’s generally a good idea to study Japanese while in Japan. Even Japanese Keio students make strong efforts to get a job that suits them, so you’re definitely not alone. Alumni from Keio (Mita-kai) are making strong efforts to help both groups.

There is the Keio SFC-IV (Innovation Village) that helps startups with incubation management, funding, etc., which is partially assisted by Keio alumni (Mita-kai).

Scholarships

For scholarships, please go to the page 8 in the handbook. There are so many scholarships available, and each scholarship has different conditions. You will receive an email from the Student Life Section regarding scholarships in August 2020. You must not miss it and also prepare necessary documents, such as Records of Academic Achievement from high school, documents to certify the income of student’s financial supporters, etc., while you are still at your hometown.​

Part-time jobs

This information can be found in the handbook page 55. Some students are teaching English, while some work at restaurants. If you are an international student with student visa, you will need to be careful that you obtain a permission first from the Immigration Office and do not work more than 28 hours per week during the semester period.​

(From current student) If you want to work in a student job, you may need keigo (polite Japanese vocabulary), which could make it somewhat more challenging.