Nomination: September 1 to 30

Application: October 1 to 31

Submission of a  COE application information and a Certificate of Health: by November 30, 2025

Admission Notice: Late December

Housing Result Notice: Late January

Sending  Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and Letter of Admission: Late February

Arriving in Japan: Around March 20 

Orientation: Late March to early April

Classes Starts: April 10

End of Spring Semester Classes: July 19

Students will be billed by Nazareth for their tuition and will be billed by Rikkyo directly for the housing they select. Students will maintain their full scholarship and financial aid package offered by Nazareth during their semester abroad.

Rikkyo University offers courses taught in English and Japanese. Our students will take all content courses in English unless they wish to take additional Japanese language courses. All students are required to take one Japanese language course during your semester abroad. All other courses would be taken in English and can be selected from the following subject areas: history, politics, law, global studies, sports entertainment and management, psychology, religious studies, sociology, environmental science, global sustainability, sciences, business, economics, and/or communication and media. Students must take a total of 12 US credits to maintain their full scholarship and financial aid package as a full time student. Students will be asked to develop a list of 5-7 courses they are interested in taking in order of preference. Rikkyo cannot guarantee your first choices but will make their best effort to accommodate student's academic interests.

In recent years, the number of incoming exchange students has been steadily growing at Rikkyo and the department has received around 300 exchange students per semester. In order to keep up with such an increase, in April 2025, Rikkyo opened a brand-new international dormitory with housing capacity of 120 students within a short walking distance (about 5 minutes) from Ikebukuro campus.

Rikkyo University offers international exchange dormitories. Exchange students who wish to live in a dormitory are required to submit their preference when applying. All rooms are single and equipped with the necessary facilities and furniture, allowing students to get a smooth start to life in Japan immediately after arriving. Each dormitory also has a resident supporter who will support you if you have any questions or problems while living there. Each dormitory has its own unique features, so be sure to check out the introduction pages for each one to find the one that's right for you!

Visit the following sites to see the recommended immunizations and medications for your program. Talk with your family and your physician to understand which ones you may need to travel. 

CDC 

Passport Health

U.S. State Department