Study abroad offers a great opportunity to gain a deeper perspective on a topic as well as the chance to explore new subjects as well as languages and cultures.

Courses and Credit Approval

Your Education Abroad Advisor in Global Learning can't tell you what classes you should take while abroad. To find information on specific courses available to you through this Global Learning program, go to the programís website by following the link in the ìSnapshotî section of the Overview page.

To obtain approval for your credits earned abroad, Use your college's Study Abroad Course Approval and Participation form, which you will access from your Global Learning application. This form is a required part of the application process and must be completed (all signatures in place) by the deadline. 

Remember that you must study the language (or take a course in the language) of the host country when studying in a non-English speaking country for a semester or year.

On the Global Learning website you will find a list of current returned students who have agreed to share contact information, stories from students in their own words, and selections of recommended programs in these categories: Cornell Global Programs, College Administered, Global Issues, STEM-focused, and Beyond Europe.

Course offerings vary from semester to semester. Exact course offerings are determined by Nanzan University shortly before the start of each semester. For this reason, you register for courses upon arrival.

You must take 15–18 credits per semester. Complete and up-to-date course descriptions are available by visiting Nanzan University’s Center for Japanese Studies website.

You must take 8 credits of Japanese language. Each level is divided into two courses:

• Japanese for Communication (5 credits)
• Japanese Reading and Writing (3 credits)

The remaining 7-10 credits may be taken from a combination of the following course options:

• English-taught Area Studies Courses (3 credits): these courses are offered to all CJS students.
• Japanese-taught Arts Courses (2 credits): these courses enroll both Japanese and international students.
• Japanese-taught Seminar Courses (2 credits): these courses are available to students based on placement into Japanese language classes at level NIJ400 and above.

You may enroll in the following course options:

Japanese Language Courses (8 credits, required)

All courses taught in fall and spring:

NIJ310 Japanese for Communication (5 credits) plus
NIJ320 Japanese Reading & Writing (3 credits)

NIJ410 Japanese for Communication (5 credits) plus
NIJ420 Japanese Reading & Writing (3 credits)

NIJ510 Japanese for Communication (5 credits) plus
NIJ520 Japanese Reading & Writing (3 credits)

NIJ610 Japanese for Communication (5 credits) plus
NIJ620 Japanese Reading & Writing (3 credits)

NIJ710 Japanese for Communication (5 credits) plus
NIJ720 Japanese Reading & Writing (3 credits)

English-taught Area Studies Courses (3 credits)

These courses are offered to all CJS students. Previous courses have included:

• Fieldwork Research Methods for Japan 
• Japanese Business
• Japanese Culture
• Japanese Culture and Art
• Japanese Economy
• Japanese Folklore
• Japanese Foreign Policy
• Japanese History
• Japanese Literature
• Japanese Religions
• Japanese Politics
• Japanese Society

Japanese-taught Cultural Arts Courses (2 credits)

These courses enroll both Japanese and international students. Previous courses have included:

• Calligraphy (Shodō)
• Chinese Black Ink Painting (Sumie)
• Flower Arranging (Ikebana)
• Japanese Culture and Tea Ceremony (Sadō)
• Woodblock Printing (Hanga)

Japanese-taught Seminar Courses (2 credits)

These courses are available to students based on placement into Japanese language classes at level NIJ400 and above. Previous courses have included:

• Academic Japanese Writing
• Business Japanese
• Classical Japanese
• Creative Writing
• Elementary Translation & Intermediate Translation
• Introduction to Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language
• Japanese in Tourism 
• Japanese in Volunteering 
• Japanese Media Literacy
• Readings in Japanese Literature
• Readings in the Social Sciences
• University Preparatory Japanese

Additional Course Disciplines

During the fall semester, certain additional courses at Nanzan University are open to IES Abroad students. These 2-credit courses are part of the regular undergraduate program at the University and are available in several fields. In recent years, courses have included:

• Japanese Linguistics
• Japanese Nationality Law
• Observation and Analysis of Japanese Language Activities
• Political & Social Issues of Japan
• Principles of Language Education
• Seminar in American Foreign Relations: A View from Japan
• Seminars in War and Peace: A Transnational Perspective
• Studies in Japanese Language Pedagogy