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International programs & student supports

Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts

Location: Kyoto, Japan
Website: DWCLA Exchange Program
Language of instruction: Japanese and English
Special requirement: Must be a female student who has completed at least one year of Japanese language study
Terms: Fall semester (September - December)

Highlights

A banner hanging from a lamppost reads 'DWCLA – Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts, Founded in 1876.' In the background, there is a red-brick building with a clock tower and arched windows. Trees with green and yellow leaves frame the scene under a partly cloudy sky
  • UVic exchange students participate in the Japanese Studies Program (JSP) at Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts (DWCLA).
  • DWCLA was founded in 1992. The JSP is a semester program which starts in late September and ends shortly before Christmas.
  • The program offers up to 10 female international students both intensive Japanese language courses and Japanese culture and society courses in English. DWCLA students also participate in the culture courses. In pursuing their studies, students have full access to all the facilities available on campus.
  • The JSP is mainly held on Imadegawa campus, which is in the center of Kyoto city, and students not only study in the classroom but also take field trips, which include tours of Kyoto. 

Areas of study

  • Japanese language and culture

Courses

There are two learning components to the Japanese Studies Program (JSP):

1) Japanese language courses:

  • Available for students at various levels of proficiency
  • Taught in Japanese

2) Japanese culture and society courses:

  • Topics include:
    • Intercultural Skills for Living in Japan
    • Representation of Nature in Japanese
    • Culture: from ukiyo-e to anime
    • Kyoto Culture and History
    • Zen and the Gardens of Kyoto
  • Taught in English

The JSP also offers the additional extra-curricular activities for exchange students: 

  • Field trips to shrines and temples in Kyoto.
  • Social events, such as a welcome party, farewell party, club visits (calligraphy, kimono wearing, tea ceremony, flower arrangement and Japanese music).

Credits

Credits at DWCLA:

  • Full-time option (7.5 UVic units): 10 credits per term at DWCLA 

Course Evaluations at UVic: 

  • Before departure, UVic students will be able to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will indicate how many UVic units each exchange course is worth, as well as the course equivalency.
  • Students must use the evaluation results to ensure their exchange courses credits add up to the equivalent UVic units. The total number of units for each exchange term should be 4.5 UVic units for part-time exchange or 7.5 UVic units for full-time exchange.
  • This course evaluation process will be made available and explained in detail during the pre-departure session in early October for Spring exchange terms and in late March for Fall exchange terms. Evaluations take 2-6 weeks to complete and will be emailed to students. 
  • Course evaluations results are tentative until the end of the exchange term, when a second, final evaluation is conducted by OREM using the students’ exchange transcript, and the results are applied to their UVic record. 

Exchange Credit History

  • Click here to check out the exchange credit history of courses that have been previously evaluated by UVic for this host university.
  • Students are not limited to this list when selecting courses for their upcoming exchange and should consult the host university’s course catalogue for a full list of offerings.
  • Important note: this document is a guide only and previously evaluated courses are not guaranteed to be evaluated in the same way in the future.
  • After being accepted into the ICS Exchange Program, students will have the chance to submit exchange courses to UVic for evaluation. The results will provide updated unit and credit equivalency information. 

Housing

On-campus housing: Unavailable

Off-campus housing: Available

  • DWCLA offers two off-campus housing options for student accommodations:
  1. Homestay: 
    • Live with the family of a DWCLA or Doshisha University student or graduate. The fee includes two meals per day.
    • Approximately ¥60,000/month
  2. Mukaijima Gakusei Center:
    • Single rooms are available in the Kyoto municipal housing for international students.
    • No meals are included in the fee.
    • The dormitory is located 30 minutes by train from the Imadegawa campus and a 15-minute walk from Kintetsu Mukaijima station
    • Approximately ¥40,000/month

Fees and Financial Aid

Fees:
DWCLA tuition fee: waived
Accommodation fees:

  • Homestay - ¥180,000 (including two meals/day)
    • OR
  • Mukaijima Gakusei Center student housing - ¥110,000 (excluding meals)

Financial Aid:
Grants of ¥200,000 are available for participants from partner universities. Recipients will receive ¥20,000 on the first orientation day, and the remaining ¥180,000 will automatically be allocated as follows:

  • Homestay: ¥60,000 × 3 months
  • Mukaijima Gakusei Center: ¥110,000 for accommodations & ¥70,000 for meals (for 3 months)

Medical insurance, immigration & arrival

Medical insurance:

  • Medical, liability, and personal belongings insurance will be provided by DWCLA and is included with the JSP. 

Immigration:

  • All exchange students participating in the JSP must obtain a student visa prior to arriving in Japan.
  • Upon acceptance, DWCLA will obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) issued by the Ministry of Justice, Immigration Bureau on each participant’s behalf. It will be emailed to the student when ready. 
  • Once the CoE has been received, students must apply for a visa at the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate.

Arrival:

  • DWCLA orientation will begin a few days before the start of the semester.