Other Programs

Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies

Established in 1989, the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS), is a rigorous, two-semester academic program primarily for undergraduates wishing to do advanced work in the Japanese language and in Japanese studies. The program is open to all qualified students who have completed two or more years of college-level Japanese language at the time of enrollment. A limited number of students attending only one semester of study, as well as recent graduates, may also be admitted.

KCJS is administered by Columbia University on behalf of Stanford and the other 13 American university members of the consortium. The program admits 40-50 students, mostly from the consortium schools, each year.

The KCJS curriculum provides intensive Japanese language study and the opportunity to choose from a broad spectrum of social sciences and humanities courses on premodern and contemporary Japan. The program takes advantage of the numerous social and cultural resources of Kyoto by incorporating into the curriculum field trips, guest speakers, and research projects based on local field work.

Students are encouraged to integrate into the local community by living with a Japanese family and through participation in a variety of extracurricular activities that provide a deeper understanding of Japanese culture. For additional information, please refer to the KCJS website.

Stanford students may apply for one or two of the six semester slots supported by the Bing Overseas Studies Program.  Students who are accepted for these positions remain enrolled at Stanford while studying at KCJS, giving them uninterrupted eligibility for financial aid and allowing their courses and grades to be recorded directly on their transcripts. Stanford campus inquiries can be sent to study@bosp.stanford.edu.

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