TIU's Qualifications for Attending American Studies Program (ASP)
Guidelines to Attend ASP by School
Business & Commerce
1. As a basic rule, students should be freshmen or sophomores when they apply for ASP.
2. In the case of freshmen: students should already have more than ten (10) credits when they apply for ASP; and at the end of freshmen year, they are expected to meet the requirements to move up to sophomore status.
3. In the case of sophomores: students should already have more than thirty (30) credits when they apply for ASP, and at the end of sophomore year, the students are expected to meet the requirements to move up to junior status.
Economics
1. Students should have a clear purpose of study abroad at the ASP and be motivated.
School of Language Communication
1. As a basic rule, students should be freshmen or sophomores when they apply for ASP.
2. In the case of freshmen: the students should already have more than 15 credits when they apply for ASP, and at the end of freshmen year, they are expected to earn a total of more than 30 credits including 4 credits from “Seminar 1.”
3. In the case of sophomores: the students should already have more than 35 credits when they apply for ASP, and at the end of sophomore year, they are expected to meet the requirements to move up to junior status.
International Relations
1. Students should be freshmen or sophomores when they apply for ASP.
2. In the case of freshmen: by the end of freshman year, the students are expected to earn a total of 30 credits including 4 credits from "Seminar I."
3. In the case of sophomores: the students should already have more than 30 credits when they apply for ASP, and at the end of sophomore year, they are expected to earn a total of 60 credits including 4 credits from "Seminar II."
4. Conditions to attend: In the case of sophomores, by the time of the departure, the students should be assigned to an advising professor for their junior year. While they are attending the ASP, they are required to submit a report that was assigned by their TIU advising professor once in the first semester and once in the second semester.
*The students need to confirm about the subject, format, and due date of the report with their advising professor by e-mail.
*When the students are advanced to the senior status after they return from ASP, they will be assigned to the Seminar IV taught by the above TIU advising professor.
Human & Social Sciences
1. Students should be freshmen or sophomores when they apply for ASP.
2. In the case of freshmen: by the end of freshman year, the students are expected to earn a total of 30 credits including 4 credits from “Seminar I."
3. In the case of sophomores: the students should already have more than 30 credits when they apply for ASP, and at the end of sophomore year, they are expected to earn a total of 60 credits including 4 credits from “Seminar II.”
4. Conditions to attend:
- In the case of sophomores, by the time of the departure, the students should be assigned to the Seminar for their junior year.
- * The Seminar III is conducted by the seminar professor with a report once in the first semester and once in the second semester. The students need to confirm about the subject, format, and due date of the report with their seminar professor by e-mail.
Notification of Ability to Advance
TIU will send ASP students the notification of ability to advance to the next year’s status in the middle of March. The transcript will also be available on the portal site at the same time. If a student is notified that he/she does not meet the guidelines to attend ASP, that student has to determine whether he/she wishes to continue study in the ASP.
If the student has to take CLA courses in the Fall or two ASP elective courses and receive passing grades during the summer semester in order to advance to junior year (or senior year), he/she can continue studying in the ASP only if he/she earns a score of 470 or higher on the TOEFL, or if the Executive Vice President recommends him/her and the professor who teaches the course at Willamette agrees.
Discontinuing Study at Willamette University
If a student discontinues his/her study in the ASP, he/she has to make two copies of notification of withdrawal and turn in one copy to the ASP office by March 28 (Thursday). The copy is due at the International Exchange Office at TIU by April 6 (Saturday).
-- In the case that a student withdraws from the program, it needs to be approved by the school to which the student belongs.
GPA Requirements for the American Studies Program (ASP)
In the ASP, students have to keep their GPA (grade point average) at or above a minimum of 2.0 (at least grade C). If a student’s GPA of English I~V was under 2.0 at the time of the Mid-Semester Report of the spring semester, the student is placed under academic probation. If the student does not improve his/her GPA to 2.0 by the end of spring semester, the student may be subject to Academic Dismissal.
Academic Dismissal
If a student returns to Japan because of Academic Dismissal, tuition and fees that have already been paid will not be refunded.
Treatment of Credits Earned During the American Studies Program
1. Certification of credits:
The credits earned in the ASP are certified as TIU credits based on the credit certification chart at each school. The certified credits (courses) will be indicated as “ASP” on the transcript issued by TIU.
Credits from "ASP" will not be counted toward obtaining any licenses.
2. Process of credit certification:
During the fall semester, the certification sheet is distributed. Students then indicate on that sheet which ASP courses they would like to be certified as the credits in particular categories at TIU.
3. Grades - Grades earned at WU: Click here to see grade chart.
4. Courses receiving a grade of F:
The courses receiving a grade of “F” (Fail) at WU will be also certified in the credit transfer. This will lower the GPA at TIU.