The College of International Relations (CIR), established at Ritsumeikan University (RU) in 1988, partnered with SIS to offer an innovative Dual Undergraduate Degree Program (DUDP) for students dedicated to gaining a global perspective on international affairs.

Academic Calendar

Fall Semester

September - March

Spring Semester

April - July

Courses

This program allows students to complete the requirements for two undergraduate degrees within four years. Students must complete 80 credits in residence at AU and a minimum of 62 credit hours at RU. Students typically spend their first three semesters as full-time students at AU, then enroll at RU for four semesters at RU, and then return to AU to complete their remaining requirements. RU offers several Japanese-language degree programs for students with advanced proficiency in Japanese, as well as two English-language degree options.

The following degree options are taught in Japanese and enroll in the spring semester only:

• Business Administration
• Humanities
• International Relations
• Law
• Policy Science
• Social Sciences

The following degree options are taught in English and enroll in the fall semester only:

• International Relations
• Policy Science

Language Requirement

Students who wish to take classes taught in Japanese are required to demonstrate advanced proficiency in Japanese by either passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) at Level 1 or completing RU's Japanese proficiency test. The JLPT is offered in the U.S. every December; students should take the exam in December of their freshman year so that the results are available to submit with the application. RU's Japanese proficiency test includes an essay and Skype interview conducted on the AU campus every fall semester; students may take the exam in their sophomore year.

There is no language requirement for students taking classes taught in English. However, these students will be required to take some Japanese language courses while at RU.

More program details