Chiba University

Chiba University was founded in 1949 and is one of Japan’s largest universities with nearly 15000 students. It has nine faculties over four campuses across Chiba City plus a renowned university library and university hospital.

Academic Highlights

Chiba University has prestigious programs in science, engineering, technology research and education. It is also home to the only Horticulture Faculty in Japan that teaches cultivation, plant breeding and landscape design.

Location

Chiba City is a major seaport 40km south of Tokyo. It is a cleaner, greener, more affordable city than the capital with close proximity to both Narita International airport and Tokyo Disneyland.

Did you know?

Chiba City holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest monorail.

Handbook/Catalogue

Chiba's International Liberal Arts Program English-taught course catalogue (course descriptions can be found in the International Liberal Arts Program section under the heading (1)(d) Completion of the program).

Chiba's Japanese Studies Program course catalogue (course descriptions can be found in the Japanese Studies Program section, under the heading (1)(d) Completion of the program).

Syllabi (unit guides) can be found here.

Academic Restrictions

• Students applying for an exchange in Japan will need to have a WAM of 65% or above.
• You are only eligible to apply for this university if you are studying Japanese Studies at Monash at the point of exchange application. The only exception is if you have been selected as a New Colombo Plan Scholar.
• Due to the popularity of exchange at Chiba University, Monash students can only apply for a one-semester exchange period.

Language requirements

• To apply for the International Liberal Arts Program, you must have completed at least 50 contact hours of Japanese language education either at university or through self-study. Students who do not meet the required number of hours of Japanese language learning before their arrival in Japan will be asked to complete a Japanese language course online. More information on this can be found here.
• To apply for the Japanese Studies Program, you must be at least a second year student and should have Japanese language competence equivalent to N2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) administered by the Japan Foundation at the time of application. More information about JLPT can be found here.

Full-time Credit Load Equivalents

Academic Calendar

Chiba ‘Spring’ semester/terms 1 & 2 (Monash Semester 1): early April to early August
Chiba ‘Fall’ semester/terms 4 & 5 (Monash Semester 2): early October to early February

See Chiba's Academic Calendar

Note

• The listed disciplines are not necessarily exhaustive and other fields of study might also be available at the institution.
• Approval to study particular subjects at any institution is always at the discretion of the departmental/discipline and faculty advisers in your managing faculty(ies) and subject to available places at the host.

Accommodation

Most international students attending Chiba University live in privately rented accommodations (apartments). Chiba University also has an off-campus dormitory for international students (International House). Note, however, that since the number of rooms is very limited, not all applicants can be accommodated.

Chiba University offers further information advice on housing.

Visa

Exchange students must obtain a College Student visa to enter Japan. To apply for the College Student visa, you need to submit the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for residence in Japan to your nearest Japanese Consulate. Your host University will issue the COE to you after your exchange application has been accepted.

For more information on visas, please refer to the Consulate-General of Japan here. 

Chiba University also provides some advice on obtaining a student visa.

Health and insurance

All people residing in Japan are required to join the National Health Insurance System (NHI).

Chiba University provides more information about Japanese Government Health Insurance here.

When travelling on a Monash Abroad approved program, you are automatically covered under the Monash University Student Travel Insurance policy. This will provide cover to and from your exchange.

Orientation and extra-curricular 

As a J-PAC student, you will have the opportunity to participate in a range of cultural programs including home visits and home stays, tea ceremony, calligraphy, kabuki theatre and bus tours within Chiba prefecture.

Upon your arrival at Chiba University, you will be introduced to a local Chiba University student who becomes your tutor. These tutors can provide invaluable help in settling in and everyday life.

There are many student activites on campus, including student clubs and comittees and sports facilities.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in Japanese language courses.

Cost of living

Chiba provides further information on the cost of living for students.

Funding

Each year, Japanese universities apply for Japanese government funding for the following scholarships:

• The Japan Student Services Organizations (JASSO) scholarship here.
• The Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) scholarship here.

If Chiba University is successful in receiving the funding, they will request Monash to nominate students. You do not need to apply for these scholarships directly unless requested to do so.

Students may also be eligible for the New Colombo Plan scholarship, and if they are studying Japanese language courses, the Walter Mangold Study Abroad Scholarship.

For more information about funding available to support study on exchange overseas, see the Financial Information page on the Monash Abroad website.

Important notes

Please note that Chiba University is only available to applicants from the Monash Australia campuses.

Due to a lack of availability of exchange places, this program is not currently accepting applications.

Have you been to Chiba University and want to share your experience? Let us know about your exchange via this survey form and your testimonial could be shown here!

Arlene Dang
Bachelor of Arts (Global) 
Semester 2, 2016
Studied: Arts units (Japanese language)

Study Experience

Studying abroad was essentially the same as moving into a new school. You're the new kid in a whole new exciting environment. My major is International Studies and I studied a mixture of Japanese language and bilingual units related to the Japanese political and social culture. There were a lot of group projects and this challenged me to improve my Japanese skills.

Culture

Living in Chiba was a very different from living in a suburban neighbourhood in Melbourne. I lived in a dorm and the neighbourhood was peaceful but also had a city-like energy. The dorm was within walking distance of a train station, to travel to the university or to the Chiba city which had all the lights and noise of Tokyo city. Best part was that I also lived about 45 minutes from Disneyland by train.

Benefits of going on exchange

I felt that studying abroad allowed me to learn about politics and cultural topics through a more foreign perspective. Not only was I was able to learn from a Japanese perspective about cultural topics but also from fellow international students.

Career benefits

From exchange I gained valuable skills which would help me if I choose to pursue a career in the international sphere.

Money and Budgeting

Check your eligibility for the OS-HELP loan or any scholarships offered by your preferred university. Another method is see if you can get in touch with past students who can give you tips or supplies. The person before me left appliances, books and a bike which saved me a lot of money by the time I got to my dorm.

Top tips

• Try to go to as many social outings as you can.
• If someone suggests going on a trip - say yes.
• Try to form a good relationship with your teachers, they can help you even after you finish your time abroad.