Rikkyo University

Rikkyo University

Rikkyo University, also known as St Paul’s University, was founded in 1874 and is one of Japan’s oldest and highest rated private universities. It is the largest Anglican-affiliated education institution in Japan and is considered one of the “Big Six” universities in Tokyo.

Academic Highlights

Rikkyo has around 20,000 students studying across 10 faculties, including law and politics, intercultural communications and tourism. It has a particular renown for the arts and social sciences
Monash has a faculty-specific exchange agreement with the College of Sociology at Rikkyo. The college focuses on complex problems relating to the intersection of humanity, society, communication, media, culture and the environment from the perspective of sociology.

Location

Rikkyo has two campuses, one in Tokyo and one in Saitama, about 30 kilometres from central Tokyo.

Did you know?

Rikkyo University has a reputation for sporting prowess, particularly when it comes to baseball. As of 2023, Rikkyo’s baseball team has won the Big 6 Baseball league championships 13 times.

Language of Instruction

English (limited in some areas), Japanese

Program Duration

1 semester

Academic Level

Undergraduate, Postgraduate

Minimum Result Required

65% WAM

Previous Round Cut-off (WAM% or GPA)

68% WAM

Additional Requirements

Must be studying Japanese language as part of your degree

Anticipated Places in Semester 1, 2027

2-3 places

Exchange Availability

Red

Eligible Monash Campus

Monash Australia

Agreement Scope

All faculties

Handbook/Catalogue

Rikkyo's English-taught unit catalogue (under the Academic Program heading)

Rikkyo's catalogue for Japanese language courses

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.
  • Students are only able to take units from the College of Sociology at Rikkyo University.
  • Due to the popularity of exchange at Rikkyo, Monash students can only apply for a one-semester exchange period.

Language requirements

  • If you wish to take units taught in Japanese you must have passed N1 of the JLPT. However, if you reach J5/J6 level of the Rikkyo Japanese Placement Test you may be able to take Japanese units with the permission from your Rikkyo academic advisor/supervising professor. More information about JLPT can be found here.

Japanese language units (referred to as courses) at Rikkyo University are usually worth 1 credit, while other units are worth 2 credits each.

Full-time Credit Load Equivalents

Semester

Min. 18 Monash points

Max. 24 Monash points

14 credits

20 credits

Year

Min. 36 Monash points

Max. 48 Monash points

28 credits

40 credits

Academic Calendar

Rikkyo Spring semester (Monash Semester 1): late March - late July
Rikkyo Fall semester (Monash Semester 2): early September - late February

Rikkyo Academic Calendar

Communications and media studies

Japanese languages & culture studies

Sociology

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

Rikkyo University has two buildings at Rikkyo University International Dormitory (RUID) located in Tokyo’s neighbouring region of Saitama and within commutable distance from both campuses. The Rikkyo International Residence (RIR) in Siinamachi, Tokyo is also available to exchange students.

Rikkyo provides further information on campus housing and apartments.

Visas

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.

Rikkyo also offers some advice on visas.

Health and insurance

Foreign nationals staying in Japan for over three months are required to enroll in the National Health Insurance system. You will receive a National Health Insurance Card when you enrol, which means that you will only be responsible for 30% of most medical fees, with 70% being covered by insurance should you fall ill or become injured.

Rikkyo provides additional information on medical care and insurance.

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 

The International Office at Rikkyo University organises activities for international students to foster intercultural friendships and provide opportunities to learn about traditional Japanese culture.

Rikkyo University has a vibrant campus life, including extracurricular activities such as student clubs, challenge programs and festivals.

Cost of living

Rikkyo offers guidance on estimated living expenses 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 Rikkyo 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.

To begin your application and study plan, click the button below.

Apply here

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