EALL student Lorenz Vargas joined a ballroom dance team during his year abroad at Waseda University.
One of the best ways to improve your language skills is to immerse yourself in the location and culture of the people who speak the language. GW offers study abroad opportunities in China, Japan and South Korea.
The university has announced that study abroad programs and other non-essential student travel are currently suspended due to the coronavirus. Visit the GW Global website for the latest information. The GW Office for Study Abroad offers a wide range of program options around the world, as well as guidance on funding, credits and other procedures.
We conduct the Credit-Transfer Exam and Consultation Session in late August and early September, please click on the Sign Up button below (Yellow Button), if you plan to take a Credit-Transfer exam. After signing up, you will take the written exam (up to 1 hour) & oral interview (about 20-30 minutes) before submitting your request on CATS. Those who request CHIN 1099 (general credits) can submit their application and upload the course syllabus on CATS directly.
Students who plan to study abroad during the spring or fall semester should choose a GW-affiliated program. If you wish to pursue a summer study abroad program not listed on this page, be sure to consult with advisors in the Chinese department before you make your decision.
Most Chinese language course credits from these programs will only be transferred as electives (CHIN 1099), which will not count towards the Chinese major or minor. If you wish to receive language credits for higher-level Chinese language courses, you can take the Credit Transfer Examination at the beginning of each fall semester, or take other upper-level Chinese language courses at GW.
George Washington University maintains undergraduate exchange programs with three major universities in Japan: Akita International University (AIU), Kyoto University and Waseda University. Each offers a somewhat different social and academic experiences, but all offer excellent opportunities for language learning and cultural study and all include courses that will transfer to GW. Note that transfer credit for courses taken abroad must be approved through GW’s Course Approval Transfer System (CATS). Visit the GW Undergraduate Exchange website for details on study abroad programs in Japan.
GW has relationships with several study abroad programs in South Korea: Ewha Womans University, Korea University, Seoul National University and Yonsei University.
In addition to following the GW Office for Study Abroad’s transfer credit process for all students, East Asian Languages and Literatures students must obtain approval from a study abroad advisor in the department upon their return. These guidelines apply to Chinese, Japanese and Korean program students.
For obtaining approval for advanced-level Chinese language courses and literature/culture courses, or for non-GW affiliated programs credit transfer, email advisors in an EALL language program to set up an appointment.
If you fail to provide adequate documentation for a course taken abroad, or your samples of work are deemed insufficient, you may be required to take a test (oral and written). During the first semester after you return from abroad, you may be asked to take an examination to help us further evaluate your proficiency level.
The oral/written exam will occur if any of these scenarios apply:
Contact one of the EALL study abroad advisors to make arrangements for the exam.
For more information on transferring credits taken at other universities, visit the GW Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
In addition to the GW Office for Study Abroad’s transfer credit process guidelines, Japanese students should follow these policies.
The University now makes a clear distinction between GW-approved "Study Abroad" programs and all other forms of "Study Away" programs. “Study Abroad” credit transfer is handled through the online course approval system CATS. Any course at another university, domestic or international, that is not part of the GW-approved "Study Abroad" programs is considered "Study Away." "Study Away" courses are transferred through the Registrar's office via a Transfer Credit Approval Form.
The Registrar's office keeps track of “Study Away” transfer credits. All "Study Away" credits, domestic or international, are subject to the same limitation: 9 credits or 3 classes up to 12 transferred credits. This limitation on “Study Away” credits applies to your entire career at GW, not per semester. There is no such restriction on GW-approved "Study Abroad" programs.
Students who have completed at least one Basic or Intermediate Japanese language course at GW — JAPN 1001 through JAPN 2003 — can receive credit for succeeding GW courses in sequence up to JAPN 2004, upon successfully passing a Study Abroad Japanese language course regardless of the level into which they were placed in Japan. Credit for the course(s) will be granted on a one course-per-one-semester basis. That is, credit for one GW Japanese language course will be granted for each semester of Japanese language studied at the Japanese university.
Any other credits earned in Japan for a modern language course will be transferred as JAPN 1099. If the student can demonstrate the equivalency of the course taken in Japan to the GW Japanese language class for which he/she seeks credit transfer, by successfully passing an examination and/or an oral interview, then credit may be awarded at the discretion of the instructor. This also applies to credits earned by a student who begins his or her study of the Japanese language for the first time while abroad at a Japanese university.
If you want JAPN 3123 or 3124 credit, first submit the application through CATS. Then bring all relevant materials from the course taken in Japan— syllabus, textbooks, tests, and reading and writing assignments, etc.—as evidence of equivalency to Professor Hamano or Professor Tsujioka. Credit transfer is at the discretion of the instructor.
If you want JAPN 3111, 3112, 3132, 3162, 4109, or 4110 credit, first submit the application through CATS. Then bring all relevant materials from the course taken in Japan— syllabus, textbooks, tests, and reading and writing assignments, etc.—as evidence of equivalency to Professor Morley. Credit transfer is at the discretion of the instructor.
If you want credit for any other upper-level Japanese humanities course taken in Japan for which there is no equivalent at GW, first submit the application through CATS. Then bring all relevant materials from the course — syllabus, textbooks, tests, and reading and writing assignments, etc. — to Professor Morley. Credit transfer for JAPN 1099, 2099, 3099 or 4099 (or none) is at the discretion of the instructor. If you further want to use 3099 or 4099 credits to satisfy the elective portion of your major or minor requirements, the Japanese Program director or faculty advisor will write a DegreeMAP petition on your behalf.
"Study Away" courses are transferred through the Registrar's office via a Transfer Credit Approval Form. Before departing for a Study Away program, students must go over their planned Study Away courses with Professor Hamano, Professor Tsujioka, or Professor Morley and determine what the courses are likely to transfer back to GW as.
