SDW_AY2023/24_1.2

Guidelines for the AY2023-2024
Course-Taking Sandwich Programat Shibaura Institute of Technology

International Programs Initiatives Section(As of March 2023)

0SDW_AY2023/24_1.2

Index

1.

Program Outline

2

2.

Contents / Courses

2

3.

Requirements

3

4.

Application Period

35.

Academic calendar and program duration

4

6.

Program Fee

4

7.

Scholarship opportunity

58.

Campus information

5

9.

Procedures

7

10.

VISA Process/Student visa (COE needed students)

811.

Accommodation in Japan

912.

Facility of SIT

1113.

Total Cost of expenditure in Tokyo1114.

Arrival- from airport to your accommodation

121SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
1. Program Outline
The Course-Taking Sandwich Program allows students to take courses at Shibaura Institute ofTechnology (SIT) while they are students at their home university for 1 or 2 semesters (due toimmigration regulations, periods for exchange are limited to 1 year).
For example, the student may study for their first two years at their home university, study at SIT for
the third year, and then return to their home university to complete their studies at their homeuniversity.
The program is popular with foreign students as they have an opportunity to study abroad and about
250 students participate in the program per year. Students have a wide range of study options fromall departments and colleges. Classes are taught in English and Japanese language lessons are alsoavailable.

.
2. Contents / Courses
The main activity of the program is taking courses taught in English and all the participants as required
to register for more than 6-period (600 minutes) courses per week for the whole semester.
The courses cover most of the field of engineering. The students can take courses from any field
regardless of their major and level (undergraduate or postgraduate) at the home university if the students
meet the prerequisites of each course. SIT also offers Japanese language courses for students whowish to learn some Japanese while staying in Japan.
See the below websites for more information on the courses.

Website: The course lschedule*Please change the language to “Course in English”*Look under “SIT Mobility Program Participants”.
*Attention to the campuses which offer the courses as the campuses are in different areas and takesome time to travel between them.

Website: Course Modules/List
Below courses at Shibaura Institute of Technology are organized by field.
- Computer Science (Computer Science, Information Communication Technology)- Electrical engineering- Chemistry- Construction (Architecture, Civil, Urban Design, Environmental studies)
Not all the courses are grouped in the modules, but it helps students to look for the courses by the fieldof interest.

2

SDW_AY2023/24_1.2＊Japanese-based course
The courses for the Course-Taking Sandwich program are in English except for the Japanese
language course as mentioned, however, the students can take courses taught in Japanese if a
student has N2 level or above for JLPT.
However, Japanese-based courses are optional and there is a possibility that you may not be able toregister for the class depending on the class capacity.
After the screening, SIT will provide special forms and course lists to the applicants.

3. Requirements
The applicant must:-

be an undergraduate/graduate student at a university.

-

complete this program at SIT and return to home university before graduation at his/her home university.

-

have good English skills* (CEFR B2 or equivalent)-be physically and mentally healthy. (Health checkup/certificate is required upon application.)-register for more than 6-period (600 minutes) courses per week for the whole semester-comply with the Japanese export control legal framework.
(http://www.meti.go.jp/policy/anpo/securityexportcontrol1.html)*CEFR B2 is equivalent to IELTS 5.5-6.5, TOEFL iBT 72-94, TOEFL ITP Level 1 & 2 543-626,
Cambridge English FCE 160-179, Cambridge English CAE 160-179, and Cambridge English (CPE)162-179. (These scores may change from time to time)*Native English speakers and English-based degree students are not required to submit English
proficiency scores.
*If the applicant has not taken the English proficiency test, his/her home university can issue a letterthat substantiates the student’s English proficiency.

4. Application Period

Spring semester entry: October 1st to 31st
Fall semester entry: April 1st to 30th3

SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
5. Academic calendar and program duration
SIT has 2 semesters a year as below.
1st semester (spring semester): from the beginning of April to the end of July
2nd semester (fall semester): from the end of September to the end of January.
-Academic Calendar (AY2023)

Program duration: 1 or 2 semesters (up to 1 academic year)
Please note that the orientation for the new coming students will be held before each semester
begins.
- Orientation for Spring Semester: End of March/Early April- Orientation for Fall Semester: Middle of September*Some of the courses will be conducted on a quarterly basis, as follows:
1st quarter: Beginning of April – early June, 2nd quarter: Early June – end of July
3rd quarter: End of September. – mid-November,4th quarter: Mid-November – end of January

6. Program Fee

SIT Partner University applicants:- Application (Registration) fee: JPY30,000- Admission fee: All waived- Tuition fee: All waived
Non-Partner University applicants:- Application (Registration) fee: JPY30,000- Admission fee: JPY40,000- Tuition (Course takers only): JPY15,000/credit
Payment schedule:- Application (Registration) fee: At the time of application*- Admission fee and tuition: Upon arrival *TBA
* If students cancel the program before the start day due to unavoidable matters, the refund will
be made with a deduction of a small handling charge (1%).
* You can check the link for SIT partner universities, but the newly added universities may not beon the list so please check with the international coordinator at your university to see if youruniversity is SIT’s partner university.

4SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
7. Scholarship opportunity
SIT offers a scholarship to some of the program participants. In the online application form, there is aplace where you can indicate that you wish to receive the SIT scholarship. By indicating “yes”, SIT
acknowledges that the applicant is applying for the scholarship.
SIT can offer JPY 40,000 per month during the program for students who pass scholarship screening.
This screening process takes at least 2 months.
After the screening, SIT provides a letter of acceptance (LOA) via the applicant’s home university
coordinator.
The amount of the scholarship is written on LOA ONLY IF you are a scholarship receiver.
*The scholarship will be offered while staying in Japan only.
*Although we provide scholarships to some students, the amount will not be enough to support theparticipant’s entire stay in Japan. Refer to Article 11, which estimates typical expenses to be at least
JPY80,000 per month.
*Those who are going to receive a scholarship(s) from the organization(s) other than SIT for an
amount that is the same as or more than SIT scholarship, can NOT apply for the SIT scholarship.
*The scholarship selection screening is only done once. Additional scholars will not be selected evenif other scholars gave up.

8. Campus information
SIT is located in the heart of Japan. There are 2 campuses, the Toyosu campus, is located in Tokyo,
and the Omiya campus is located in Saitama (next to Tokyo).
Being in Tokyo or close to is one of the most attractive points for students, especially from othercountries and many students who attended SIT have taken advantage of living in the central andenjoying their life in Japan.
As mentioned in the Article 2 (Contents/courses), campus you attend will depend on thecourse you register. Please check and consider the campus location for the courses you arewilling to take and distances of each campus when you register for the courses.
Toyosu campus (Tokyo): College of Engineering and School of Architecture
College of Engineering and DesignOmiya campus (Saitama): College of Systems Engineering and Science5SDW_AY2023/24_1.2

Please consider distances among campuses if you wish to takecourses in different campuses.

6SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
9.

Procedures
1) Preparations:-

Check the website and program guideline to have a good understanding of the program outline.

-

Consult with the university coordinator who is in charge of overseas study programs at homeuniversity.

-

Be sure about your budget plan concerning the duration of the study and living costs in Japan.

2) Applications:-

Apply via the online system from the program website during the application period for thesemester you wish to study.

-

Pay the Application (Registration) fee (JPY30,000) through the same system as above.
(Admission fees and tuition will be charged later for the students from non-partner universities.)-

Make a request to the university coordinator to nominate the applicant via the online application
system. (Without the nomination from the university coordinator, your application cannot becompleted.) Learn More about the online nomination3) After the application-

Once SIT receives the applications, the screening will be held.

-Within 2 months after the application is closed, SIT will notify the result of screening.

-The applicants who pass the screening will receive a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) via theapplicants’ university coordinator. * Those who pass the screening for the scholarship will be
notified on the LOA.

4) After confirming the acceptance
Receive further information including the guidebook and take the necessary steps to come study
in Japan. . e.g. visa matter, accommodation, courses, and required documents about visa
application: see page 7-Attend orientation and register for courses before the semester starts

7

SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
10. VISA Process/Student visa (COE needed students)
Students who will participate in the program for more than 90 days must have a “student visa”.
In order to apply for a student visa, a COE (Certificate of Eligibility) is needed which will beissued by Immigration bureau in Japan.
SIT will apply for the COE on your behalf and send the original certificate to the program
coordinator at your home university once it is issued. Students can apply for Student visa withthe COE.
Below is a flow of visa application process. Usually, this process will take about 2 months
before the original COE reaches you. Please be patient until receiving the COE.

Procedures Chart for Long-Term Stay(SIT)

Link: Application for Certificate of Eligibility (COE)8SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
11. Accommodation in Japan
Once applicants are accepted, SIT will provide accommodation information and help them findaccommodation in Japan. The following data/figures are from the surveys taken from the international
students studying at SIT. We hope this information helps you find accommodation.
As shown in the picture below, the accommodation and living expenses will vary by area.
So please decide the living location based on the campus you will mainly belong to, transportation fee,and living cost by area.
Also, SIT owns the dormitory for both Japanese and international students. This dormitory, “SIT GlobalDormitory” is located at Omiya Campus as a forum for cultural exchange between Japanese andinternational students. However, since we accept a greater number of applicants than the number ofrooms in the dormitory. it is very competitive to enter. So, we share the list of the accommodations andthe real estate agencies with those who cannot live in the dormitory.
[Important] When looking for accommodation, please first confirm which campus you will takeclasses on.

APPROXIMARTE ACCOMMODATION EXPENSES BY AREAPECENTAGE OF LIVING EXPENSES BY AREA

9SDW_AY2023/24_1.2

PERCENTAGE OF LIVING EXPENSESPER ACCOMMODATION TYPE(Omiya)(Toyosu)

Note:- TIEC (Tokyo International Exchange Center) is the dormitory for the students at a Graduate level. It
is operated by Japanese government and located near Toyosu campus.
- You need to pass a screening to stay in the TIEC or SIT dormitory. Due to the high numbers ofinternational students in Tokyo, these two dormitories are very competitive to enter, so please try tolook for other accommodation in case you cannot pass the screening.

Picture of The Dormitory
Advice from International Students at SIT⚫ It is better to share accommodation with friends that you know. It helps you save all costs(accommodation, food, etc). If you try to find a good, shared apartment with your friends next to yourmain campus, it will help a lot to mitigate transport expenses.

10SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
12. Facility of SIT
Toyosu and Omiya campus has its own cafeteria and store. The cafeteria serves traditional Japanese
food, curry, noodles and so on. If you suffer from food allergies, do not worry. Every food comes with adetailed list of the ingredients used. You can pay with cash, credit card or prepaid card.

Omiya’s Cafeteria

Toyosu’s Cafeteria

13. Total Cost of expenditure in Tokyo
This is a result of survey of total cost of living per month in the Tokyo area for international students.
The following chart shows average expenses spent per month. Some students manage to live on lessthan JPY80,000, but at least JPY80,000 must be budgeted since it is the minimum amount required by
the immigration bureau.

more than
JPY140,000
20%less than
JPY80,000
15%

between
JPY110,000
and
JPY140,000…

between
JPY80,000 and
JPY 110,000
37%

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WORKING PART TIME
International student’s first priority is“Studying”, however they are also allowed towork and earn money during their free timeup to 28 hours per week.
The figure on the right shows the percentage ofStudents keeping a part time job.
Sometimes, the SIT international office provides
part time jobs.
(ex. Airport pick up, supporter for event etc.)11

SDW_AY2023/24_1.2
Advice from International Students at SIT⚫ Confirm the cost for everything before you come. Usually, the initial cost can be expensive.
⚫ Cost varies upon location where you stay at.
⚫ I think living cost can really vary depending on the people. But, as long as you take control of what
you spend (especially on food and transportation), it can be quite affordable.
⚫ SIT is very convenient to study in even though Tokyo is quite expensive to live but it's worth it.
14. Arrival – Airport to your accommodation.
Since Tokyo has a well-developed public transportation system, we do not provide the airport pick up
service. You can check the website of Haneda airport and Narita airport to understand how best to travelfrom the airport to the city center. If you would like to know the specific route to your accommodation,please refer to the common Route search site.

12