Sophia University
Source: https://employability.uq.edu.au/host/sophia-university Parent: https://employability.uq.edu.au/exchange-funding
Tokyo
Japan
Sophia University exchange website
Language of instruction
English
Japanese
Sophia University is one of the top private universities in Japan and is situated in the heart of Tokyo. The University has been a pioneer for internationalisation in Japan, encouraging the academic study of global ideas to cultivate insightful and critical thinking in all its students.
The campus is centrally located within walking distance of many places of interest. Shinjuku, one of the most exciting areas in Tokyo, is just a 5 minute train ride away from Yotsuya, the closest station.
Semester dates
| UQ Semester | Host Semester | Dates |
| Semester 1 | Spring Semester | April–July |
| Semester 2 | Autumn Semester | September–January |
View Sophia University's academic calendar.
Guides and additional information
Sophia University has online resources to help get more from your exchange:
- Sophia University Exchange Fact Sheet
- Sophia University Exchange Brochure
- Sophia University Video Playlist
- International student handbook
Campuses
Sophia University has multiple campus locations, however, only the Yotsuya Main campus is open to exchange students.
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange
Book your Global Experiences Appointment
Report any problems with this web page
Student testimonials
B Arts/Business Management
Semester 1, 2019
Full-time study load
Japanese Language (Intensive Track): 8 credits per semester (15 classes per week) are equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Japanese Language (Regular Track): 8 credits per semester (minimum 6 classes per week) are equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Undergraduate English-taught programs: 16 credits per semester at Sophia are equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Graduate English-taught programs: 16 credits per semester at Sophia are equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Host university requirements
GPA\ You will need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.0 to study at Sophia University.
Language\ Students wishing to take courses taught in Japanese will require Japanese proficiency of level N1 or higher. Individual study options or faculties may have higher requirements.
Study Options\ You must choose from one of the five programs/tracks detailed below. Further details are outlined in the Additional Academic Information section below.
Note: host university eligibility criteria are at the discretion of the host and may change without notice.
Find courses
Search the Sophia University course catalogue.
Crosscheck the courses you found in the host course catalogue with the Credit Precedent Database to see if UQ credit has previously been granted. The database should be used as a general guide only. Few courses from each host will be in the database and many course precedents in the database may have expired. Note, the credit precedent database does not replace the host course catalogue. If a course is not listed in the CPD, you can still ask for it to be assessed on your study plan.
Study areas taught in English
Undergraduate
Biological sciences
Biomedical science
Business administration
Chemistry and biochemistry
Development
Economics
International business
International relations
Japanese
Journalism
Marketing
Mathematics and statistics
Peace and conflict studies
Physics
Political science
Sociology
Postgraduate
Development
International business
International relations
Political science
Public policy
Academic restrictions
Study Load Restrictions\ Students are unable to enrol in a full-time study load in the following disciplines, however, enrolment in one or two courses may be possible:
- Business administration / Economics / International Business / Marketing
- Development / International Relations / Peace and Conflict Studies / Political Science (UG only) / Public Policy
- Biological sciences / Biomedical science / Mathematics and Statistics / Physics
- Japanese (unless taking the Japanese Language (Intensive Track))
Course Restrictions\ Exchange students are advised not to study foreign language courses other than Japanese unless approved by your UQ faculty.
Disciplines/Faculties Restrictions \ The following are not open to exchange students at Sophia University:
- Faculty of Liberal Arts core programs
- FST laboratory classes
- GPGS compulsory courses
- Foreign language courses (except Japanese language)
- Seminar
- The Body and Culture
- Studies in Christian Humanism
Additional academic information
Study Option Details
You must choose from one of the five programs/tracks below and select the majority of courses from within your admitted program/faculty.
- Japanese Language (Intensive Track)
- Designed for students whose main purpose of coming to Japan is to mainly study Japanese.
- Offers four-level intensive courses at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.
- Classes include many assignments.
- You must have studied at least two Japanese language courses at UQ before commencing the exchange, however, UQ recommends you to have completed 150 hours of Japanese (minimum 4 UQ Japanese courses) to commence this track.
- The Japanese Language Intensive Track has 10 classes per week. Additionally, you can choose to study 1-3 lecture classes, however, this is optional.\
- Japanese Language (Regular Track)
- Focus on developing communicative competence through extensive practice
- Offers beginning, intermediate and advanced courses
- You must take Regular Track Japanese Courses (4 credits) + 2-4 lecture classes (minimum 4 credits).\
- Undergraduate English-taught programs:
- Study courses offered through the Faculty of Liberal Arts or the Faculty of Science and Technology
- You can take some Japanese language courses\
- Graduate English-taught programs:
- Study courses offered through the Graduate Program in Global Studies, Global Environmental Studies (GES), Green Science and Engineering, and Linguistics (TESOL)
- You can take some Japanese language courses
Course Numbering\ The course level is indicated in the course numbering or registration code. For example, if the course numbering has "IBE315", it means that the course is a 300-level course.
- 100-level courses: Entry level (beginner students)
- 200-level courses: Introductory courses (first and second-year students)
- 300-level courses: Second and third-year students
- 400-level courses: Advanced or specialised courses (third- and fourth-year students)
Additional Academic Resources\ Sophia University has online resources to help navigate their academic policies:
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange
Book your Global Experiences Appointment
Report any problems with this web page
Accommodation
Sophia University offers a number of dormitory housing options for exchange students. All dormitories are located off-campus and commuting times vary for each. The University also provides links to external resources to help exchange students organise their own housing arrangements.
Cost of living
Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world, however, the cost of living while studying in Tokyo can be determined by your spending expectations and lifestyle. Sophia University provides an estimate of approximate costs depending on housing types and other anticipated expenses.
Financial support
A range of funding for student exchange including scholarships, grants and loans are available to UQ students.
Students going on exchange to Sophia University may be eligible to apply for a number of scholarships and funding opportunities.
Insurance
Students approved to participate in a Semester-based Exchange are automatically covered by UQ’s Travel Insurance for the country of their host university only.
For more information, read the Student Travel Insurance Policy Summary on UQ’s Travel Insurance web page (login required).
If you plan to travel outside of your host country, you should purchase additional insurance.
All exchange students must enrol in the Japanese National Health Insurance (NHI) system after their arrival in Japan.
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange
Book your Global Experiences Appointment
Report any problems with this web page
Organise your visa
It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa for the country where you will be studying. As the Global Experiences team is not a visa-issuing authority we cannot provide visa advice.
Sophia University has visa and immigration information for incoming exchange students.
Contact the Consulate General of Japan for more visa information.
Travel risk levels
The University of Queensland cannot and does not allow students to travel to any country with a risk level of 3 (Reconsider your need to travel) or above, as assessed by the Australian Government.
If a country's risk level changes to 3 or above, experiences to that country are suspended until the risk level improves.
Find out the risk level and travel advice, and sign up to receive updates for your host country on the Smartraveller website.
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange