FAQ for GIGA Successful Applicants 2025

It can be your planned date.

We strongly recommend that you bring a copy of your medical records in English in case of an emergency or if you are suffering from a chronic illness.

There is no check-in processord pick-up service at the airport. It is not "Check in" but the orientation will be held on your first day in mid-September. (Details will be announced as soon as they are determined)*. For transportation, please refer to the SFC International Student Handbook which includes detailed information on directions from airports to the the Shonandai area.

Before arrival, all successful applicants will receive an information email by early September (planned). It consists of the "Schedule and Formalities after Completing Admission Registration," a course registration guide, documents that are required to be submitted after enrollment and other helpful information.
Basically, you will be asked to begin the procedures for starting your life in Japan by yourself using the SFC International Student Handbook and information from the GIGA Freshman Session. The reason being that, these first steps are an important part of starting your journey here in Japan.
However, if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact the Office of International Affairs at apd-global@sfc.keio.ac.jp. The Freshmen Session held in September will also be helpful for you.

If you are an international student with a student visa, you must get permission first from the Immigration Office. Keep in mind that by law, you can only work 28 hours per week during the semester. For more details, please refer to Chapter 8 of the SFC International Student Handbook.

You will first need to take a train to get to Shonandai Station or Tsujido Station. From each station, you may take a bus or bike to SFC. Many students bike to SFC, but recently there has been an increase in the number of accidents where students become the victims or perpetrators. If you plan to bike to SFC, make sure that you are covered by bicycle insurance. The insurance fee costs several hundred yen per month.

Yes, it is possible. It's even possible to take courses offered by faculties at other campuses.

Yes, it is possible for you to take courses conducted in Japanese. There is also no Japanese proficiency requirement.

(From current student) If you want to take courses offered in Japanese, of course you will need a certain level of Japanese skills to keep up with classes and earn credits. The required Japanese level depends on the course or seminar, but the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2 or N1 level would be desirable.

The Faculty of Policy Management and the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies implement a student screening for many courses, in which students who are eligible to take the course are determined before the first class begins. There are two main methods of student screening for courses: Assignment Screening and Lottery Screening. Only those students who have completed the "Entry for Student Screening" process and have been approved to take the course will be able to take the course. Please refer to the About Registration for more details about the student screening.

No. It is possible to take classes entirely in English and still graduate. ​However, it is strongly recommended you take Japanese language courses. You will need to get 8 credits in a foreign language other than your mother tongue in order to graduate.

​Also, if you wish to obtain the GIGA Certificate (separate from graduation), you will need to obtain a Japanese level equivalent to the JLPT N2 if you are a non-native Japanese speaker.

The seminar syllabus can be found on the Keio SFC Course Syllabus. Also, "The Brain" (Faculty profiles) is very useful to get to know more about faculty members as well as find what their seminars are like.

It's up to you. You can continue your research in the same seminar, but when your interest changes, you may change your seminar. In principle, students can register for Seminars from their second year. However, students in their first year can register for one Seminar per semester only if the faculty member in charge grants special approval.

(Comment from current student) I strongly encourage you to join a Seminar (kenkyukai) from your first year so you get a feel for what you are interested in. ​If you end up not liking it, you are free to change, but if you end up loving it, you can stay in that lab for the remainder of your time at SFC if you want.

"原級" means repeating a year (remaining in the same grade level) in cases that could not meet the requirements for advancement or graduation, or failed to earn the required credits. When repeating a year and if you are a recipient of a scholarship, measures such as suspension or discontinuation will be taken. Please plan your courses to fulfill the requirements for advancement or graduation, and aim to earn credits.

Yes, it is possible to study abroad! Many GIGA students in the past have completed study abroad. If you study abroad through the Keio University Student Exchange Program (Outbound), you can study under tuition waiver agreements. However, there is a selection process since Keio can only nominate a certain number of students per university. There are also short-term programs and fieldwork opportunities for SFC students.

Graduate School: 21%, Getting job in Japan: 52%, Getting job overseas: 5% Other:18%
For more information about SFC graduates and career options, please check our website here.

Keio Student Website provides useful information about job hunting for international students. Also, Career Service Group offers individual consultations for job hunting and careers. You can visit the service desk at SFC when you need any assistance.

(From current student A) It really depends on how good your Japanese is and if you are applying to a Japanese company. If you are, then yes it's relatively easier for GIGA students too. But as a rule of thumb, being proactive is necessary regardless of which university you go to 🙂
(From current student B) That's part of why it's generally a good idea to study Japanese while in Japan. Even ordinary Keio students make strong efforts to get a job that suits them, so you're definitely not alone. Alumni from Keio (Mita-kai) are making strong efforts to help both groups.

SFC covers research fields related to Bussiness and Administration, so you can study about startups, entrepreneurship etc. ​For startups, there is Keio SFC-IV (Innovation Village) that helps startups with incubation management, funding, etc., that is partially assisted by Keio alumni (Mitakai).