Kyoto University of the Arts, Correspondence Education

Foreign Student
Acceptance
Program

Study useful Japanese and receive the latest in art education in fully online program.
Original study program open for foreign nationals.

  • Illustration Course
  • Ink Brush Painting and Calligraphy Course
  • Department of Liberal and Fine Arts
  • Art Writing Course

2023 April admission application has been closed.

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KYOTO
UNIVERSITY
OF THE
ARTS
CORRESPONDENCE
EDUCATION

Earn Japanese degree living out of Japan!

What is Foreign Student Acceptance Program?

This is an original full online study program at Kyoto University of the Arts Correspondence Education that only foreign nationals can enroll.
The program allows students to improve their Japanese language skills while studying art related curriculum.
The full-online program also makes tuition fees reasonable. This four-year university is approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology- Japan (MEXT) and upon graduation, Bachelor of Arts degree will be awarded.

  • In case you are foreign national, resident of Japan, have your bank account locally and would like to study regularly same as local students, you may apply for the general admission. For details, please refer to " Kyoto University of the Arts, Correspondence Education, Faculty of the Arts Application guideline 2023 will be released Early December (tentative). "

Points of this Program

  • Point01

    Students can earn Bachelor of Art, by while taking full online department/courses and Japanese Language curriculum from overseas.

  • Point02

    No need to have mailing address and your bank account in Japan, which general admission requires.

  • Point03

    High quality Japanese curriculum is established with Kyoto Institute of Culture and Language (KICL) who has experience over 50 years with students from over 70 countries.

    Kyoto Institute of Culture and Langage official site

Study Contents

In “ tenohira geidai (Study art in your palm)” there are variation of four courses that allow students graduate by online.
You can deepen your knowledge of Japanese language and graduate without physically visiting University campus.
Also, you will be able to touch on real art, and learn thoughts and knowledge of arts and find a practical way to utilize in your work and life.

Download FAP application guideline.

Please also see “Kyoto University of the Arts, Correspondence Education, Faculty of the Arts,
Application guideline 2023 will be released Early December (tentative)” (Original)
along with this application guideline (FAP).

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COURSEAvailable Course

  • Tuition JPY323K* per year
    Department of Design

    Illustration Course

    Learn quintessence of Illustration fully online.
    Leading-edge curriculum is developed collaboratively with Pixiv.

    Curriculum systematically coordinated not only Illustration techniques but concept creation, career theory and Illustration history.Even if you are beginner, you will be able to gain necessary professional knowledge and creativity and open your door to professional illustrator.

    See details on Illustration Course.

    ILLUSTRATION

    Watch video!

    Illustration course
    concept video

  • Tuition JPY300K* per year
    Department of Fine Art

    Ink Brush Painting and Calligraphy Course

    Learn calligraphy and ink brush painting from original materials featuring top notch artists.

    Unravel the history of "calligraphy and painting," which originated in Chinese kanji culture introduced to Japan, and connect our own artistic expression based on the traditions that have been cultivated over the years. Students learn through both theoretical courses that explore culture and practical courses that teach calligraphy and painting techniques, raising their awareness of beauty rooted in the wisdom of the east, and cultivating human resources with a high level of creative expression.

    See details on Ink Brush Painting and Calligraphy Course.

    CALLIGRAPHY

    Watch video!

    Learn online Ink Brush Painting
    and Calligraphy

  • Tuition JPY170K* per year

    Department of Liberal and Fine Arts
    (April admission only)

    Learn how to change the way we see and feel things, and make use of art in our daily lives

    Gain knowledge and practical examples of art and design that can be applied by educated adults in their daily lives. By experiencing various forms of art, you will gain a "perspective" that can change their work and life for the better.

    See details on Department of Liberal and Fine Arts.

    LIBERAL AND FINE ARTS

    Watch video!

    Department of Liberal and Fine Arts
    Bring art in to your life.

  • Tuition JPY231K* per year
    Department of Science of Art

    Art Writing Course

    Learn today’s activities that are emerging,
    and the techniques for communicating value of local heritage culture that should not be forgotten.

    Learn the basic knowledge of art history, art theory and how to express and communicate about artworks and artists in writing.

    See details on Art Writing Course.

    ART WRITING

    Watch video!

    Art Writing Course
    Refine your language and
    communicate with words.

*Entrance screening fee, entrance fee, administration fee, textbook fees and equipment fees are required.
Please refer to the original application guideline (FAP) for details.

PROGRAMJapanese language curriculums allow you to deepen your understanding.

This program aims to help learners for whom Japanese is not their mother tongue but willing improve their Japanese language skills, which are necessary for furthering their studies at the art university. This helps students enough to understand the various studies in the Correspondence Education and express themselves smoothly in Japanese.

Course Structure

In order to improve Japanese language skills suitable for study in the Correspondence Education,
curriculum consists of the following subject groups.

  • Courses further accumulates of language knowledge
  • Subjects improve reading, writing, and other skills
  • Exercise subjects to develop practical operational skills

Subjects for brushing up knowledge and skills (General education subjects)

  • Japanese 1(Advanced grammar)

    Refine the grammatical expressions necessary to create coherent sentences by selecting appropriate expressions according to the topic and context.

  • Japanese 2A (Vocabulary)

    Brush up on vocabulary skills to facilitate learning at university.

  • Japanese 3A (Reading Comprehension)

    Learn to read and understand advanced Japanese sentences, acquire the skills to understand the author's arguments and main points, and learn how to read and understand higher-level sentences such as articles and technical papers.

  • Japanese 4 (Description)

    Develop the ability to write logical sentences in Japanese required for writing reports and papers.

Subjects to acquire more practical skills(In-faculty specialized education subjects)

  • Japanese 2B (Vocabulary Application)

    Acquire the vocabulary necessary to understand and write specialized books and reports. In addition, need to investigate the exact meaning and usage of unknown vocabulary and develop an attitude of acquiring vocabulary on a daily basis.

  • Japanese 3B (Applied Reading)

    Read a wide range of documents, including articles, interviews and dialogues, newspaper and magazine articles, as well as specialized fields, to develop skills in reading a wide range of expressions.

  • Japanese 5 (Comprehensive Exercises)

    Practice to utilize the knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired in Japanese 1 to 4, and to acquire the ability to use Japanese in a more practical manner in university studies.

What is Kyoto University of the Arts,
Correspondence Education?

There is “Learning” that you can achieve only at Kyoto University of the Arts.
Even if you are busy working person or a beginner, our education system allows smooth learning.

Japan's largest correspondence education university, with over 10,000 students aged 18 to 96.

  • In March 2016, Mr. Shigemi Hirata, a student of the ceramics course, graduated from the university at the age of 96, the oldest person in the world at the time, and registered in a Guinness book of records.

Japan's first four-year art university of correspondence education. Students from Japan and abroad with various backgrounds are studying here. No previous knowledge or experience is required for all courses.

A perfectly designed web-based learning experience that makes it easy to learn even from overseas. You can submit assignments and receive corrections via the web, as well as take examinations to earn credits.

Watch video!

Learning of Kyoto University of the Arts.

What is the learning of largest correspondence education art university in Japan?

Full online educational program “Tenohira Geidai"

Watch video!

Current student interview

Illustration Course (Enrolled in 2022) WANG JHIH-YUN

Download FAP application guideline.

Please also see “Kyoto University of the Arts, Correspondence Education, Faculty of the Arts,
Application guideline 2023 will be released Early December (tentative)” (Original)
along with this application guideline (FAP).

Archive distribution

Application guideline (FAP) outline

Requirements for enrollment for this program

【Admission requirements for residents outside Japan】
In principle, all correspondence from the university will be submitted to the student website or sent by e-mail. The deadlines for submission of course assignments and various application procedures are based on Japan Standard Time. If you are using your local computer, you can only use the Japanese version of browser. If you are using a tablet or smartphone, you will need to set the language to Japanese.

【Admission requirements for foreign nationals】
Students must be able to study with Japanese language materials. (The level of Japanese language subjects will be structured according to the Japanese language requirements below.)
All educational and administrative correspondence will be conducted in Japanese, except in cases necessary for educational purposes. Students cannot obtain a student visa for attending correspondence education. A copy of your passport (the page with your photo) must be submitted. If you do not have a passport, please submit an official document that confirms your nationality.

Japanese Language Requirements

Satisfy (A) or (B) below.

  • (A) Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 or Japanese Proficiency Test (JPT) 660 points or higher
  • (B) Japanese Language Proficiency Test(JLPT) N2 or Japanese Proficiency Test (JPT) 525 points or higher or The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) Japanese subject [Reading Comprehension]/[Listening Comprehension/Listening and Reading Comprehension] total score 220 or higher.

Both(A) and (B) Needs to write a essay as follows. (more than 700 character, up to 800 character).
Designated topic: “What do you want to achieve by studying at this university, your online study plan, how you will incorporate in your life."

*Examination period only meets the above requirements

JLPT:
2012-
EJU (last two years) :
2021-2022
JPT (latest two years) :
March 2021 - 2023
Related departments and courses

This program is available for the following departments/courses.

  • ・Department of Liberal and Fine Arts (April admission only)
  • ・Department of Science of Art, Art Writing Course
  • ・Department of Fine Art, Ink Brush Painting and Calligraphy Course
  • ・Department of Design, Illustration Course
Degrees conferred

Upon graduation, students will be awarded Bachelor of Arts degree.

  • There are no certification program available for FAP participants.
  • Students entering a university for the first time can graduate in as early as four years, while those who have graduated from a university, junior college, or Specialized Training College, Post-Secondary Course (Professional Training College) can graduate in as short as two years by transferring at the third year.
Application Period

【Web application registration period】
Monday, January 23, 2023 10:00 – Monday, March 6, 2023 17:00 * Japan Time
*Application web form URL link will be on this website.

【Submission period for application documents】
Monday, January 23, 2023 – Saturday, March 11, 2023 *Must arrive by Japan time

  • Please note that application form must be submitted, and the application fee must be paid during the Web application registration period.
    Also application documents must be completed and arrive during above mentioned time.
    Please also make sure to confirm application guideline for details on the documents need to be submitted.
Nationality

Applicants with foreign nationality (verified by a passport or other official document) and agrees the purpose of this program and are able to study in Japanese.

  • You must comply with the purpose of FAP and be able to study in Japanese.
Entrance screening

Applicants will be selected for entry based on their Japanese language ability and application documents.

Please refer for others, application requirements, graduation requirements, tuition, application procedure etc.by checking original application guidelines. (FAP)

Important Notes

This program is designed for foreign nationals living outside of Japan (residents of Japan may also apply) with curriculum and administrative procedures that can be completed online.
If you wish to apply for this program, the information in the official Foreign Student –Acceptance Program (FAP) application guideline will take precedence, so please make sure you fully understand the contents of the program before applying. (May have different contents from “Kyoto University of the Arts, Faculty of the Arts, Correspondence Education Application guideline 2023 will be released Early December (tentative)”.) The following are the core points for this program:

  • ・Subjects that require face-to-face sessions or require sending back materials to the university via physical mail are not available.
  • ・Department/Course graduation requirements will be different from students enrolled from general admission process.
  • ・Students of this program can participate online (and in some cases in person) in any academic event hosted by Department/Course.
  • ・Application only can be done via web. In principle, the university will only contact students through website or e-mail.

FAQ

Q.

I don't have any experience in the art field. Is it possible for me to learn this program?

A.

No worries. Curriculum is designed for unexperienced students. Most important thing is that you love art and willing to learn.

Q.

Is it true that I don’t have to attend any classes physically at campus?

A.

True. You learn everything online from enrollment to graduation. You can also ask questions and consult about your studies online through e-mail etc.

Q.

Is this university a legitimate?

A.

Our correspondence education is a regular four-year university approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan(MEXT). Upon graduation, students will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree and possible to progress to graduate school. There is no difference in the level of education or qualifications from the on campus learning, except for the difference in study format.

Q.

Can I obtain a student visa?

A.

Not applicable for any person enrolling correspondece education in our university.

Q.

Can I transfer to on campus faculty of the university?

A.

You can transfer to the on campus learning of the university if you meet the application requirements and pass the examination. (Even if you have qualification to transfer, you must pass an entrance exam.) Since the accepting number of students is limited, it is not always possible to transfer. In addition, you will need to obtain a student visa.

Download FAP application guideline.

Please also see “Kyoto University of the Arts, Correspondence Education, Faculty of the Arts,
Application guideline 2023 will be released Early December (tentative)” (Original)
along with this application guideline (FAP).

Mail Magazine

Sign up for our email newsletter and be the first to receive the latest news!

Mail Magazine request
Register here and get updated info!

Inquiry

If you have any questions, please contact below.

Kyoto University of the Arts,
Correspondence Education

Inquiry