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Temple Japan offers a specialized spring semester architecture program for students majoring in architecture, architectural studies, and urban design/studies. The program is designed to introduce you to the world of Japanese architecture – its history, traditions and influences, as well as its highly unique contemporary forms, challenges, practices and innovations. Beginning in Spring 2025, this program will be hosted in Kyoto.

Japan possesses one of the most exciting architectural landscapes in the world, encompassing exquisite wooden temples, minuscule micro-houses and futuristic skyscrapers on seismic fault lines. Yet Japan is also facing unprecedented architectural challenges; such as the rebuilding of Tohoku, rapidly changing demographics, global economic uncertainty and ever-increasing issues related to the environment and sustainability. What Japan does next in terms of the built environment and urban planning will be watched by architects worldwide.

About Temple Japan

Administration

TUJ is led by Dean Matthew Wilson, who has a long history of dedication to Temple, beginning with his own experience studying abroad at Temple Japan as a student in Temple's law school. He returned to TUJ in 2003 as the Law Program Director and later became TUJ’s general counsel and senior associate dean. Following several years as president of multiple American universities, Dean Wilson returned to lead TUJ in 2020.

Dean Wilson is supported by a team of faculty and staff, including the Office of Student Services and Engagement, who collaborates closely with Education Abroad & Overseas Campuses to create an enriching experience for all students.

Academics at TUJ

TUJ offers courses in a variety of academic disciplines across majors available at TUJ, including art, Asian studies, communication studies, computer science, economics, international affairs, international business studies, Japanese, political science, psychology and tourism, hospitality and event management, as well as GenEds and internships.

TUJ also offers a specialized architecture program (spring term in Kyoto).

Offerings vary by term and campus location. View more details about the Temple Japan-Tokyo and Temple Japan-Kyoto academic programs.

World Society GenEd Waiver: Temple students who successfully complete (with a C- or better) credit-bearing coursework worth at least three semester hours on this or any approved summer or semester study abroad program with a minimum stay abroad of 28-days will satisfy the World Society (GG) requirement.

Faculty & On-site Support

Temple Faculty

Temple Japan is proud to have a faculty committed to providing you with the best academic experience during your time in Tokyo. 

View program faculty.

On-site Support

When you study at Temple Japan, you'll have the support of the caring staff of the campus, including a dedicated Office of Student Services and Engagement team (OSSE), Counseling Services, Learning Center, Accessibility Services, Career Development, and more.

Health & Safety

Staying healthy and safe abroad requires good planning and strong support. Review our health and safety page for important steps to prepare to study abroad, and details about international travel medical insurance and assistance provided by Temple.  

Japan is a relatively safe destination with little crime. Quality medical care is available, but it's important to understand cultural differences, especially related to mental health matters in Japan. TUJ has a Counseling Office, which often operates with a waitlist, and teletherapy is available through our global assistance provider, but additional English-speaking mental health care may be limited. We will provide accepted students with more information and resources, and TUJ's counseling office provides information about bringing medications into Japan. We encourage you to speak with Education Abroad or our global assistance provider if you have any questions.

Contact

For more information, contact:

Location, Housing, and Activities in Kyoto

Location & Facilities

The new TUJ campus is housed in a multi-building complex on the campus of Seibo Jogakuin (Seibo) school. Seibo’s campus in Kyoto is less than 1 kilometer from the famous Fushimi Inari shrine and is close to public transportation for easy access to nearby towns and the train to Tokyo. 

View the TUJ Kyoto photo galleries.

Housing

Housing

Temple Japan: Kyoto housing options may vary by term. Check with the Program Management Team for information about your term's available options. 

  • Program-arranged housing
  • Independent housing: homestays
  • Independent housing: other

We encourage you to apply to the program well before the deadline as program and/or housing capacity may be limited. 

Program-arranged housing

Temple Japan: Kyoto works with four housing facilities that offer single-occupancy apartment-style rooms. All program-arranged housing has private bathrooms, a small kitchen, and Wi-Fi. 

Program-arranged housing is between a 5-40 minute commute to the TUJ Kyoto campus, depending on the facility. They are also accessible to other parts of Kyoto city and the Kansai region by well-connected public transit. Read more about the current dorm housing options (subject to change). 

We will do our best to accommodate requests, but room requests are subject to availability and if you accept a spot in program-arranged housing you need to be willing to accept any type of room in any program-arranged housing facility.

Independent housing: homestay

TU students, and non-Temple students with approval from their home institution, can opt to live with a local homestay family. Students will work directly with the homestay agency. Basic information about the homestay option:

  • A good option for flexible students who are interested in linguistic and cultural immersion.
  • Provides additional opportunities for language practice, as Japanese hosts do not necessarily speak English fluently.
  • Private room in a Japanese home.
  • Students can choose to include breakfast with their homestay, or breakfast and dinner.
  • Usually located in one of Kyoto's many residential areas, so you will get to know local neighborhoods that the casual tourist doesn't usually see.
  • Commute to campus varies, but averages 50-60 minutes by public transportation.
  • If you opt for a homestay, you need to provide your confirmed housing address to Education Abroad before the start of the program.

Independent housing: other

Temple students and non-Temple students with approval from your home institution, you may elect to arrange your own housing. If you opt for independent housing, you need to provide your confirmed housing address to Education Abroad before the start of the program.

Policies

For more detailed policies, please refer to your Temple study abroad portal. 

  • Program-arranged housing is not guaranteed to all participants, but we do our best to accommodate accepted students if they apply with a preference for program-housing or if their home school requires them to live in program-arranged housing. If you are offered a spot in housing, you have 2 weeks to submit the required deposit and accept the housing policies. 
  • Once confirmed in housing, there are likely to be financial consequences to withdrawing from housing, depending on the timeline. See our refund policies for more information. 
  • If you are requesting any accommodations for a disability that may affect your housing placement, please contact the program management team (program.manager@temple.edu) to discuss, as there are cultural differences related to accessibility abroad. Be sure to submit your accommodations letter from Temple or your home institution in the Temple study abroad portal early. 
  • Students confirmed in program-arranged housing get their address shortly before the program start date. 
  • We cannot accommodate requests to change into a different room type or dorm after housing has been assigned. 
Activities & Excursions

The Office of Student Services and Engagement (OSSE) in Kyoto organizes weekly engagement activities for students to explore Japanese culture outside of the classroom. In previous semesters, students have created masterpieces during ikebana and silk dyeing workshops, visited nearby onsen, and traveled on a multi-day trip to Nagasaki! The first week of the program is packed with welcome trips and social events, in addition to excursions throughout the program.

About the Temple Japan Architecture program

Expand the menu items below for more details about the Temple Japan Architecture program in Kyoto. 

Academic Program

Key Features

  • You will register for the following architecture classes:
    • A six-credit design studio course (ARCH 3233/8233 | Architecture Design Studio in Japan) provides the academic cornerstone for architecture students.  
    • An additional three-credit architecture seminar (ARCH 3242/8242 | Urban Seminar in Japan) is required for all architecture students. 
  • You will gain an understanding of the history and sources of Japanese architecture and urbanism and become conversant in contemporary thought and practice in Japanese architecture and urban planning. 
  • Kyoto itself will become your classroom, as you'll engage in frequent class trips in the city with your professors and guest lecturers. 
  • You will complement your study with rotating course offerings in various disciplines.
  • A typical course load is 12-18 credit hours. 
  • You're strongly encouraged to consider taking Japanese language and/or Asian Studies courses. 

Best term to study at Temple Japan

With a structured curriculum, architecture students often ask when they should attend Temple Japan. Below is a guide, but please contact Education Abroad if you have questions about the appropriate term for you.

Student BackgroundTerm to Study Abroad at Temple Japan
Temple architecture majorsTypically junior or senior year; master of architecture students may also participate.
Temple facilities management majorsYou may take the three-credit architecture seminar during your semester in Japan and should discuss the best timing with your academic advisor.
Non-Temple architecture majorsConsult with your home institution to determine the appropriate semester to study abroad.
Program Dates

Previous Program Dates*

 Spring 2025*
Departure from U.S.January 6
ArrivalJanuary 7
OrientationJanuary 7-11
Classes beginJanuary 14
Last day to add a course**January 20 (13:00 JST)
Last day to drop a courseJanuary 27 (13:00 JST)
Course withdraw deadline

April 14 (13:00 JST)

Last day of classes

April 14
Final examsApril 17-April 23
Last night in housingApril 25
Program concludesApril 26

*Accepted students: Refer to your Canvas page and documents in your online portal for important instructions prior to making travel arrangements.

**After the add/drop period, students may only add courses with approval of the Associate Dean.

Program participants are required to be present for the entire length of the program, from the official arrival date through the program end date.

Program Costs

Program Deposit

Students will pay a non-refundable program deposit of $400 within 2 weeks of acceptance to the program, or 2 weeks after the application deadline, whichever is earlier. This non-refundable deposit is credited to your program fees as a prepayment. 

Tuition and Fees

Temple students and non-Temple students are charged the non-matriculated student rate based on residency. For the 2025-26 academic year, PA residents are charged $9,804 and non-PA residents are charged $17,616 for a full-time courseload of 12-18 credits. *Non-Temple students: your program costs may vary depending on your home institution's billing model. Please check with your study abroad office about your school's billing policies.

All students pay the Japan Program Fee, estimated at $500.

Architecture students pay an additional program fee, estimated at $700, for supplies and instructional excursions.

If you are placed in program-arranged housing, you also pay the Japan Housing Fees, estimated at $4,200-4,600.

For complete details about billable costs and estimate for non-billable expenses, such as airfare, meals, and personal expenses, view the program cost sheet.

View detailed program costs.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Education Abroad offers competitive, need-based scholarships for this program. Learn more about scholarships and financial aid.

Eligibility Requirements

Temple programs are open to qualified students matriculated at any U.S. or Canadian college or university.

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following requirements.

Are enrolled fulltime and will have completed 2 semesters before studying abroad
  • You are enrolled as a full-time matriculated student at the time of application as well as during the semester prior to studying abroad.
  • You will have completed at least two (2) semesters of college-level study by the program start.
Are in good academic standing and meet minimum GPA requirement for the program

You meet minimum cumulative GPA requirement from all colleges/universities attended. As of May 2025, the GPA requirement for most programs is 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Exceptions include:

  • Rome Internships: 3.0
  • Exchange Programs: 2.75
  • External Programs: various, provider requirements may differ from Temple's

You remain in good academic standing from the time of application until the start of your term abroad; students on academic warning are not eligible to participate.

Have a valid passport

You will need a passport, valid well beyond the length of your program, by the application deadline.

View deadlines and validity requirements for your host country.

Are in good disciplinary standing

You must be in good disciplinary standing at the time of application and remain so through the start of your term abroad. Students who have been found responsible for a code of conduct violation and will not be in good disciplinary standing (including disciplinary probation) may submit a petition for review.

Meet the minimum age requirement

You are at least 18 years old at the time of application.

For Temple Japan Architecture, there are no additional eligibility requirements. 

Application Requirements

The standard application requirements pertain to all students applying to Temple programs.

    In addition, students who wish to enroll in the six-credit design course must submit a portfolio. Your portfolio should include ten to fifteen digital examples of studio work, combined in a single document portfolio. Your portfolio should include samples of work done from several semesters, including your most recent work. Within a separate document, you will also be asked to submit a list with a short, written description to identify each image or project. The list should include the nature of the design challenge, length of time in the studio, year and semester in which it was created, name of the critic, etc.

    Admissions Timeline

    Temple and non-Temple students may apply up to the standard application deadline. Application review will begin after the application deadline, not on a rolling admissions basis. After the application deadline, you should expect a decision within (2) weeks. 

    Additional application notes

    • If the program in Japan fills, you may be considered for the architecture program at Temple Rome. You will be asked to indicate if you would like to be considered for either term and location in the application.  
    • U.S. citizens studying in Japan for one semester or more will be required to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and Japanese student visa. Education Abroad will assist students who are accepted to the program with the visa application process. The visa process requires you to submit your actual passport along with supporting documents to the consulate for several weeks or more. We strongly discourage you from traveling outside of the U.S. between the program application deadline and the program start date. If you must travel before your program, please contact Education Abroad to discuss the feasibility of your plans.   

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