Which University is better: TUJ or APU?

I can't decide what University to go to! I'm traveling in December to check out these schools... but i would like a better idea of what each one offers... does anyone have any tips, or helpful advice? Please Help!!

What is APU? And what kind of degree do you want? I got my master's in Education at TUJ, and I loved the program. It's small enough that you really feel like you belong, and the instructors are good and very caring. Almost everyone I know felt the same way.

I graduated from Ritsumeikan University the sister university of APU.
I have heard that APU had great number of foreign students there. 5:5(Japanese students: foregin students)

Also I really liked my university's faith- they are very progressive and supportive. Enough facilities and teachers to study.

I will be surprised at the brand-new school buildings.

Have a nice trip!!

I meant..

YOU will be surprised at the brand-new school buildings..
not "I".. Sorry!

Im a student of TUJ and i will tell you my honest opinion .... go to APU .The administation sucks. the dean the associate dean, and the head of the undergrad program are all xxxx. Many of my foreign friends who came to the university intending to graduate from the school chose to leave b/c they hated it.
One complaint is that the students on financial aid have constant issues with the bursar's office. One of my friend has not had his financial aid money sent to him by the school and he is constantly harassed by the bursar.
Another friend of mine had an issue with the administration.Her fater was having medical problems and because of his medical expenses she could not immediatly pay her tuition.she took out a loan to pay her tuition but the check was late . since she could not finish paying her tuition on time the school would not let her register eventhough they knew her situationand that the check was on its way. The head of the undergrad department actially had the balls to say to her that he thinks that she tried to use her fater's illness to pressure them into letting her into school for that semester. I remember how she cried so much after he accused her of something as dreadful as that....the Associate Dean told her that she had till the end of october to leave japan .as she was wrapping her business (wihin the timeframe given) to leave japan , the school reported her to immigration and then , she told me that the school put a visa hold on her academic records saying that she took to long to leave. and now she must go through a headache to get the hold removed and come back to school.
The teachers are pretty low quality as well. there are probably only 3 good teachers at they school...one of them is leaving after the summer semester. There is a joke among the students that TUJ is a'' training ground of teachers''. One of my friends had an issue with her teacher who accused her of plagerizing her paper WITHOUT EVEN CHECKING IT FIRST! when he finally did check it he found that it was not plagerized however he never apologized to her.
Also the administration pretty much killed the student government.about 2 semesters ago the student government had written its own constitution to replace the one that had been written by the Dean. the students voted on it and liked it however the Dean just struck it down. There are lots of other issues for example after you get to japan TUJ pretty much leaves you to figure out things on your own. the office of international students just brings you to japan but after that you are pretty much left to flounder. You must attempt to find foreigner friendly housing , figure out how to pay bills and the like. Their attitude is pretty much like ''go on! sink or swim''
Most international students move out of the dormitory (after their required one semester of living there) b/c it is ridiciously expensive. Also their was an issue in the new dormitory where the administration put up a sign that read ''TUJ students, we are watching you.''
I dont know anything about APU but all I know is that it cannot be worse than TUJ. If you want to spare yourself a headache DONT GO TO TUJ!!!!!

I agree with Yuniko. TUJ is a complete joke. you'll probably regret it if you go there. the admins are total a**holes. and hey treat TUJ as business rather than a school.Most of the foreign students that entered last fall and intended to stay have left TUJ because thay hated it a lot. Go to APU. Their tuition is expensive compared to Japanese Universities . That would be okay the only thing is you dont get that much for your money. If you want to save money and time dont go to TUJ

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thanks for sharing Yuniko TUJ sounds dreadful..im applying to APU

Don't rule out other universities like Keio and Waseda!

It may seem improbable, but if you do your research and try to find to right school to fit your needs, you can find yourself experiencing a real Japanese education at respected institution.

Some universities have exchange programs with certain schools in the US. If your school is not on the list, most will let you on as an "Independent."

Waseda's SILS allows for a year of study abroad. Also, most classes are held in English.

With schools like Keio and Sophia, you have the option of participating in intensive Japanese courses to advance your knowledge of not only the language, but the culture as well.

As a graduate of TUJ, I would recommend it to anyone. I don't believe the two negative posts on this site.

TUJ is the Japan campus of the 28th largest university in America, and you get an American degree while studying in English in Tokyo. Why go to APU when you can enjoy Tokyo every day and night. Also, American degrees are recognized everywhere. I don't think that is true for Japanese colleges.

The student body is very international, and you make a lot of great friends. I believe it is a 50/50 split between Japanese and non-Japanese right now. The teachers are extremely friendly and accessible. The admin is very accessible and helpful. The class sizes are relatively small, and the classes are really engaging. Unlike a Japanese university where you only listen to a lecture, TUJ classes are more interactive. Career services is great too! You really should check the University out.

Thanks Will - I hope you're right. I found out about TUJ yesterday and it seems like a great opportunity. I lived in Japan before so the "sink or swim" attitude wouldn't bother me.

Does anyone else care to share their experiences with TUJ.

is it pretty easy to get accepted?

I've meet afew people who are going to tuj right now and some who are planning to go to tuj. From what I've heard it's not as awful as some peopel claim it to be . there doing that to miss lead you and to have you want to go to some other school. plus do your own reasearch and find out some stuff about the school your self and base your descision on that.

Yukino is 100% correct. I am now starting my second year at TUJ. The school is a lot closer to a high school rather than an University.

I have had multiple friends have problems with Temple in just about every way possible. So many plan to graduate but then they realize just how bad Temple is and either head back for the States or transfer to another college in Japan. A lot of students say the only good thing about Temple is the Visa. It gets your foot into Japan.

Some professors are really qualified and professional while others are just terrible. The English and Japanese programs are just about one of the biggest jokes around. I had a friend who had to withdraw from his Japanese class because he ended up being late to his Mid-term because of a suicide on the train. He had the proper note and excuse but the professor gave him a 0 and said 'shoganai'.

TUJ does have potential to become a good school but it needs to listen to its students and get some better professors. As stated earlier, Temple is more interested in the business side of making money than its students.

PS - Will sounds like someone from Administration...wouldnt surprise me.

TUJ is:
- very expensive for a very small school (half of both small buildings are occupied by companies.)
- overall bad teachers, but there are a few nice, good ones as well.
- horrible administration and the like
- really focuses on making money and not providing a good education
- many students are tricked into taking classes they don't need to take
- many students have to stay an extra semester or 2 just because the required class was not available or didn't EXIST yet... (this is not a joke)
- There are some friendly, helpful people working at TUJ as well, but i question their sincerity. They especially seem to be nice when you need to do something that will give them more money (like visa extensions).
- very bad career opportunities; there are just a handful of companies that regularly hire TUJ graduates, most Japanese people and companies don't know the school at all and the few that do know it consider it a very bad school. (and I've checked with a lot of companies and people)


Most international freshmen students said they picked TUJ just because there were seminars given at their high schools back home and/or they didn't know of any other university in Japan that teaches in English OR they were not accepted to better English universities in Japan. A lot of Americans are ex-army from bases in Japan and go to TUJ for free with the GI-bill and because they figured an American university would be a safe choice (plus the not being aware of other English universities thing)

Transfer students often just wanted to experience Japan for a while and TUJ has a bigger marketing budget. Most said they stayed because they just wanted to get their degree and get away from there as fast as possible without risking losing many of their credits when they would transfer in their final year(s).

Don't relate TUJ to the main campus in America; students who have studied at both campuses said main campus, although not perfect, was way better in every single aspect than TUJ. If you graduate, you will get a degree that is recognized by both the Japanese and American government, though. TUJ websites are run according to the local time at the main campus and that means that you can't access some features during normal Japan hours. If you made the smart decision to transfer or you survived until graduation and want an official transcript, you are required to order it through the main campus and will be charged huge fees for international shipping.

I've got more slightly positive opinions from Japanese students, because for them it seems a good way to move to Japan and work for an American company. HOWEVER, i have not heard any student say they were happy with studying at TUJ. Some said it was okay (because the classes are easy so you can just play around a lot all the time) but nobody said they enjoyed it. And i have asked dozens of students from all sorts of backgrounds and nationalities.

I have studied at TUJ for a year because I didn't get into a better school, but now I've finally transferred to a much, much better school.
Everyone I know there is trying to find a way to get out of there as fast as possible.
Oh and did I mention how expensive TUJ was already?!

Seriously, go to an actual university, not this gold-digger of an organization.

The Japanese language problem is really, really bad. The highest Japanese language class they had resembled the lower intermediate class of my Japanese language school.
That TUJ class can only be taken after completing 5 semesters if you are a total beginner, but if you have some Japanese language skills you might be able to enter that class faster by taking a placement test. In comparison, the lower intermediate class of the Japanese language school I mentioned before, starts after about 3 months (for complete novices).
Of course you'll learn faster at a dedicated language school, but that TUJ class is their HIGHEST class... all that's left after that is independent studying. And all the students who have been taking Japanese classes at TUJ still can't hold down a daily conversation after years of studying...

After reading all of these answers I'm still on the fence about Temple. I'm going there in the fall so I guess i see its true face then but from my perspective when previous comments focus on TUJ being more of a business it makes sense because they assume most students are just in it for a fun semester in Japan which would also explain why there are as some would put it few good professors.

I was accepted to TUJ, but I did not go. So I can't tell you what the actual school is like. But I will say this: They are not financial aid student friendly. I did everything that was asked of me, I sent in fees for applications, contacted all the right people, filled out all the right paperwork, and then they told me I'd need to pay upwards of $15,000 before I was allowed to apply for my visa. This was 3 months before the start of the semester. They had repeatedly mentioned an advance payment before that, but I was never told the exact amount. By the time I received the bill, there was no way to get a loan sufficient to cover the cost. Not with the financial crisis. On top of it all, my sister was diagnosed with cancer around the same time. The reaction from the people at TUJ? Basically amounted to an "oh well" and a shrug. There was no effort made to work with me. No other options. Either I produced this massive sum of money right away or I would not be allowed to attend.

In the end I lost $200 from application fees, but what's done is done. I don't regret not going. I regret missing out on the chance to live in Japan for a while--I've been there several times and I have always wanted to stay longer. But I think, if their casual disregard is any indication, I dodged a very expensive bullet. I realize it's a privilege to attend a school in another country, but this isn't just a business transaction. They need students at their university, there has to be some level of respect, even when the prospective student can't pull tens of thousands of dollars out of nowhere on demand.

I don't have any experience with either school, but there are quite a few points that the last poster made that I don't think are issues specific to TUJ, rather they apply to the industry as a whole and people should be aware of them before applying to international school in Japan.

They had repeatedly mentioned an advance payment before that, but I was never told the exact amount.

Both TUJ and APU (and IUJ as well) publish their fees on their webites. TUJ puts it in a simplified estimated cost per year, as well as a list of a breakdown of the specific fees:

http://www.tuj.ac.jp/newsite/main/undergrad/admissions/procedures/cost...

http://admissions.apu.ac.jp/costs_scholarships/enrollment.html

http://gsir.iuj.ac.jp/admission/finance.html

By the time I received the bill, there was no way to get a loan sufficient to cover the cost. Not with the financial crisis. On top of it all, my sister was diagnosed with cancer around the same time. The reaction from the people at TUJ? Basically amounted to an "oh well" and a shrug. There was no effort made to work with me. No other options. Either I produced this massive sum of money right away or I would not be allowed to attend.

College is decidedly expensive, and APU for example encourages applicants to consider the costs before even applying. Don't wait until the last minute to work out your finances. Advance payment is an industry standard policy that is also clearly outlined on their sites. Also, payment plans don't seem to be available at any of the major institutions.

http://www.tuj.ac.jp/newsite/main/undergrad/admissions/visa_applicatio...

http://admissions.apu.ac.jp/apply/successful.html

While, I think it would be feasible for them to set up payment plans for prospective students, I suspect that their advance payment policy serves mostly to protect the schools from the majority of student visa abuses.

Sorry, you're wrong. As you will notice if you go and look at those links, none of them mention the exact amount of the advance payment. I'm not using that as a vague term to describe application fees and tuition. I'm talking about a specific amount that was repeatedly mentioned and not disclosed until shortly before the start of the semester. If you think I'm just complaining because I was asked to pay normal fees and I balked, I'm happy to share the official emails that were sent to me.

This isn't about cost. It's about an attitude toward a specific type of student they claim to welcome to their campus.

And really, college is expensive? You don't say! I didn't know because I must just be an irresponsible idiot. For the record, I didn't wait until the last minute to get my finances in order, but I appreciate your assumptions about how I conduct my life. I can't get financing in order for something when I don't know how much it's going to be. Should I go to a loan company and say "I have no idea if I'm going to need around X amount, or if it's going to be ten thousand dollars more. Just give me some cash and I'll figure it out, okay?" Do you think, in a position where I need assistance with college, that I can just get whatever loan amount I feel like?

Your attitude is exactly the problem here. That somehow just planning for something to work out makes it happen. If they're going to wait until right before the start of the semester to tell people what this large sum of money is, they're not realistically expecting that students who rely on financial aid can pay it. Not in an economic slump, not with such short notice. Not even under normal circumstances, considering the average time it takes to complete a loan process.

Stop trying to excuse TUJ for their ridiculous treatment of students who don't fit the ideal profile by blaming it on "industry standards" that do NOT apply to every school. We get it, you loooove TUJ. Clearly, that's not the experience of everyone here, and I doubt you're much more of an authority than they are.

I currently study at APU and am really impressed with it. The facilities, environment and staff are all awesome. The only down side I can think of is the fact that it is located on top of a mountain, which soon becomes very tedious.
Beppu itself is very small as well and very different from other cities I have been to in Japan; almost to the extent that it doesn't really "Feel" as if am actually living in Japan.
If money is an issue then you will find the APU scholarships extremely helpful as they are not only very generous about giving it out, but tend to give very high percentages too (Usually between 60% to 100%).
I really enjoy the international aspect of the university and have learnt a great deal about not only Japanese culture but also a great deal about Korean and Chinese ones as well.
I'm unsure about the setup at other Japanese universities but at APU, they have an extremely good recruitment system with an extremely high graduate employment rate, if you have an interest about starting a career in Japan. To this end they teach advanced business Japanese courses as well which goes way beyond the standard Japanese JLPT1 level too.

While my opinion is obviously biased, I can say that many people here really enjoy it and have formed great friendships.