Osaka Summer Program

Why study in Japan?

Japan’s blend of tradition and innovation makes it an ideal location for studying law. As a crucial economic and political ally of the United States, Japan offers valuable insights into global legal practices. You’ll explore the similarities and differences between American and Japanese constitutional law, enriching your understanding and preparing you for a globalized legal environment. Additionally, Japan’s safety, hospitality, and fascinating culture make it a welcoming destination for all students.

Location

The course will be taught at Osaka University, in the Graduate School of Law and Politics and the Faculty of Law, in the Toyonaka Campus.

Content

The course will be Comparative Constitutional Law: Rights. It is a seminar that explores how different rights are enshrined, interpreted, and enforced in different constitutional systems. It will be limited to examining a few specific rights, with an emphasis on the systems of the United States, Canada, Japan, and the European Union.

Structure

The course will be taught over a three-week period, four days a week, for approximately three and a half hours a day in the mornings, leaving time in the afternoons for both exploration and preparation for next day's classes. Fridays will be left free for field trips and class expeditions. Undergraduate and graduate students from Osaka University will also be participating in the classes, providing the opportunity for a true exchange of different views on constitutional law, but they will be assessed separately.

Schedule

The course will be conducted from June 8-June 26. Students will be aiming to arrive in Osaka on June 5 or June 6, with classes beginning June 8. A final exam will be conducted on Friday, June 26, with a day off to prepare on June 25. Students can plan to leave any time between June 26-June 30. In 2018, some students went on to travel within Japan, or elsewhere in Asia, before returning to the United States.

Assessment

The course is a graded three credit course, which will be assessed based on a final three hour exam.

Tuition and Expenses

Tuition for the three credit course is the same as other summer courses offered at Washburn Law. Additional expenses will include airfare, housing in Osaka, food and other incidentals. Virtually all of these expenses are eligible for financial aid.

Scholarships

Washburn University provides scholarship awards to Washburn Law students to defray costs of study abroad programs. However, students must apply by March 1 to ensure consideration for a WU International Programs scholarship.

Financial Aid

Financial aid applies to law credits earned through accredited study abroad programs. For summer study abroad, we strongly recommend that you begin the process by the end of February.

Summer financial aid awards typically do not arrive until three or more weeks into the program. To ensure that students are funded on time, Washburn University makes bridge loans available to law students, which are then automatically paid when the student's financial aid award is disbursed.

Admissions and Enrollment

Washburn Law's Osaka Japan Study Abroad Programs is only open Washburn Law Students. Current students can find more information about the application process on the school's intranet.

Explore Osaka with Washburn Law