Summer M.A. Program in Japanese Pedagogy

Has it been your dream to teach the Japanese language to others?  The Summer M.A. Program in Japanese Pedagogy at Columbia University may be perfect for you!

Columbia University is a world-renowned Ivy League university in the heart of New York City, and the Summer M.A. Program in Japanese Pedagogy is an extremely competitive program, attracting the best students and professors from around the world. Over a typical three-year period, students learn from professors from Columbia, Harvard, and other top universities in America, Japan, Europe, and Australia. The M.A. program is limited to no more than thirty total students and accepts only ten to twelve students each year.

Live in New York and take classes each summer for three years, and you can earn your master’s degree in Japanese Pedagogy. You will learn about the Japanese language and about teaching and acquiring foreign languages, and at the same time, you will gain a highly marketable master’s degree from one of the world’s best universities. Apply today to the Summer M.A. Program in Japanese Pedagogy at Columbia University!

Admissions Information (GSAS, Graduate School of Arts and Science)

2026 Program Information

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures) invites applications for the summer M.A. program in Japanese Pedagogy. The 2026 program will begin on Monday, June 1st, and last until Friday, July 31st, during which the following courses will be taught:

  • Three-week Pedagogy Course (6/01-6/18):
    • Elementary Japanese Pedagogy: Prof. Naomi Fujita Geyer of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Dr. Fumiko Nazikian of Columbia University
       
  • 3 MA Courses (6/22-7/31):
    • Pedagogical Linguistics I (Syntax): Prof. Wesley Jacobsen of Harvard University
    • Pedagogical Linguistics II (Semantics): Prof. Yasuhiro Shirai of Case Western Reserve University
    • Pedagogical Linguistics III (Phonetics, Phonology, and Morphology): Prof. Manami Hirayama of the University of Tokyo
       

Tuition is reviewed on a yearly basis; the tuition for 2026 will be finalized in March 2026. Students who have previously taken Elementary Japanese Pedagogy at Columbia University may transfer those three credits and are exempt from attending the first three weeks of class. In addition, non-degree students who wish to attend only the 3-week Japanese Pedagogy course may do so at a reduced rate. On-campus housing is available.

The application deadline is February 19, 2026. Under certain circumstances, some documents may be accepted after the deadline. If the deadline has passed, please contact Mr. Shigeru Eguchi.

Successful applicants will be notified by the middle of March. We look forward to receiving your application and hope to see you in New York this summer!

Frequently Asked Questions 

Obtaining the M.A. degree in Japanese Pedagogy requires three summers of study, which can be completed either consecutively or over a maximum period of six-years. Students must complete a total of 36 credits, consisting of eleven courses and an M.A. thesis focusing on a particular area of Japanese Pedagogy. The Japanese Pedagogy Program does not accept credits from other institutions. Students not seeking an M.A. degree are also welcome to attend classes.

  1. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences online application
  2. Non-refundable application fee
  3. Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
  4. Two letters of recommendation
  5. Resume
  6. One-page handwritten statement in Japanese on a single sheet of plain paper, outlining the applicant’s reasons for applying to the program and how the program is connected to the applicant’s career objectives. The statement should be clear whether the applicant seeks to enroll in the M.A. program or solely in the Elementary Japanese Pedagogy course. Because of limited space in the M.A. program, some students who are not selected for the M.A. program may be invited to attend the Elementary Japanese Pedagogy course only. Please also mention whether you would be willing to attend only the Elementary Japanese Pedagogy course if you are not selected for the M.A. Program.

  • Non-native speakers of English must have a TOEFL score of 570 (IBT88/CBT230) or higher.

    Exceptions:

    • Students applying only for the Elementary Japanese Pedagogy course do not need a TOEFL score.
    • Non-native English speakers who hold a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college in the United States do not need a TOEFL score. However, students who have only a two-year degree (such as an M.A.) from an American university are NOT exempt from submitting
      a TOEFL score.
       
  • Non-native speakers of Japanese must achieve a rating of “Advanced High” or higher in the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) by ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).