Ritsumeikan APU Sustainability & Tourism Bachelor: Shape SDG-Aligned Travel on Kyushu’s Global Campus

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University’s brand‑new College of Sustainability and Tourism (ST) invites you to study in the coastal spa town of Beppu, Kyushu—a place where clouds of geothermal steam float above cedar‑covered hills and the Pacific sparkles just beyond campus. Here you will join a community in which Japanese and international students share classrooms, dorms and the city’s iconic hot‑spring baths, all while addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through coursework, research and service. If you are searching for a bachelor’s program that blends environmental science, responsible business, and intercultural communication—taught in both English and Japanese—APU’s ST may be your perfect landing spot. From day one you will be encouraged to propose solutions for real‑world problems such as plastic waste drifting into Beppu Bay or balancing overtourism with heritage protection in Kyoto. The university consistently ranks among the top private institutions in Japan for internationalization, earning praise from Times Higher Education for its strong global outlook. That reputation matters when you apply for internships or master’s programs abroad: recruiters instantly recognize APU’s name as a pioneer in cross‑cultural education and sustainable development.

A Truly Global Campus in the Heart of Kyushu

Where the World Meets Beppu

Few universities can match APU’s diversity. Since opening its doors in 2000 the university has pursued the “Three 50s”: a student body that is 50 percent international, representation from at least 50 countries and regions, and a faculty that is 50 percent non‑Japanese. Those benchmarks are not slogans—they are audited targets that APU has met for more than a decade, as documented in its Accreditation Report, creating one of the most multicultural campuses in the Asia‑Pacific. In 2024 the student roll featured 6,000 undergraduates representing 110 nationalities, while faculty hail from every inhabited continent. English and Japanese are official languages for all services, lectures and signage, so you can improve bilingual skills simply by walking across the lawn between periods. Beppu’s friendly community, affordable cost of living (average rent around 40,000 JPY per month) and endless onsen make it easy to settle in. Whether you are debating carbon offsets in seminar, joining a festival dance troupe, or slurping halal ramen at the cafeteria, the conversations you have will span continents and disciplines, giving you a natural network long before graduation.

Curriculum Built Around the SDGs

Four Pillars, Nine Pathways

ST’s curriculum is the first in Japan to put the word “sustainability” in a college name, and the design is as bold as the title. Coursework revolves around four pillars—Environment, Society, Economy and Culture—helping you tackle climate change and social inequality without losing sight of financial viability or local heritage. The complete course list is available on the official curriculum page. Nine specialization clusters let you build your own pathway. Fancy statistics? Choose ‘Circular Economy Analytics.’ Love storytelling? Try ‘Eco‑Tourism Marketing.’ Prefer policy work? ‘Community Development and Resilience’ may be the path. Every lecture is paired with workshop‑style practicums: measuring carbon footprints of hotel laundries, redesigning waste sorting at a nearby shrine, or creating cultural interpretation panels for onsen tourism in multiple languages. Guest faculty include UNWTO officials and social entrepreneurs, ensuring you learn current industry standards. By sophomore year you can join a professor’s lab as a paid research assistant and publish in APU’s peer‑reviewed Asia Pacific Tourism Studies journal, giving you a résumé line before your first internship.

Hands‑On Learning That Travels

Fieldwork, Double Degrees & Internships

Learning rarely stays inside the classroom. In 2024 ST students co‑created the “New Tourism Hub”, a problem‑solving studio that helped Oita Prefecture draft decarbonized visitor itineraries based on real CO₂ accounting data. Another highlight is the double‑degree track with Salzburg University of Applied Sciences (SUAS) in Austria: two years in Beppu followed by two in Salzburg studying Innovation and Management in Tourism. More details can be found on the program overview page. The pathway includes a six‑week professional internship and dual diplomas recognized across the EU and Japan. Field programs take you further afield: a one‑month sustainable agro‑tourism practicum in Bali, a winter field study in Hokkaido examining Indigenous Ainu tourism, and weekend startup boot camps where you prototype carbon‑negative tour packages with local entrepreneurs. Faculty mentors stay involved, writing recommendation letters and connecting students to paid positions with resorts, NGOs and city halls. By graduation most ST majors have clocked 600 hours of fieldwork—double the national average for Japanese tourism programs—giving you the confidence to pitch solutions from day one on the job.

Life Outside the Classroom

Clubs, Community & Hot Springs

Outside academics you will find more than 100 student organizations—from the APU Tourism Lab to the Latin Dance Crew—plus weekly language exchange tables in the atrium. Surveys show that 90 percent of domestic students plan to study abroad at least once, and half of international students aim to pick up a third language before graduating, so peer motivation is high. Campus services are equally robust: free Japanese lessons, a 24‑hour multicultural counseling center, and an SDG Incubation Fund that awards mini‑grants (up to 100,000 JPY) to student‑led sustainability projects. Weekend life often means grabbing a bicycle to explore volcanic hiking trails, volunteering at a local farmers’ market, or steaming your lunch in a communal hot‑spring “jigoku mushi” oven. Such activities do not just build memories—they reinforce classroom concepts of resource cycles and community well‑being. Graduates leverage this holistic experience to land roles at the Japan National Tourism Organization, UNWTO regional offices, and impact‑investment firms across Asia, Europe and North America.

Admissions, Tuition & Scholarships

Costs, Deadlines & Support

Application deadlines fall in November and March, with online interviews available for most regions so you do not have to fly to Japan before receiving an offer. Tuition for the first semester is 650,000 JPY, and annual costs range from about 1,300,000 JPY down to 0 JPY depending on the APU Tuition Reduction Scholarship (30–100 percent). Additional external aid such as the JASSO monthly stipend (48,000 JPY) can cover living expenses, while a limited number of honors students receive one‑time relocation grants of 100,000 JPY from Beppu City. All documents can be submitted digitally, and the Admissions Office runs monthly webinars to walk you through writing your ‘Why ST?’ essay and preparing financial proof for your COE (Certificate of Eligibility). With rolling admissions and generous scholarships, APU lowers the barriers so you can focus on shaping a sustainable tourism future.

Scholarship %	Annual Tuition Paid (JPY)
0%	1,300,000
30%	910,000
50%	650,000
65%	455,000
80%	260,000
100%	0