Experiential Learning in Cultural Psychology: Immersion in Japanese Culture

The backdrop of Japan’s rich cultural traditions, modern innovations, and unique social norms will help you learn more about how cultural contexts shape psychological processes. Whether it’s navigating daily life in Japan, communicating with locals, or observing how people interact in social settings, you’ll begin to understand how behavior and emotions are shaped by culture.

• Discover how Japanese values, traditions, language, and social norms shape the way people think, communicate, and relate to one another—deepening your cultural awareness and appreciation for diversity and multicultural perspectives.
• Travel to three cities in Japan – Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara City – to visit historic Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, enjoy local cuisine like ramen, sushi, and okonomiyaki, and explore Japanese art and history.
• Visit the world-renowned University of Tokyo, where you’ll explore how language and culture interact through a research project led by Dr. Yuki Hirose, a prominent scholar in psycholinguistics.
• Connect with University of Tokyo students through a fun cultural exchange activity—an opportunity to build international friendships, share perspectives, and experience student life in Japan firsthand.

No Japanese language is required - the program is taught in English.

During a Spring 2026 class in Rochester, you’ll learn about key aspects of Japanese life – religion, food, art, history, and cultural traditions to examine societal differences between the U.S. and Japan and prepare for your travel to Japan. Your 10 days in Japan begin in Tokyo with a home base in vibrant Ueno Park, a vibrant and energetic hub of activity. From there, you'll explore sites like the Ueno Toshogu Shrine, Tokyo National Museum, University of Tokyo, and the iconic Tsukiji Fish Market. Each activity is designed to connect directly to your coursework—for example, studying religious practices will help you engage respectfully at shrines while learning about local cuisine will deepen your appreciation for the food you'll taste along the way.

Next, you'll head to Kyoto, where you'll walk the Philosopher’s Path, take part in a traditional tea ceremony (kimono included!), and walk through the famous torii gates at Mount Inari. Your time in Japan wraps up in historic Nara City, where you’ll explore ancient temples, shrines and heritage sites. Just be sure to watch out for the hundreds of deer that casually roam the city! 

Course Term: Spring course at RIT, travel to Japan in early Summer
Travel Dates: May 11 to May 22, 2026
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• PSYC 242: Cultural Psychology (3 credits)
  Students will be enrolled in a spring 2026 course at RIT (Tuesdays 2:00-3:15 pm) and travel to Japan in early summer. 

Pre-req: PSYC 101 Intro to Psychology. No Japanese language required. Open to all undergraduate majors. Note: graduate students may apply; however, you would need to talk to your graduate advisor to see if you could take the course as an independent study.

Application Deadline: October 19, 2025

Eligibility:

• All undergraduate year levels may apply (priority will be given to 2nd year students and above)
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher (students with lower than a 2.5 GPA would be considered on a case-by-case basis). Students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher will be given priority.
• Have a clear conduct record with RIT
• Have no financial holds on your RIT eServices account at the time of your program acceptance/confirmation

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: A student budget worksheet outlining all program costs will be available here soon.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications for this program in RIT Study Abroad Compass will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need.

• Other scholarships: RIT Study Abroad Scholarships, National Study Abroad Scholarships

To Apply

1) Start an application in the Compass (RIT's study abroad application system)
Once you login to the Compass you will need to complete some profile/registration questions, then use the “Search Programs” tab to search for “Cultural Psychology” to complete an application.

2) Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Dr. Eleanor Chand-Matzke
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts
aecgsh@rit.edu

Dr. Tina Sutton
Professor, Department of Psychology
College of Liberal Arts
tmsgsh@rit.edu