GC/SI Minor:
SI (Social Innovation) Course

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

For the SI (Social Innovation) Course completion qualification, all four conditions listed below must be met. Please complete the registration on your own within the certification application period set for each semester.

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  Earn the credits for all 5 classes from the group of subjects to gain “systematic knowledge,” and the credits for the “Introduction to Social Innovation Course.”

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  Earn the credits for all 4 classes from the group of subjects to acquire “skills.”

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  Earn the credits for “International Collaborative Workshop.”

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  Complete SIGLOC (educational program) in Japan, the United States, or online.

FAQ

• Can I take the SI Course with my other minor(s)?

  Yes, you can.  Please arrange your own timetable.

• Can graduate students also take classes offered in the SI Course?

  You can participate in SIGLOC, but you cannot receive credits for the SI Course or apply for the certificate of completion.

• Is the SI course a one-year program? When can I take the course?

  This course has NO duration.  Also, NO pre-registration is required. Please apply for a certificate of course completion after fulfilling the SI completion requirements. 

• I would like to take an SI course, should I take it in the 1st or the 2nd year of my undergraduate course?

  You can start at any time.  It depends on your timetable and study plan, so it cannot be said unconditionally.  As a standard course model for SI courses, it is assumed that you will earn the required credits over a period of approximately two years.   Please take the courses systematically in light of the curriculum, including the course status (starting date and timetable) of the prescribed courses and the CAP system of your faculty. 

• I want to know the specific start date and time of the first term (deadline for submitting assignments for online lectures, examination schedule, etc.) intensive lecture "Introduction to Social Innovation Course", regarding the completed subjects of the SI course.

  ・ Please check the website for the period of “Introduction to Social Innovation Course” (intensive / remote).  The timeframe is planned to be 3 classes a day between the 1st and 4th periods. ・ The deadline for submission of the assignments is basically scheduled during the class hours (however, since this is an on-demand intensive lecture, it may change depending on the situation). ・ The exam will be conducted online during the class hours. Details will be announced on the Web Class by the instructor, as soon as they are decided. Please, in general reserve study time during the week of intensive lectures. 

• Are the required subjects in the SI course counted as general education subjects and are there any restrictions? If so, I will not be able to take the courses I really need ...

  The restrictions of the system for registration varies depending on the faculty.  If you cannot take the compulsory undergraduate courses and the university-wide common education courses (SI course) at the same time, give priority to the compulsory undergraduate courses. The SI course can be taken over several years, so please take a certain period of time (in some cases, several years) within the limits and take it systematically. 

• I would like to take SIGLOC intensively in the second semester. I’m supposed to take a set with Field Research, but what if there is no Field Research in the second semester?

  SIGLOC in September (intensive, first semester) is the only course that must be taken together with Field Research. You can take SIGLOCs in August (intensive, first semester) and in March (intensive, second semester) independently.

• I want to know more about the SI Course.

  An introduction video and a leaflet about the “Social Innovation Course (SI Course) is available.

  Introduction Video → Click (YouTube)

  Explanatory Video → Click (YouTube)

  Leaflet → Click (only in Japanese)

• Is it possible for a student from a non-partner university to participate in SIGLOC?

  Yes! Any university/college students from overseas are greatly welcome, regardless of the partner or non-partner schools of Osaka City University.

• I am a Japanese who is studying at a university overseas. Is it possible to participate in the SIGLOC-online program?

  Of course, we welcome your application. If you are a full time student in a foreign university, you can participate in SIGLOC-online regardless of nationality. 

• What level of English language proficiency is required to participate in SIGLOC?

  You will communicate with overseas students only in English during the program, so practical English skills are required.

• How much does SIGLOC (educational trip) cost?

  The airfare and transportation to the venue, the accommodation and food expenses are at your own expense. You will also need about 30,000 yen (around US$300) for other necessities, including transportation and communication expenses during the SIGLOC period. Scholarships may be provided.

  For SIGLOC-online, the costs mentioned above are not incurred, but communication expenses (e.g., Internet connection) are at your own expense.

• SIGLOC-online means that most activities are done asynchronously, but how often do I work synchronously?

  Regarding the ratio of “asynchronous / synchronous”, the task itself is mainly asynchronous work.  When you need to have a direct discussion with the members, you are going to coordinate the schedule with each other because there is a time difference with overseas students.

  Therefore, at this stage, we cannot give a clear answer as to when and how much you are going to work synchronously.  However, if one task is not completed, it will affect the other members’ task efforts.  It is recommended that you work on your own tasks (research, comment on member survey results, answer questions from members, etc.) in a timely manner according to a set schedule.

  SIGLOC is a program where voluntary efforts are the most important and it requires time to work on the task. If you can set up a reasonable schedule yourself, why not try.

• How long do I have to work on SIGLOC-online per day?

  We plan to work an average of about 6 hours a day in case of 2-week program.   Please consider that on some days the work will be completed in about 4 hours and some days will take 8 to 10 hours. There are variations depending on the content of the assignment on that day and each group works under their own work schedule with students from other countries.

  For examples of the past SIGLOCs, please see the SIGLOC page. → Click

• In the SIGLOC application form, which GPA score should we fill in? Is it the cumulative one or only the last semester one?

  The updated cumulative GPA including the grade of the most recent semester is preferable. If the result of the most recent semester is not yet available, you can submit a cumulative GPA up to the previous semester.

• Is it possible to receive a certificate of completion in a hard copy after finishing the SIGLOC?

  We will issue a certificate of completion on the electronic basis with free of charge.

  It is possible to send a printed version of the certificate upon request. In that case, the shipping fee will be borne by the recipient. 

• I would like to know about the classes that the COIL Promotion Office offers at OCU?

  Please click HERE for the classes that the COIL Promotion Office offers at OCU.

  COIL Promotion Office also offers COIL-type of classes in collaboration with other overseas universities. Please, click HERE to see the full list of COIL-type of classes at OCU.

• What kind of classes are offered for the Long-term Exchange Study Abroad Program?

  Please click HERE for the classes offered for the Long-term Exchange Study Abroad Program.