Why does ICU hold matriculation ceremonies in April and September and commencement ceremonies in March and June?

ICU is a university that has opened its doors to the world. It accepts all students equally and without distinction, including domestic Japanese students, international students, and returnee students, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or nationality. To achieve this, since 1955, ICU has always welcomed students who studied in the Japanese education system in April and those who studied abroad in September, and held commencement ceremonies for these respective cohorts in March and June.

However, as diversity has increased, more students entering in April require Japanese language study, and a growing number of September enrollees need to improve their English language skills. Therefore, ICU has introduced admission systems that will allow students to choose to enter in either April or September, depending on their linguistic and educational background.

To ensure that students are able to take the same classes no matter when they enroll, ICU's academic year is divided into three terms―April-August, September-November, and December-March. Each of these terms is independent of the others and courses are completed in a single term.