This flagship campus of the University of Hawaii system is located just minutes outside of downtown Honolulu. It offers a BA in Japanese through its College of Languages, Linguistics & Literature. In addition to study abroad enrichment, the University also offers the Ehime Prefectural International Center (EPIC) internship, which allows two students to enjoy fully-compensated round trip air travel, a living stipend and housing for three months in Ehime, Japan.
The University of Montana began offering an undergraduate major in Japanese in 1992 in its Modern Classical Languages & Literatures department. This university is located in the town of Missoula, Montana. It has partnerships with Kumamoto Gakuen University, Sophia University and Tokyo University in Tokyo, Japan for yearlong study abroad education.
Alaska's flagship university, the University of Alaska Fairbanks was established in 1935 and has approximately 10,446 enrolled students as of February 2011. Its Japanese program develops literacy through reading, writing, listening and speaking. The intensive curriculum also develops cultural awareness and competency.
With 23,500 students, Middlebury College is one of the larger institutions that offer a degree in Japanese. Through their Summer Japanese School, students have an extra semester to advance their studies. Once in their junior year, Japanese majors spend a year abroad at the C.V. Starr Middlebury School in Tokyo, Japan.
Wellesley College, located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, was founded in 1875. One of the top four among liberal colleges for ethnic diversity, according to "US News & World Report," Wellesley offers a Japanese major through its Department of East Asian Languages & Literature. Students' education is augmented through Japanese clubs, special contests and abroad study.
Macalester College is a top ranked liberal arts college, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with a small student body of 1,987 students. It is one of only 70 colleges in the United States that meets full first year financial needs for admitted students. Japanese majors are encouraged to apply to reside in the Japan House, where they are exposed to native Japanese activities, cooking, language and culture.
Located in Forest Grove, Oregon, Pacific University has a history that dates back to its founding in 1849. The Japanese studies program includes a mandatory year abroad where students have the opportunity to enhance their studies through partnerships with Kansai University in Hirakata, Nagoya Gakuin University or Nanzan University in Nagoya, or Saga University in Saga, Japan. Pacific University also hosts Japanese exchange students who live on campus, giving Japanese majors first hand insight of the language and culture.
Established in 1932 and situated in Bennington, Vermont, this liberal arts college is ideal if you seek a close community environment with small ratio class size. As of February 2011, Bennington has an enrollment of 811 students on a 470 acre campus. This college offers a BA in Japanese with a focus on study abroad programs and fieldwork.