Japanese is one of the most popular languages among USC students. As soon as they start Japanese I, students begin to recognize the words familiar from anime, games, J-pop and restaurant menus. Advancing to the higher levels enables practical fluency, which can bring further opportunities for students who major in engineering, business, interactive media, architecture and many other subjects.
Many USC alumni have been hired by the Japanese government through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program before advancing to graduate schools or starting their career. A number of our alumni are successfully working in Japan in the fields of academia, game production, finance, pharmaceuticals, consulting, entertainment, etc. Japan is full of opportunities for young entrepreneurs, too. There are also numerous job opportunities in Los Angeles, the home to the largest Japanese community in the U.S. More than100 Japanese companies come to the annual career forums in the U.S. to recruit Japanese-English speakers.
Scholarships are available to support study abroad in Japan, and USC students have received competitive and prestigious scholarships such as the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship, the Boren Scholarships, the Bridging Scholarships and the Japanese government’s MEXT Scholarship.
Study Abroad
Japan-Nagoya (Nanzan University)
Nanzan University is located near the center of Nagoya and has about 9,000 undergraduate students. Its Center for Japanese Studies is well known for its excellent language training program and attracts students from all over the world who want to immerse themselves in Japanese language and area studies.
Japan- Tokyo (Sophia University).
Sophia University is a top-ranked Japanese university, with about 10,000 students, and is conveniently located in west-central Tokyo. Students can experience life in Tokyo and take courses alongside Japanese students and other international students. Students are enrolled in Sophia’s Faculty of Liberal Arts, where about 75% of the students are Japanese. Study abroad students take Japanese language courses as well as English-taught courses in Asian Studies. CIEE has a study center next to campus that provides full support to students while studying at Sophia University.
Japan- Tokyo (Tokyo International University)
Study abroad students take classes in TIU’s Japan Studies Program. Visiting students have ample opportunity to mix with local students, as the campus is fairly small, with around 6,000 students. With a population of over 300,000, Kawagoe allows students enjoy a smaller scale city and slightly slower pace while having easy access to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.
Japan- Tokyo (Waseda University)
Waseda University is one of Japan’s best universities with approximately 47,000 undergraduate students. The one-year study abroad program is based in Waseda’s School of International Liberal Studies (SILS), a four-year liberal arts college where all classes are conducted in English. At SILS, study abroad students take classes alongside Japanese students. Waseda is known for its liberal climate symbolized by its motto Independence of Learning.
Questions or Concerns?
For more information, please contact the Japanese Program Director, Yuka Kumagai, at kumagai@usc.edu