For students looking for longer term study abroad options during the academic year, UWM offers a number of options with partner institutions in Japan. These options offer a wide range of educational, language, and physical environments. There is a choice to fit everyone’s goals:
Chiba University
Located near Tokyo, Chiba University has approximately 11,300 undergraduates and 3,400 graduate students. This is an immersion program, and UWM students opting for only the fall semester at Chiba will not be able to return to Milwaukee in time for spring semester at UWM. One option for students who can only spend on semester in Japan is to finish up their degree while abroad.
Hosei University
Hosei University is set in the heart of Tokyo and originally began as a private school (Tokyo Hougakusha) in 1880 against the backdrop of a growing movement for individual freedom and human rights. The School was established to educate individuals inn the ideals of A Free Academic Society and a Climate of Initiative, i.e. the introduction of liberal progressive education and research development befitting the forming of a modern Japanese society, came the founding principles of Freedom and Progress.
Japan Center for Michigan Universities
JCMU is located on the shores of Lake Biwa in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture. Hikone is a rural town of about 100,000 people located 45 minutes from the closest metropolitan area. It is a friendly and scenic locale and has few people who speak English. However, it has limited shopping and little nightlife. Students will be in class primarily with other U.S.-based students and will be expected to uphold U.S. university standards while also following Japanese expectations of attendance, behavior, and punctuality.
Nanzan University
Nanzan is located in the rolling hills overlooking metropolitan Nagoya, a leading metropolis of international trade, industry, and culture and home to over 7 million people. UWM students take classes at the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) and experience the “real Japan” together with a wide cross-section of people from other countries and cultures. Students will be in classes with other international students but not with Japanese students. UWM can only send the equivalent of two full-year students on this exchange so it can be competitive to get into. Interested students must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
Seijo University
Located in the wooded, residential southwest section of Tokyo, Seijo University is a small, private institution of 4,500 students. Seijo’s academic calendar is similar to Chiba’s in that their fall semester runs into February; UWM students would not be able to spend fall at Seijo and return in time for the Spring Semester at UWM. There are very few students from the United States at Seijo with most exchange students coming from other Asian countries and non-native English speaking countries. There are limited opportunities to speak English, resulting in a true immersion experience.