Japan Resources at the UW
Adult Learning
Still interested in Japan but too busy to return to school full-time? There are a variety of ways for adults and community members to engage with Japan Studies beyond being a matriculated UW student.
Events
Most of our events are free and open to the public. For a list of our upcoming events, check out our events page. Larger events typically require registration.
Courses
Depending on the age and residency of the learner, there are two ways for adult learners to enroll in courses. Many of our faculty are happy to accommodate non-traditional learners.
Adults under age 60
Adults under 60 years of age should register as a nonmatriculated student (NM) unless planning to apply the credits you earn toward a specific graduate-level (master’s or Ph.D.) degree. Most people will fall into this category.
For autumn, winter and spring quarters: Register as a nonmatriculated (NM) student.
For summer quarter: Go to the Summer quarter website to register as a nonmatriculated student. Summer quarter is often the best quarter for nonmatriculated students to take courses at the UW. In addition to generally having smaller class sizes in the summer, intensive language courses are offered in summer only.
Check here for FAQs and here for fees for nonmatriculated students.
WA residents over age 60
Washington residents over 60 years of age are able to enroll in courses at the UW through the ACCESS program.
ACCESS students attend classes on an audit basis as nonmatriculated students. As an auditor, you may not participate in class discussions, take tests, or submit papers.
It is strongly recommended that ACCESS students contact the professor (preferably via email) in advance of enrolling. There are course limitations however and courses through the department of Asian Languages and Literature are not included in the ACCESS program.
ACCESS students enroll for a maximum of two courses per quarter for the low registration fee of $5. This does not include the Technology Fee that allows all registered students to have an email account and use of the computer labs. It is approximately $4 per credit that you are registered for. For example a student auditing a 5 credit class will pay approximately $25 per quarter with both fees.