Join us for a faculty-led study abroad trip in Japan over Spring Break 2026! This elective course will take you across the world where you’ll be immersed in another culture, gain exposure to a variety of design styles and steep in thousands of years of design history.
March 19-29, 2026
March 20-24
March 24-29
To study abroad with us in Japan, you must:
Have questions about your eligibility? Reach out to Morganne Elkins, our study abroad advisor, at melkins2@ewu.edu
This study abroad trip is part of a five-credit Design elective, DESN 396. Those five credits will count toward your winter quarter course load and tuition the way any other five-credit course would.
In addition to the standard tuition for the course, travel fees (which cover entry fees, airfare, ground transportation, most meals, and lodging) are estimated to cost approximately $3,000 per student. As the trip draws closer and flights are made available, we will be able to provide a more exact amount.
Good news! You can use your regular financial aid and scholarships to help cover the cost of this trip. Contact a financial aid advisor to learn more. Additionally, you can apply for the EWU Ortiz Scholarship, which provides $1,000 towards study abroad costs. Each year one award is given. The application is made available each October and the deadline is in late November.
EWU’s Global Student Services Office maintains a list of reputable external scholarships that you may qualify for. It is your responsibility to keep track of due dates and submit scholarship applications.
Talking to your advisor will help you make sure that you’re able to stay on track for graduation. You’ll be able to plan when you’ll take your other Design electives and required courses for your degree around the time of the trip.
Already have one? Awesome! Make sure it doesn’t expire before April 15, 2026. You’ll need to have a valid passport for the entire trip, plus a few extra days just to be on the safe side.
To apply for a US passport:
According to the State Department, passport wait times are currently as follows:
As part of this application, you’ll be asked to provide:
This will include submitting a:
In these brief meetings, we’ll answer questions and cover lots of the nitty-gritty details that you’ll want to know for the trip, including what to pack and all that fun stuff.
We will provide the exact amounts owed to students whose study abroad applications have been accepted and who are registered for the study abroad course.
There will be two parts to trip preparation and deadlines:
We are currently planning for a 10-day trip from March 19-29, 2026.* You’ll register for the course as part of your Winter Quarter 2026 class schedule and it will go on your transcript as a Winter 2026 class.
* These dates are still subject to change by a day or two as we finalize flight and accommodation details.
The trip is estimated to cost approximately $3,000. This includes airfare, hotels, food, etc. It does not include the cost of tuition for the course. See our Cost & Paying for the Trip section above for more information.
That being said, if you are a full-time EWU student (enrolled in 10+ credits) during Winter Quarter 2026, your tuition will be covered the same way it is for any other EWU course. If you’re a design student, you’d be a full-time student by signing up for the trip and at least one other design class. You’d attend your other design class as normal every week during the quarter and take the trip at the end of the quarter, during spring break.
If you are a part-time EWU student during Winter Quarter 2026 (enrolled in 1-9 credits), you’ll pay tuition on a credit-by-credit basis. Current part-time tuition rates can be found on the Student Financial Services website.
Yes! See our Cost & Paying for the Trip section above for more information.
The trip is worth 5 credits.
The trip application will open September 2025 and have a deadline during Fall Quarter 2025. Subscribe to our email updates and we’ll let you know exactly when it’s open!
Nope, we welcome any and all majors!
Basically, you need to be a legal adult enrolled at EWU with good grades and willing to follow the rules. For more information and specific requirements, see our Study Abroad Eligibility Requirements section above.
Nope! Between smartphone translation services and English signage in Japan, you’ll be fine. That being said, there are lots of benefits to learning at least some Japanese before the trip. (Maybe consider taking a Japanese elective…? Dr. Romanowich would love to have you in her class!)
We will spend the bulk of our time in Tokyo and Kyoto. Visit our Tentative Travel Itinerary section above for more information.
No, there will be opportunities to explore things that interest you on your own time, either solo or in small groups.
Oh, no. In fact, you’ll spend far more time visiting different cultural sites and exploring the cities than you will in a classroom setting.
Half of the trip will be spent in a hotel, and the other half in a reputable, high-quality youth hostel.
This will depend on your major or chosen sub-area of Design and what you want to get out of the trip. Course faculty will work with you to develop a project tailored to your interests and goals.
For example, design students wanting to go into user experience will likely be photographing a variety of designed experiences and writing about the way they are similar to/different from experiences at home and what their takeaways are. Students interested in photography might be expected to put together a portfolio of images from the trip and write about photographs or photography trends they observed in Japan.
You have a few options for communicating and accessing the internet:
Please note: all of the following information is subject to change. Subscribe to our email updates and we’ll let you know when there are any changes to be aware of.
Let me know if you have any questions about the trip! I’m happy to help you decide whether the trip is right for you, determine how it supports your academic goals, or just talk itinerary and details.
