American students interested in a four-year experience abroad can run into roadblocks such as additional entrance requirements beyond a stateside high school diploma or a language barrier. But it's now not hard to find institutions around the globe offering a degree-granting satellite campus in a foreign land to English speakers.
Situated in the northeastern part of the city, Bard in Berlin offers degrees in three majors. Students may spend all four undergraduate years in Berlin; "[a]ll third-year students enrolled at Bard College Berlin are eligible for study abroad" at Bard College's main campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, or another Bard affiliate.
Saint Louis University's abroad program in Spain has evolved into a fully-accredited four-year program. Madrid is the location for the Jesuit institution's program; its 22 majors constitute a remarkable number for a foreign campus. If it does not cater to all of a student's interests, Madrid Billikens can complete their degrees in St. Louis, where their opportunities expand to 40 majors.
Temple University, Japan Campus offers an associate's degree and a bachelor's program at its Tokyo headquarters. Students may also spend time at its smaller satellite campus in Kyoto. Over ten majors are available to Temple/Tokyo students, who may be eligible for a semester or longer stay at Temple's Rome campus, the home base campus in Philadelphia, or other approved programs.
While the above schools were birthed from US institutions, the University of Southern California has formed a unique alliance with the 60-year-old American University of Paris. AUP, touting its location at the meeting point of France, Europe and the world," offers a standard four-year program with two dozen majors. However, it has also forged a dedicated first-year program preparing students to be successful transfer candidates at USC.
This is just a thumbnail of how the "junior year abroad" has been turned on its ear. Going "out-of-state" now could mean going out of this world.