OUC was established in 1910 and was reorganized as a university in 1949. The university is renowned for is academic excellence and has an enrollment of more than 2,500 students. The university offers bachelor and masters degrees in Economics, Commerce, Law, and Education. OUC has a Center for Language Studies with a language laboratory. Academic Program Students can enroll in business and economics courses taught in English and are required to take Japanese language and culture courses.
Students can also study Japanese language and culture without enrolling in any business courses.
There are four levels of Japanese available at Otaru. Elementary Japanese I provides an introduction to basic Japanese used in daily life. By the end of the course students are expected to be able to read and write Hiragana, Katakana, and about 100 Kanji characters. Elementary II is a continuation of Japanese Elementary I. Students will learn to read and write simple passages as well as practice speaking. Intermediate Japanese I provides basic knowledge of Japanese in daily life.