1.
junior college; two-year college (abbreviation)
A two-year (occasionally three-year) post-secondary institution in Japan, granting an associate degree (短期大学士). Short for 短期大学. Historically dominated by women's institutions emphasizing practical fields; the number of 短大s has declined sharply since the 1990s.
姉は短大を卒業した。
My older sister graduated from a junior college.
保育の資格を取るために短大に進学した。
I went on to a junior college to get a childcare qualification.
短大は四年制大学より短期間で専門的な知識を身につけられる。
Junior colleges let you acquire specialized knowledge in a shorter period than a four-year university.
Short for 短期大学. The full form is used in formal documents; 短大 is the everyday word.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 短大に進学する: to go on to a junior college
- 短大を卒業する: to graduate from a junior college
- 短大卒: junior-college graduate (used on résumés)
CONTRAST WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS:
- 大学: university — four-year bachelor's program
- 専門学校: vocational/specialized school — two or more years, more job-specific training
- 大学院: graduate school
HISTORICAL NOTE:
短大 enrollment peaked around 1993 and has since dropped to about a fifth of its peak, as many institutions converted to four-year universities.