Soka University of America entered exclusive negotiations to acquire Middlebury College’s graduate international studies campus in California and selected master’s programs tied to the Middlebury Institute. Both institutions’ boards approved a letter of intent, with due diligence underway and recruitment potentially starting as soon as this summer. Middlebury’s move follows earlier steps to wind down in-person and remaining online programming at its Institute of International Studies at Monterey, with the institute planning to sunset remaining online programs in summer 2027. If the acquisition closes, Soka plans to rename the campus “Monterey Institute of International Studies at Soka University of America” and continue program rights in key areas including nonproliferation studies, threat intelligence, translation and localization management, and international policy and development. The arrangement matters for graduate education continuity in specialized fields and for students’ ability to complete remaining requirements on clear timelines, while also reshaping nonprofit education footprints in California’s graduate international studies market.