BA in Japanese Language & Cultural Studies

NOTE: This degree is offered for students who matriculated in Fall 2023 or earlier.

The Japanese Language & Cultural Studies major prepares students for careers not only in academics but also in business, law, diplomacy, or technology, where the knowledge of Japanese language and culture is a valuable asset. For those interested in teaching careers, we offer a teaching internship which leads to a provisional education certificate.

Questions about program requirements should be addressed to the following faculty members:

Japanese Program Director, Hosea Hirata
Japanese Language Coordinator, Kiyomi Kagawa

Program Requirements and Policies

• Ten courses are required for the BA in Japanese Language & Cultural Studies. 
• Students who place out of Japanese language courses still need to complete ten approved courses. 
• Students may not complete a minor and a major in the same discipline.
• A maximum of two courses used to fulfill a foundation, distribution or concentration requirement may be used toward fulfillment of the minor.

Course Requirements

1. Language requirement: four courses beyond Japanese 4; continuation to Japanese 123, 124 strongly recommended.
    
2. Japanese 61 and four additional literature/culture courses from the Japanese offerings in the department. Two of these courses must be at the 100 level, including one seminar. If qualified, a student may opt to do an Honors Thesis (Japanese 198, 199) instead of a seminar. Only one course with a half Japanese content, such as JPN 84, can count toward the major.
    
3. One course in Japanese culture offered by another department and approved by the program director.