Japanese (BA)

Learn Japanese language in friendly, activity-based, intensive classes designed to achieve high-level proficiency. You will learn the basics of Japanese culture, society, literature and linguistics from historical and contemporary perspectives. Japanese is one of several majors taught within the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures including Korean and Chinese.

Students have the option of three different tracks in the Japanese major: language, culture, or linguistics. In consultation with department advisors, you can choose a track that will allow you to study and master those aspects of Japanese that interest you most.  

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Content objectives (literature/film/culture): for culture and language intensive: Identify, describe, and explain materials, terminologies, methodologies, and theories in Japanese literature, film, media, or linguistics. For linguistics intensive: Identify, describe, and explain materials, terminologies, methodologies, and theories in Japanese linguistics.
  • Critical thinking/Analytical skills: for culture and literature intensive: Read, discuss, and evaluate texts from both historical sources and contemporary works in literature, film and media, and linguistics, employing methodologies and criteria. For linguistics intensive: Discuss and evaluate descriptive grammars of Japanese, as well as studies on various levels of Japanese linguistics including, phonetics, phonology, semantics, syntax, pragmatics, sociolinguistics and the relationship between language, cognition and culture.
  • Argumentation: Formulate original arguments, anticipating objections and responding in conscientious fashion.
  • Communication: Communicate knowledge, ideas, and reasoning in written, oral, or other forms of languages, in English or Japanese. Reach intermediate/advanced proficiency level in written and spoken modern Japanese.

Bachelor of Arts in Japanese: Culture-Intensive Option

 At least five of the required courses must be completed within the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures.

JPN 301Third-Year Japanese5
JPN 302Third-Year Japanese5
JPN 303Third-Year Japanese5
Select two of the following:8
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature
Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature
Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature
Classical Japanese Literary Language
Japanese Business Culture and Language
Select two of the following:8
Introduction to Japanese Literature
Introduction to Japanese Literature
Introduction to Japanese Literature
Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
Four upper-division courses 116
Total Credits47

Bachelor of Arts in Japanese: Language-Intensive Option

 At least five of the required courses must be completed within the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures.

JPN 301Third-Year Japanese5
JPN 302Third-Year Japanese5
JPN 303Third-Year Japanese5
JPN 411Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese4
JPN 412Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese4
JPN 414Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese4
JPN 415Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese4
JPN 413Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese4
or JPN 416 Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Select two of the following:8
Introduction to Japanese Literature
Introduction to Japanese Literature
Introduction to Japanese Literature
Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
Upper-division course 14
Total Credits47

Bachelor of Arts in Japanese: Linguistics-Intensive Option

 At least five of the required courses must be completed in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures.

JPN 301Third-Year Japanese5
JPN 302Third-Year Japanese5
JPN 303Third-Year Japanese5
Select two of the following:8
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature
Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature
Advanced Readings in Japanese Literature
Classical Japanese Literary Language
Select three of the following:12
Languages and Societies in East Asia
Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
Introduction to Linguistics Analysis
Three upper-division courses 112
Total Credits47

Four-Year Degree Plans

Sample Cultural-Intensive Option

Sample Language-Intensive Option

Sample Linguistics-Intensive Option

Bachelor of Arts in Japanese: Cultural-Intensive Option

The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 101 First-Year Japanese 5
WR 121Z Composition I 4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 102 First-Year Japanese 5
WR 122Z
Composition II
or College Composition III
Complete writing requirement4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 103 First-Year Japanese 5
Group-satisfying courses 12
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Second Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 201 Second-Year Japanese 5
One major survey course (JPN 305, 306, 307, 315) 4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 202 Second-Year Japanese 5
One major survey course (JPN 305, 306, 307, 315) Complete major survey requirement4
Group-satisfying course 8
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 203 Second-Year Japanese Complete lower-division language requirement5
Upper-division elective course 4
Group-satisfying course Complete group requirements4
Elective course 4
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Third Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 301 Third-Year Japanese 5
Upper-division elective course 4
Electives 8
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 302 Third-Year Japanese 5
Upper-division elective course 4
Electives 8
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 303 Third-Year Japanese Complete third-year language requirement5
Upper-division elective course Complete upper-division elective requirement4
Electives 8
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Fourth Year
FallMilestonesCredits
One 400-level Japanese language course 4
Electives 12
 Credits 16
Winter
One 400-level Japanese language course Complete fourth-year language requirement4
Electives 8
 Credits 12
Spring
Electives 16
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 44

 

Bachelor of Arts in Japanese: Language-Intensive Option

The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 101 First-Year Japanese 5
WR 121Z Composition I 4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 102 First-Year Japanese 5
WR 122Z
Composition II
or College Composition III
Complete writing requirement4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 103 First-Year Japanese 5
Group-satisfying courses 12
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Second Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 201 Second-Year Japanese 5
One major survey course (JPN 305, 306, 307, 315) 4
Group-satisfying course 8
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 202 Second-Year Japanese 5
One major survey course (JPN 305, 306, 307, 315) Complete major survey requirement4
Group-satisfying course 8
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 203 Second-Year Japanese Complete lower-division language requirement5
Upper-division elective Complete upper division elective4
Group-satisfying course Complete group requirements4
Elective course 4
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Third Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 301 Third-Year Japanese 5
Electives 12
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 302 Third-Year Japanese 5
Electives 12
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 303 Third-Year Japanese Complete third-year language courses5
Electives 12
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Fourth Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 411 Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese 4
JPN 414 Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese 4
Electives 8
 Credits 16
Winter
JPN 412 Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese 4
JPN 415 Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese 4
Electives 8
 Credits 16
Spring
JPN 413
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
or Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Complete fourth-year language requirement4
Electives 12
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48

 

Bachelor of Arts in Japanese: Language-Intensive Option

The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 101 First-Year Japanese 5
WR 121Z Composition I 4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 102 First-Year Japanese 5
WR 122Z
Composition II
or College Composition III
Complete writing requirement4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 103 First-Year Japanese 5
Group-satisfying courses 12
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Second Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 201 Second-Year Japanese 5
One major survey course (JPN 305, 306, 307, 315) 4
Group-satisfying course 8
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 202 Second-Year Japanese 5
One major survey course (JPN 305, 306, 307, 315) Complete major survey requirement4
Group-satisfying course 8
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 203 Second-Year Japanese Complete lower-division language requirement5
Upper-division elective Complete upper division elective4
Group-satisfying course Complete group requirements4
Elective course 4
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Third Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 301 Third-Year Japanese 5
Electives 12
 Credits 17
Winter
JPN 302 Third-Year Japanese 5
Electives 12
 Credits 17
Spring
JPN 303 Third-Year Japanese Complete third-year language courses5
Electives 12
 Credits 17
 Total Credits 51
Degree Map
Fourth Year
FallMilestonesCredits
JPN 411 Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese 4
JPN 414 Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese 4
Electives 8
 Credits 16
Winter
JPN 412 Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese 4
JPN 415 Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese 4
Electives 8
 Credits 16
Spring
JPN 413
Fourth-Year Spoken Japanese
or Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese
Complete fourth-year language requirement4
Electives 12
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48