Japanese Major Overview
The major in Japanese develops specific skills and knowledge: the ability to read and speak the Japanese language, a broad understanding of both traditional and modern Japanese culture, and a wide-ranging knowledge of Japanese literature and history. Japan remains a major economic and cultural influence on a global scale, and proficiency in both the language and culture of Japan is an asset with many applications. Students who complete the major, or who add Japanese as a second major, find themselves with enhanced competitiveness and increased opportunities in a wide range of career paths. Employers in many fields value the highly developed verbal, written, and thinking skills and the cultural awareness and adaptability a major in Japanese provides.
Students in the major complete a core language sequence through third-year Japanese, a three-quarter upper-division survey of Japanese literature from earliest times to the modern period, and a variety of elective courses related to Japan in the social sciences and the humanities. Fourth-year reading courses in Japanese and additional literature and culture courses taught in English round out the successful major in Japanese.