Japanese Program

Japanese Studies

Japanese Studies Major

The purpose of the Japanese Studies major is threefold:

Providing a solid foundation in Japanese language which will include a comprehensive grounding in:

• basic grammar
• basic reading skills
• an introduction to the 990 basic kanji

Offering a solid foundation of knowledge about Japan through courses on Japanese:

• society
• history
• literature
• religion
• art

Offering a grounding in collateral courses on:

• East Asian Civilization
• Chinese history
• Chinese language
• Chinese religion
• Chinese art

The Association of American Colleges has reported that a strong university major should have a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end. The structure of the Japanese Studies major was created with this philosophy in mind. At the beginning level, the Japanese Studies major offers courses on East Asian Civilization, Elementary and Intermediate Language, and Modern Japanese Society. The middle level includes courses at the 300 level on Japanese History, Literature, and Language. The concluding level includes advanced coursework on Postwar Japan, Fourth Year Japanese, and the Senior Seminar capstone course.