Japanese (Major)
The program in Japanese offers language classes in modern Japanese at the first-, second-, third-, and fourth-year and advanced levels, as well as courses in English on classical and modern Japanese literature and culture. Qualified students also have the opportunity to attend Nanzan University in Nagoya; Keio University in Tokyo; and Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.
The Japanese program offers first and supplementary majors and a minor.
For the major, students must complete 30 credit hours, including two semesters of third-year Japanese. 10xxx-level language courses and University seminars on Japan-related topics do not count toward the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EALJ 20211 | Second-Year Japanese I | 3 |
| EALJ 21211 | Second Year Japanese I Drill | 2 |
| EALJ 20212 | Second-Year Japanese II | 3 |
| EALJ 21212 | Second Year Japanese II Drill | 2 |
| EALJ 30311 | Third-Year Japanese I | 3 |
| EALJ 30312 | Third-Year Japanese II | 3 |
At a minimum, students must complete third-year Japanese or its equivalent. Majors are strongly encouraged to achieve more advanced proficiency by completing fourth-year Japanese and/or advanced Japanese courses. | ||
| Japanese Literature & Culture Courses | 9 | |
Three upper-division 3-credit courses taught by EALC faculty, including at least one literature course. | ||
| Asian Courses | 5 | |
Remaining credits may be completed by taking Japanese language courses beyond third-year level and regular 3-credit courses designated as LLEA at the 30000-level and above. | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
In addition to the language course requirements, all majors must take three upper-division 3-credit courses in Japanese literature and Japanese culture taught by EALC faculty, including at least one literature course. Any exception must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Remaining credit hours may be satisfied by taking additional Japanese language and culture courses, or other East Asia-related courses approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies
The Honors Track in Japanese
Majors in Japanese are strongly encouraged to pursue the honors track. Those who are interested must meet the following criteria:
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Fulfillment of all the requirements for a first major of 30 credit hours in Japanese;
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A cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 and a GPA of at least 3.7 in the major, or permission from the department chair;
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Completion of fourth-year Japanese.
Program Requirements: In addition to the 30 hours required for a major, the honors track requires the completion of a senior honors thesis that demonstrates the student’s originality and ability to do research in the target field. For this endeavor, the student will receive 3 hours of graded credit. This means to graduate with departmental honors, the student must earn 33 hours of credit in the major.
Students are admitted into the honors track in the spring semester of their junior year. The senior honors thesis is a year-long, one-on-one experience with a faculty mentor that comprises two semester courses of 3 credit hours each.