Japanese

Majoring in Japanese, or Japanese studies, can open up a whole new world to a student fascinated with this unique island nation. Not only will you take beginner, intermediate and advanced courses in the Japanese language, you will learn about the history and culture of Japan, as well as Japan’s relationship with neighboring countries and the U.S. Students may take courses in Japanese literature, Japanese film and art, and traditional Japanese religions. Japanese is not commonly offered as a major in its own right, but is often a focus area offered as part of an international studies or East Asian studies major.

Majoring in Japanese could be valuable to your future career in several ways. Not only are second languages an advantage on your resume, but in the business world, it is becoming more and more important to be skilled in dealing with foreign cultures as we continue to move toward a more global economy. A minor or double-major including international business could help toward this end. A Japanese major is also useful as a stepping stone for those who wish to move on into teaching Japanese or serving as bilingual instructors. Double majoring in Japanese and engineering is also useful, as it is common to work with other engineers who have a variety of cultural backgrounds. It is also useful to have a background in Japanese if you plan on entering certain international journalism careers.