BA Japanese
SOAS University of London
Key Information
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,250 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* full-time fees per academic year: UK £9,250; Overseas £20,350
Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time
From the study of pre-modern Japanese literature and history to contemporary cinema and TV, we are the home to the largest concentration of Japanese specialists in Europe. The BA Japanese programme provides students with the highest level of competence in all aspects of the written and spoken language, as well as an introduction to both classical and modern Japanese culture, and is suitable for both absolute beginners as well as those with some knowledge of the Japanese language. Students will spend the third year of study in Japan furthering language proficiency and understanding of Japanese society and culture.
Why study Japanese at SOAS?
- We are home to the largest concentration of Japan specialists outside of Japan.
- You will not only learn the essential language skills but also an in-depth understanding of the region’s culture covering subjects from literature, history, cinema, and politics.
- You will spend your third year in Japan furthering language and cultural proficiency.
- You will be able to flexibly structure your programme using our Open Options modules to take advantage of the expertise of our other departments.
- We are specialists in the delivery of more that forty African and Asian languages. Your command of a language will set you apart from graduates of other universities.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
Students take 120 credits per year composed of core and guided modules.
In year 1, students will the Japanese language intensely and take history/culture modules and 15 credits of academic writing.
In year 2, students will take modules on the Japanese language and history/culture.
In year 3, students will spend the year abroad at one of the Japanese Universities with which we have an exchange partnership.
In the final year, students will continue their study of the Japanese language, write an Independent Study Project and study further modules on history/culture.
Year 1
Core Module
This module must be passed in order to progress to the following year of study
- J100: Elementary Japanese
*Lifeboat Option: If a student is struggling with J100, they will move to Japanese 1B (155906027) in the 2nd term & write an extended essay (155901421), then move to the BA East Asian Studies Programme.
Compulsory Modules
Students must take the modules below:
- Reading and Writing East Asian Studies
- Cool Japan: Manga, Anime, Sushi
- East Asian Civilizations
Year 2
Core Module
This module must be passed in order to progress to the following year of study.
- J200: Intermediate Japanese
Compulsory Modules
Students must take the modules below:
- East Asian Imperialism
- Nation and Identity in Contemporary Japan
- Gender and Society in Contemporary Japan
Guided Option
Choose modules from List A (at the relevant FHEQ level for your academic year of study) below to the value of 15 credits
and
Guided Options
Choose modules from List A /List B or Central options (at the relevant FHEQ level for your academic year of study) to the value of 30 credits
Year 3
*Year 3 (from 2021) Year Abroad: For more information on the year abroad in Japan, please see the Teaching & Learning tab.
Year 4
Compulsory Modules
Students must take the modules below:
- History and Memory in East Asian Cultures
- Independent Study Project in East Asian Studies
- J400: Advanced Japanese
and
Guided Option
Choose modules from List A (at the relevant FHEQ level for your academic year of study) below to the value of 30 credits
and
Central Options
Choose modules from List A/List B or Central options (at the relevant FHEQ level for your academic year of study) to the value of 30 credits
Year 2: List A Guided Option Modules
FHEQ Level 5
- Survey of Modern Japanese Literature in Translation
- Gender in East Asian Literature (UG)
- East Asian Cinema (UG)
- Fieldwork methods in language and culture
Year 4: List A Guided option modules
FHEQ Level 6
- Reading Pre-modern Japanese Texts 1
- Writing from the Margins: Minority Voices in Modern Japanese Literature, 1945 to the Present
- Japanese Traditional Drama
- Japanese New Wave Cinema: Youth, Sex and Protest
- Identity and social relations in Japanese
- Japanese Cinema: a Critical Survey
Year 2/Year 4: List B Guided option modules
FHEQ level 5/6
- Modern Chinese Literary Texts
- Chinese Cultures on Screen and Stage
- New Taiwan Cinema and Beyond
- Trajectories of Modernity in Korean Literature
- The Other Korea: North Korea since 1945
- Chinese 1 A
- Chinese 1 B
- Chinese 2
- Korean 1 A
- Korean 1 B
- Korean 2
- Tibetan (Modern) 1 A
- Tibetan (Modern) 1 B
- Chinese 3
- Chinese 4
- Chinese 5
- Chinese for Business
- K200 Intermediate Korean
- Korean 3
- Ch 200 Intermediate Chinese
- Ch 400: Advanced Chinese
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department.
Career Opportunities
Employment
Studying this programme will provide students with competency in language skills as well as intercultural awareness and understanding.
Skills gained include:
- familiarity with the region through a combination of the study of language, literature, history, cinema, politics, economics or law
- communication and presentation skills
- analytical skills
- the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources
Graduates from the Department leave SOAS not only with language and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers, both in business and in the public sector.
Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:
- Bloomberg L.P
- British High Commission
- British Council Tokyo
- Deloitte Management Consulting Ltd
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office
- Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International
- NHK-Japan Broadcasting Corporation
- Oxford University
- The British Embassy
- The British Museum
- Wall Street Associates
Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Production
- US Marketing Executive
- Senior Research Executive
- Director of Development and Alumni Relations
- Project Leader, Strategic Planning
- Solicitor
- Architect
- Interactive Designer
- HM Ambassador to Japan
- Freelance Japanese Translator
English Language Requirements
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