Japanese
Japanese Program
The Japanese Program offers both a Japanese Major and a Japanese Minor for students wishing to gain a deeper understanding of cultures other than their own through the study of languages, literature, and society. The Japanese Section works closely with the Asian Studies Program, and many of our courses can be counted towards an Asian Studies major.
Through this program, students can expect to achieve language and cultural fluency in a clearly participatory manner in order to communicate information on autobiographical topics, and topics of community, national, or international interest.
Japanese Major (BA)
Students are required to declare their major at least two semesters before their expected graduation date.
Learning Outcomes
- Achieve language and cultural fluency in a clearly participatory manner in order to communicate information on autobiographical topics, as well as topics of community, national, or international interest.
- Write routine informal and some formal correspondence, as well as narratives, descriptions, and summaries of a factual nature.
- Understand the main ideas and most supporting details in connected discourse on a variety of general interest topics, such as news stories, explanations, instructions, anecdotes, or travelogue descriptions.
- Analyze and discuss Japanese society and culture, including literary texts and their authors in their social, historical, and political contexts.
- Exercise critical thinking skills and write well in English.
- Analyze and discuss the structure of the Japanese language, including aspects of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
- Discuss basic differences and continuities between modern and pre-modern Japanese.
- Proficiency in the use of language dictionaries and research databases.
Required Courses
33 Total Credits
Completed at least 1 of the following
Japanese Language and Linguistics
Earned at least 6 credits from the following
JAPAN3410 Teaching Japanese as a Second Language (3)
JAPAN3510 Commercial Japanese I (3)
JAPAN3520 Commercial Japanese II (3)
JAPAN5290 Structure of Japanese: Syntax (3)
JAPAN5291 Japanese Linguistics: Language and Society (3)
Japanese Literature and Civilization
Earned at least 6 credits from the following
JAPAN4610 Survey of Japanese Literature: Modern Period (3)
JAPAN4630 Survey of Japanese: Women's Literature (3)
JAPAN4660 Contemporary Japanese Literature: The Fiction and Poetry of Japan Today (3)
JAPAN4710 Classical Japanese (3)
Electives
Earned at least 12 credits from the following
(No more than three non-JAPAN courses may count toward the major)
JAPAN3050 Third Year Japanese II (3)
JAPAN3220 Japanese Linguistics: Language and
Society (3)
JAPAN3330 Third-Year Conversational Japanese (3)
JAPAN3410 Teaching Japanese as a Second Language (3)
JAPAN3510 Commercial Japanese I (3)
JAPAN3520 Commercial Japanese II (3)
JAPAN3903 Cultures & Languages Across the Curriculum: Japanese (1)
JAPAN3950 Service-Learning in Japanese (1 - 3)
JAPAN4330 Fourth-Year Conversational Japanese (3)
JAPAN4540 Japanese Popular Culture (3)
JAPAN4550 Japanese Civilization (3)
JAPAN4560 Newspaper Japanese (3)
JAPAN4570 Multicultural Japan (3)
JAPAN4610 Survey of Japanese Literature: Modern Period (3)
JAPAN4630 Survey of Japanese: Women's Literature (3)
JAPAN4660 Contemporary Japanese Literature: The Fiction and Poetry of Japan Today (3)
JAPAN4680 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation (3)
JAPAN4710 Classical Japanese (3)
JAPAN4880 Directed Readings (1 - 3)
JAPAN4900 Special Topics (1 - 4)
JAPAN5290 Structure of Japanese: Syntax (3)
JAPAN5291 Japanese Linguistics: Language and Society (3)
ARCH4200 Japanese Architecture (3)
FILM3170 Japanese Anime (4)
SOC4438 Japanese Society (3)
ARTH3030 Arts of Japan (3)
HIST3520 Pre-modern Japan (3)
HIST3530 Modern Japan (3)
POLS3460 Government and Politics of Japan (3)
World Languages and Cultures Practicum
Completed one practicum (3) - see Advisor for options.
Minimum Degree Hours
122 Total Credits
Minimum Major Hours
33 Total Credits
All classes must be passed with a C or better
Students must take at least 15 credits of the major in residence at the University
of Utah
JAPANESE MAJOR REQUIREMENTS WLC Practicum Options
Students with advanced language skills (e.g., native speakers, heritage speakers, students who have lived for an extended period abroad) should not enroll in first, second, and some third-year courses. If you do not know what your language level is or if you think your situation justifies petitioning for an exception, contact the WLC advisors before enrolling in classes. For pedagogical reasons, the department reserves the right to remove advanced speakers who have not successfully petitioned from classes not appropriate for their language level.
Japanese Minor
All students should declare their minor at least two semesters prior to their anticipated graduation date. Please visit our Undergraduate Advising page to set up an appointment with an advisor.
Minimum Minor Hours
15 TOTAL CREDITS
All courses must be passed with a C or better.
At least 6 credits of minor requirements must be taken in residence at the University
of Utah
Students with advanced language skills (e.g., native speakers, heritage speakers, students who have lived for an extended period abroad) should not enroll in first, second, and some third-year courses. If you do not know what your language level is or if you think your situation justifies petitioning for an exception, contact the WLC advisors before enrolling in classes. For pedagogical reasons, the department reserves the right to remove advanced speakers who have not successfully petitioned from classes not appropriate for their language level.
Scholarships
Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships are federally funded awards offered through the University of Utah's Asia Center. They provide funding for undergraduate and graduate students who study modern foreign languages and related area studies.
Student Experience
The University of Utah Japanese department offers many programs that complement course work and help enhance the study of Japanese, including: StudyAbroad, Internships (US- Japan Center) with Japanese companies, E-mail exchanges with Waseda University students, and Japanese speech contests.
Learning Abroad
For Study Abroad information see the International Center's Study Abroad Web page, contact the International Center in Room 159 of the University Union Building, or
call (801) 581-6369.
Japanese Speech Contest
The University of Utah Japanese Speech Contest is held every year in February. Anyone registered for the spring semester is eligible to participate. The finalists compete with those from BYU, Weber State, and Utah State. For more information please contact a member of the Japanese faculty at the University of Utah.
Resources
Here are some links to Japanese resources. This list should get you started down the path toward accessing Japan on the Internet. First set up the Japanese character processor with your browser's help file for instructions, then go to Professor Johnson's links page and the search engines below.
Japanese Computing
A front-end Japanese character processor for Windows-based systems.
An internet tool that enables you to send email in Japanese by writing romaji.
Use this launch pad if you are completely computer illiterate, or have not downloaded Japanese plugins on your browser.
This company can solve all your Japanese computing needs. Curtis Wilde recommends
this strongly.
Japanese Search Engine
Yahoo!
(requires Japanese character display capabilities)
Shushoku Links
This is a free service with many links to job opportunities in Japan.
Japan Exchange Teaching Program. Information via the Embassy of Japan in San Francisco.
This link is highly recommended. It provides information about what job opportunities and salary scales. This site also has many links to American fortune 500 companies which operate in Japan.
Japanese Related Information
Japan Information Resource Center
Provides lists of links under such topics as business, computing, culture, language, and news.
Kabuki for Everyone
Wide-ranging kabuki theatre information, performance schedules, etc.
Miscellaneous Japanese Links
Information about the art of origami, including photos of examples.
Information about Japanese food, restaurants, and recipes.
Asahi Shimbun
Daily news from one of Japan's largest newspapers.
An Internet version of Japan's largest English-language newspaper.
Daily news from one of Japan's largest newspapers.
Faculty
Tenure-Line Faculty
Career-Line Faculty