Japanese Studies with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Our BA Japanese Studies has been especially designed to offer you stimulating and critical academic expertise in Japanese culture, history and society based on the cutting-edge research we conduct on Japan. At the same time, you will have the chance to gain a near-fluent command of the Japanese language.

Why choose this course?

• This course is ideal for various levels of competence in Japanese, whether you are a complete beginner or an intermediate learner.
• You will be taught by specialists in contemporary Japanese culture and native Japanese teachers with decades of teaching experience.
• This course also offers you the opportunity, if you opt for the International Experience route, to spend a year studying in Japan where we have a range of university partners.
• Our partnerships with Japanese universities also give you access to online conversation exchange programmes, summer schools in Japan and other exciting opportunities.

What you will learn

Learning Japanese is essential to understanding Japan. Comprehending its culture and history is also fundamental to grasping the role that Japanese cultural production plays in our global society. On this course you will gain a high level of proficiency in Japanese and develop your cultural understanding through modules exploring literature, film, popular culture, manga and anime, history, visual art, linguistics, translation and society.

In cross-cultural modules you will learn from a team of specialists in different cultures and analyse comparative themes across a variety of linguistic, cultural and historical contexts.

You will also master transferable skills such as essay and report writing, oral presentations, video essays, critical and logical thinking, and translating.

If you achieve a high level of proficiency in Japanese as well as a high level of success academically on this course you may also have the chance to learn Korean as part of your degree and be awarded a BA Japanese with Korean.

How you will learn

Teaching takes place in small-group seminars giving you plenty of opportunity to participate and interact with peers and our expert tutors.

This course is available to study full- or part-time. It mainly follows an evening timetable, though some Japanese classes may take place on Saturday during the daytime.

On the International Experience route you will spend your third year in one of our select universities in Japan, including in Hokkaido, Tokyo and Osaka, where you will deepen your language skills and cultural knowledge. Most classes at our partner universities in Japan will take place in the daytime.

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. Find out everything you need to know about Foundation Years.