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The Japanese civilization extends back more than 1,200 years; its contributions to global culture include art, poetry and the world's first novel. Today Japan is the world's second-largest economy, making vital contributions to science and technology. As a Japanese major, you will first build a strong foundation in the Japanese language, then cultivate an understanding of Japanese literature and civilization. You will gain perspective and context about Japanese culture from classes in Japanese history and anthropology. You may choose to study in Japan with a wide range of education abroad programs, ranging from a year in Tokyo to one month in Kyoto.
Real World
Some alumni go directly into graduate school; business and law schools are also possibilities. One recent graduate works in immigration law dealing specifically with Japanese immigrants. Graduates from the program may also experience exciting careers and foreign travel through the Japanese Exchange Teaching (JET) program.
Major Requirements
The major in Japanese concentrates on the study of language and literature. Since most students begin with no prior knowledge of Japanese, you will first receive a firm grounding in both spoken and written Japanese in elementary and intermediate course sequences. You will further develop your language skills in advanced courses, where you will learn about Japanese literature and civilization as you read and discuss materials in the original language. Additional courses, taught in English, allow you to read widely in Japanese literature, both ancient and modern.
Major Adviser
Name: Jeanne Hart
Contact: gjhart@ucdavis.edu, (530) 752-4999
A Student Perspective
Not only are the lecturers friendly and interesting, the classroom atmosphere is just incredibly enjoyable. Working on Japanese projects and oral presentations with my classmates has been my most precious experience at UC Davis.
~ Kate TszShan Tsui, senior
A Faculty Perspective
Three things distinguish our Japanese program: the dedicated, top-notch faculty; the broad range of offerings in both language and literature covering all skill levels and more than 13 centuries, from which students can select whatever strikes their interest; and service beyond the Asian community: our classes are open to anyone at all, with many taught entirely in English.
~ Chia-ning Chang, faculty adviser
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