Japanese Language & Culture

Bachelor of Arts

Minor

Japanese Language & Culture majors develop communication skills in both spoken and written Japanese as well as knowledge of Japanese cultural and literary traditions, which go back more than 30,000 years.

Did You Know?

Graduates have gone on to careers in medicine, law, government, computer science and several other fields.
The major offers seven Japanese language courses, ensuring graduates master the complexities and nuances of the discipline.

Courses

Sample courses for students studying Japanese Language & Culture include:

Japan before 1600
Japanese Film: Themes and Methods
Contemporary Japanese Culture
Zen Buddhism

View official major requirements »

Practical Experience & Skills

Majoring in a foreign language provides you with many of the skills in which employers are interested, although securing a job that uses your foreign language skills can be challenging. With the exception of positions in translating, interpreting or teaching, in most cases at the entry level your language fluency is seen as a secondary skill, an asset.

One option many foreign language students pursue is taking a semester to study abroad in a foreign speaking country. This will give you not only a better handle of the language, but if you are intentional with your time abroad a number of future job connections. Other possibilities to get your feet wet are available with international volunteer organizations that require translators in the field. On the local level, Wake Forest has connections with volunteer clinics and community centers in need of interpreters.

Students in this program will develop the following skills: