Japanese Language & Culture

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.

• 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.

The Japanese Language & Culture degree is offered as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and a minor.

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Our model and curriculum educate the whole person and often help students discover interests they had never previously discovered. Students generally take 100-200 level courses during their first year of college, while registering for higher level courses as upperclassmen.

Sample courses that you may take as a Japanese Language & Culture student include:

* Courses listed above are offered during the current academic year. Course availability and offerings can change at any time. Refer to the Academic Bulletin to view all major requirements.

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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.

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Joining a club or organization is a great way to get involved and do more with your major. Our Japanese Language & Culture students participate in the following programs:

• Asian Student Interest Association
• Japanese Studies Club
• Center for Global Programs and Studies

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Careers that often interest Japanese Language & Culture majors, and fields our graduates work in, include:

• Editor/Proofreader
• Educator
• Foreign Service Officer
• Interpreter
• Journalist
• Language Engineer
• Lexicographer
• Librarian
• Linguist
• Missionary
• Social worker
• Technical writer
• Translator

Graduates have pursued careers in diplomacy, business and other sectors in Japan and elsewhere.