Introduction to Wash-U Japanese Section

Introduction

The Japanese Section at Washington University has more than 30 years of history. The Department Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures is diverse and dynamic, offering the BA and MA degrees in Japanese Language and Literature and the Ph.D. in Japanese and Comparative Literature. Additionally, through the East Asian Studies Program we offer an MA degree in East Asian Studies. The faculty in our Japanese Section includes three in the professorial ranks ( Rebecca Copeland, Marvin Marcus, and Jamie Newhard) and four full-time lecturers (Hiroo Aridome, Shino Hayashi, Ginger Marcus, and Kaori Nakata). While our graduate programs focus on literature, every Ph.D. candidate has the opportunity to receive training in language teaching. Ours is a challenging language program with five years of modern Japanese and a year of classical Japanese. In addition, undergraduate students are encouraged to study in our study abroad programs at Waseda University or The Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies. Graduate students may participate in our exchange program with Tsukuba University and are encouraged to study at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama. Our students compare favorably with students at other centers for Japanese studies (see East Asian Studies Newsletter for details).

The Japanese program enables undergraduate majors to attain a high level of proficiency in Japanese in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, a solid foundation in cultural and literary knowledge about Japan, and the cultural skills needed to communicate effectively in the Japanese setting. In addition to the on-campus sequence of language courses, we encourage students to participate in summer, semester, or academic year programs in Japan (especially the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies [KCJS], of which Washington University is a consortium member) and to enroll in courses within and beyond the Department to enhance their cultural knowledge. Students who graduate with a major in Japanese language and literature should expect to have achieved a high level of linguistic competency, a general knowledge of Japanese civilization, its cultural history, and its contemporary society and circumstance. Students should also have acquired a familiarity with, and appreciation of, the landmarks of Japanese literature, arts, and culture.

The Major:

Please keep in mind that because of the intensive study necessary to gain mastery of the language, this major will necessarily entail taking a greater number of units than will be formally applied to your major.

Students wishing to major in Japanese must complete a certain number of prerequisite lower-level courses, a minimum of 27 units of upper-level (300-level or above) courses, no more than 12 units of which may be in language. In addition, all majors—except those writing an ANELL honors thesis, and double majors taking a capstone course or writing a thesis in their other major—are required to take the ANELL Senior Seminar (L81 400), which is the Departmental capstone course.

Lower-level courses:

Language: Japanese 103 and 104 (First-level Japanese); Japanese 213 and 214 (Second-level Japanese). Students with previous language training may test out of these courses by taking the placement exam or providing academic proof of previous coursework.

Literature and Culture: Japanese 226 (Japanese Civilization). Another foundational course may be substituted, but only with the permission of the major advisor and the Section Head.

Upper-level courses:

Language:   Majors must successfully complete the following:

•    Japanese 458 and 459 (Fourth-level Japanese) or above
•    A minimum of 3 units of Literary Japanese (Japanese 460 and/or 461)

Note: Students must earn a minimum of B- in language courses in order to proceed to the next level.

Students who test out of first-year Japanese are eligible for three (3) units of back credit only on condition that they successfully complete at least one semester of second-year Japanese with a grade of B- or better.    Students who test out of second-year Japanese language are eligible for six (6) units of back credit only on condition that they successfully complete at least one semester of third-year Japanese with a grade of B- or better. Students who test out of third-level Japanese or higher are not eligible for any back credit. Students for whom Japanese is a native language may not receive back credit for any language courses.

Literature and Culture: Majors must successfully complete the following:

•    Japanese 332: The Classical Voice in Japanese Literature
•    Japanese 333: The Modern Voice in Japanese Literature
•    Two upper-level courses, at least one of which must be in Japanese literature.
•    ANELL 400: Senior Seminar (not required of students doing Senior Honors or double majors completing a capstone class/project in their other major)

Senior Honors: Qualified majors (students who have maintained at 3.5 GPA through the sixth semester) are encouraged to apply for Senior Honors before the end of the junior year. Majors must register for Japanese 486 (3 units) in the fall semester and Japanese 487 (3 units) in the spring semester. Honors work will be supervised by a three-member departmental Honors committee, which plans with each student special language work as needed and an independent Honors research paper. Each student must also have a primary honor’s advisor who is responsible, in consultation with the other members of the committee, for assigning the final grades for 486 and 487.

Transfer Credit: Normally no more than 6 units of credit earned at an institution other than Washington University may be applied to the major. However, students who participate in the KCJS Program may apply a maximum of 15 units of study-abroad credit to fulfill the requirements for the major.

Grades: As a major, students are expected to maintain a B average in all departmental courses. Also, the Pass/Fail grade option is not allowed for any major and minor courses.

The Minor:

The minor in Japanese Language and Literature requires the completion of a minimum of 18 units, 9 units of which must be at the 300-level or above; of these 18 units, no more than 12 may be in language. Minimum requirements for the minor include two years of Japanese language and successful completion of the two-semester literature survey courses:

•    Japanese 332: The Classical Voice in Japanese Literature
•    Japanese 333: The Modern Voice in Japanese Literature

Please note that students must earn a minimum of B- in language courses in order to proceed to the next level. Students who place out of language courses because of previous language training, or because they are native speakers of the language, must complete 15 units of literature and culture courses as approved by their major advisor.

Transfer Credit: Normally no more than 3 units of credit earned at an institution other than Washington University may be applied to the minor. Students who participate in the KCJS Program may apply a maximum of 9 units of study-abroad credit to fulfill the requirements for the minor.

Double Majors: Please note that no more than 6 units of the 27 units required for the major and 3 units of the required 18 units for the minor may be courses that are also used to satisfy the requirements of the other major.

Questions? Contact the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures office at (314) 935-5156 or 935-5110 or stop by Busch Hall, room 121.