Japanese Studies

OFFICE: 3024 Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Muir College
Web site: http://japan.ucsd.edu

Faculty

Courses

The Program in Japanese Studies coordinates a variety of campus offerings dealing with the language, history, culture, and political economy of Japan. The program is especially strong in the area of modern and contemporary Japan. In addition to courses available in the Departments of Anthropology, Economics, History, Linguistics, Literature, Music, Political Science and Sociology, qualified undergraduates also may enroll in Japan-related courses in the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies with consent of instructors.

The Major

A. Lower-Division Requirement (9 courses)

1. Japanese language: two years lower-division or the transferred equivalent:
   Japanese Studies 10A-B-C
   Japanese Studies 20A-B-C
2. The remaining three courses may be chosen from among the following:
   1. East Asian History: HILD 10-11-12
   2. Eleanor Roosevelt College students may petition to use MMW Courses 2 and 5.
   3. Thurgood Marshall College students may petition to use DOC course 1.
3. The language requirement may be waived by demonstrating the equivalent proficiency through exam.

B. Upper-Division Requirement (12 courses)

1. Japanese language: six upper-division language courses or the transferred equivalent from:
   Japanese Studies 100A-B-C
   Japanese Studies 130A-B-C
   Japanese Studies 140A-B-C
   Japanese Studies 150A-B-C
2. Japanese Studies 190 (JAPN 190): Selected Topics in Contemporary Japanese Studies. This is a seminar-style course focusing on selected topics in contemporary interdisciplinary studies of Japan. This course will be offered once a year.
3. The remaining five courses must be taken from two or more different disciplines.
   1. Students may petition to include two non-language upper-division courses taken abroad under EAP or OAP.
   2. Students may include one 199.
   3. Students may include one course on China or Korea.
4. All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade.
5. The language requirement can be waived by demonstrating the equivalent proficiency through exam. The required number of courses must be fulfilled by taking other non-language upper-division courses.

C. Honors Program

1. Junior standing.
2. A GPA of 3.5 or better in the major.
3. Overall GPA of 3.2 or better.
4. Completion of at least four upper-division non-language courses approved by the Program in Japanese Studies.
5. Recommendation of a faculty sponsor familiar with the student’s work.

Students who qualify for honors take a two-quarter sequence Japanese Studies 196A-B (fall and winter quarters preferred) of directed study during which they define a research project, carry out the research, and complete an honors thesis.

The completed honors thesis will be evaluated by a committee consisting of the student’s thesis adviser and one other faculty member appointed by the Program in Japanese Studies director.

The Minor

A minor in Japanese studies consists of at least fifteen units of Japanese language (lower- or upper-division) and at least sixteen units of upper-division non-language coursework taken from two or more departments. Students may use one non-language course taken abroad. All courses to be used for the minor must be approved by the Program in Japanese Studies and must be taken for a letter grade. Students who are already beyond first- and second-year language levels will be placed in one of our upper-division Japanese language courses, Written Japanese (100A-B-C), Third-Year Japanese (130A-B-C), Fourth-Year Japanese (140A-B-C), or Advanced Japanese (150A-B-C), and will be required to take four upper-division language courses and three upper-division non-language courses. The language requirement can be waived by demonstrating the equivalent proficiency through exam. The required number of courses must be fulfilled by taking other non- language, upper-division courses.