Japanese Studies Major

Mission Statement

The collaborative Japanese Studies major promotes and engages students in an innovative, rigorous, multidisciplinary program focusing on the language and culture of Japan and its unique and significant role in the global community. The program offers students academic and experiential opportunities to explore and investigate the many facets of Japan's culture in depth while providing them with the linguistic tools to gain direct access to the culture.

Curriculum

The Japanese Studies major will include 33 units and be completed in the context of a Bachelor of Arts degree program with the degree awarded through the College of Letters and Science. To be eligible for graduation, students must meet all requirements for the degree in addition to earning a minimum grade point average of a 2.25 GPA in all courses applied to their Japanese Studies major. Additionally, majors must complete the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test or the ACTFL OPI as an external validation of language proficiency, complete an oral exit interview in Japanese, and submit three performance assessments (student choice) from three different courses used in the major, plus the Senior Thesis, to be part of a student portfolio for assessment and career placement. Click here for the details.

Collaboration

The Japanese Studies major is a collaborative program between two University of Wisconsin campuses, Oshkosh and Whitewater. While there is a set of coursework required to complete at their home institution, students can fulfill the rest of the requirements by completing electives and advanced coursework offered by either campus in online or other distance education formats. Courses available through distance education are announced here before each academic year.

Advising

For those who are interested in Japanese Studies major, please contact the Japanese Program coordinator for further assistance.