The undergraduate program in Asian Studies (Japan concentration) is an interdisciplinary program that provides concentrated Japanese language and area training. The core curriculum is offered through the Jackson School and is supplemented by numerous classes on Japan in economics, political science, history, Asian languages and literature, art and art history, anthropology, and business. The BA degree gives students in-depth knowledge of many facets of Japan and familiarity with Japanese society and culture. The program helps prepare students for careers in business, government, journalism, secondary-school teaching, and a variety of other professional fields.
Variety and depth are added to regular coursework by Japan Colloquia and by occasional special symposia, where recent research findings and discussions of significant contemporary topics are presented by specialists from the United States, Japan, and elsewhere. The program strives to offer students the opportunity to study all aspects of Japan through the number and variety of courses offered, the research activities of faculty members, Japan Colloquia, and in the fact that the most important academic journal in the Japan field, The Journal of Japanese Studies, is published at this University.
The University of Washington has a
long-standing commitment to the study of Japan, with Japan-related
curricula in many of its departments and professional schools. Similarly
active programs focusing on other world regions make the UW a rich
environment for study and enable students to gain a comparative
international perspective.
-Robert Pekkanen, Chair, Japan Studies
Any undergraduate in good standing may declare Asian Studies (Japan concentration) as a major.
Although only two years of language are required, it is suggested that students take as much as they can because two years of Japanese do not give proficiency. Students who transfer in from other programs should contact the Department of Asian Languages and Literature as soon as possible for information on placement tests. The language requirement is two years of Japanese at the University of Washington or the equivalent; often students studying in less intensive programs find they must take more Japanese here even though they have studied elsewhere.
A minimum grade of 2.0 in all courses counted toward the major is required, except for first- and second-year Japanese language courses, where grades must average at least 2.00. The "paper course" and 30 the 35 credits required for the Japan concentration courses, including SISEA/HSTAS 423, must be taken in residence at the University of Washington.
Overlapping credits: A maximum of 15 credits that are used to fulfill minimum requirements of any other UW major can be counted in this major.
*A list of courses approved for the Japan concentration is available in the Jackson School Office of Student Services in Thomson 111 and by following this link.
For a list of current quarter course
offerings click below.
Current Course Offerings
30 credits, to include the following:
SISEA/HSTAS 241 or SISEA 242 and one additional introductory Asian civilization course from SISA 209 (premodern Asia), SISA 210 (modern Asia), SISEA/HSTAS 212 Korea), SISSE/HSTAS 221 (Southeast Asia), HSTAS 201 (India), 202 (India), 211 (China), 10 credits
10 credits of electives taken at the UW, chosen from the Japan history/social science electives list
5 credits of electives taken at the UW, chosen from the Japan history/social science list or the Japan arts/literature electives list
5 additional credits in Japanese language beyond second-year level, or in upper-division transfer courses on Japan, or in additional electives chosen from the Japan history/social science electives list
Minimum grade of 2.0 required in each course applied toward the minor.
The University of Washington's Japan
collection is one of the most important of its kind in the nation. The
East
Asia Library and the Law Library together house over 140,000 volumes
of Japanese-language materials. The libraries on campus maintain an
up-to-date collection of English- and European-language works in the
humanities, social sciences, and art and a good collection of prewar and
nineteenth-century books and periodicals.
Visit the
main Library gateway for Japan Studies
Visit
the East Asia Library - Japan Studies section
Link to the
Japan Studies Program page