University of Washington, Department of Asian Languages and Literature
Search... AL&L Home About Languages & Degrees People Course Information News Alumni & Friends Resources
Photo Credits
Language Programs Degree Programs Advising

Degree Programs > Japanese > Requirements

See also the description of the Japanese program.

Japanese

Degrees Offered: Undergraduate Major, Minor -- Graduate M.A., Ph.D.

The Japanese program at the University of Washington offers undergraduate majors with options in literature or linguistics, an M.A. in literature or linguistics, and a Ph.D. in literature.

Japanese Undergraduate Major

The Japanese Language & Literature major has a requirement of 75 credits, with a choice of disciplinary concentration in linguistics or literature. Newly admitted majors should choose one or the other option early in their program of study. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for each course applied to the major.

Literature Option

I. Language courses: A minimum of 45 credits are required, of which at least 30 credits must be earned in courses beyond the second year:

  • Second-Year Japanese: JAPAN 211, 212, 213
  • Third-Year Japanese: JAPAN 311, 312, 313
  • Fourth-Year Japanese: Prerequisite for all Fourth-Year courses: a minimum grade of 2.5 in Japan 313. Select three courses from the list below:
    JAPAN 431, 432, 433 Readings in Modern Japanese Literature (May be taken in any order; prerequisite is JAPAN 313)
    JAPAN 445 Foreign Study: Fourth-Year Japanese (Prerequisite is JAPAN 313)
    JAPAN 460 Readings in Japanese Culture (Prerequisite is JAPAN 313)
    JAPAN 471 Introduction to Classical Japanese (Prerequisite is JAPAN 313)
    JAPAN 472 Readings in Classical Japanese Literature (Prerequisite is JAPAN 471)
    JAPAN 473 Readings in Classical Japanese Literature II ((Prerequisite is JAPAN 472)

Advanced students who enter at the 200-level or above may meet the 45-credit language requirement by taking additional 400-level courses from those listed above. Other language-related courses may be used to fulfill this requirement with the written approval of the coordinator of the Japanese program.

II. Literature courses: A minimum of 20 credits must be completed.

  • The following 15 credits are required: JAPAN 321, 322, 323 Japanese Literature I, II, III (no prerequisites. Taking these courses in sequence is recommended, but not required)

  • 5 credits may be selected from:
    JAPAN 360 Topics in Japanese Culture
    JAPAN 395 Foreign Study: Japanese Literature
    JAPAN 431, 432, 433 Readings in Modern Japanese Literature
    JAPAN 460 Readings in Japanese Culture
    JAPAN 471 Introduction to Classical Japanese
    JAPAN 472 Readings in Classical Japanese Literature I (Japan 471 required)
    JAPAN 473 Readings in Classical Japanese Literature II (Japan 472 required)

III. Japan-related Humanities or Social Science courses: A minimum of 10 credits are required, all of which must be at the 300 level or above; at least 5 must earned outside the Department of Asian Languages and Literature.

  • Appropriate courses include:
    ASIAN 498 Special Topics (Content varies; appropriate only if related to Japan)
    JAPAN 342 The Japanese Language
    JAPAN 343 The Japanese Language in Society
    JAPAN 360 Topics in Japanese Culture
    JAPAN 440 Introduction to Japanese Linguistics (Prerequisite is JAPAN 313; JAPAN 342)
    JAPAN 443 Topics in Japanese Sociolinguistics (Prerequisite is JAPAN 313, which may be taken concurrently); JAPAN 343

  • -Other Japanese literature courses not used to meet the literature requirement.
  • -Japan-related courses from other departments, with the written approval of the coordinator of the Japanese program.

    You can download a list of approved courses in other departments in pdf format.

    Courses may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement.

Linguistics Option

I. Language courses: 45 credits with a minimum of 30 credits beyond the second year:

  • JAPAN 211, 212, 213 (Second-Year Japanese)
  • JAPAN 311, 312, 313 (Third-Year Japanese)
  • Fourth-Year Japanese: Prerequisite for all Fourth-Year courses: a minimum grade of 2.5 in Japan 313. Select three courses from the list below:
    • JAPAN 421, 422, 423 (Fourth-Year Japanese for Professional and Academic Purposes I, II, III, taken in any order)
    • JAPAN 431, 432, 433 (Readings in Modern Japanese Literature, taken in any order)
    • JAPAN 445 (Foreign Study: Fourth Year Japanese)
    • JAPAN 460 (Readings in Japanese Culture)
    • JAPAN 471 (Introduction to Classical Japanese)
    • JAPAN 472 (Readings in Classical Japanese I; Japan 471 required)
    • JAPAN 473 (Readings in Classical Japanese II; Japan 472 required)

Advanced students who enter at above the 200-level or higher may meet the 45-credit language requirement by taking additional 400-level courses from those listed above. Other language-related courses may be used to fulfill this requirement with the written approval of the coordinator of the Japanese program.

II. Linguistics courses: A minimum of 20 credits must be completed, including at least 15 from:

  • JAPAN 342 (The Japanese Language, no prerequisite)
  • JAPAN 343 (Japanese Language in Society, no prerequisite)
  • JAPAN 395 (Foreign Study: Japanese Linguistics)
  • JAPAN 440 (Introduction to Japanese Linguistics, prerequisite: 313 or equivalent or permission of instructor; Japan 342
  • JAPAN 442 (Morphology and Syntax of Japanese, prerequisite: 313, Japan 440 and Ling 400 or permission of instructor)
  • JAPAN 443 (Japanese Sociolinguistics, prerequisite: 313 or equivalent or permission of instructor; Japan 343

5 of the 20 credits may come from JAPAN 321, 322, 323 (Japanese Literature I, II, III); JAPAN 360 (Topics in Japanese Culture); JAPAN 471, 472, 473 (Introduction to and Readings in Classical Japanese Literature); Ling 400 (Survey of Linguistic Method and Theory, 4 credits); or related courses from other departments.

III. Area-related Humanities and Social Sciences: 10 credits at the 300-level or above, at least 5 of which must be from outside the Department of Asian Languages and Literature
(class list as of 2005)

  • May be selected from the following: Ling 400, Japan 321, 322, 323, 360, 395, 460, 471, 472, 473; 300 or 400-level Japan-related courses from other departments.

You can download a list of approved courses in other departments in pdf format.

Courses used to satisfy the language requirement may not simultaneously be used to satisfy the literature or area-related humanities and social sciences requirements.

Major || Minor || M.A. || Ph.D. || top

Japanese Undergraduate Minor

The Department offers a 30 credit undergraduate minor in Japanese (15 credits of language courses with; 15 credits of additional language/literature/linguistics/culture courses). Courses taken for the minor must have a minimum grade of 2.0. No more than 15 transfer credits may count toward a Japanese language minor (note that UW study abroad program credits do not count as transfer credits).

I. 15 language credits at or above the Third-Year level:

  • JAPAN 311, 312, 313 (Third-Year Japanese)
  • JAPAN 345 (Foreign Study: Advanced Japanese, 1-15 credits, maximum 20)
  • Prerequisite for all Fourth-Year Japanese courses: JAPAN 313 and a minimum Third-Year Japanese GPA of 2.5.

  • JAPAN 421, 422, 423 (Fourth-Year Japanese)
  • JAPAN 428 Advanced Oral Communication (3 credits)
  • JAPAN 429 Advanced Writing in Japanese (3 credits)
  • JAPAN 431, 432, 433 (Readings in Modern Japanese Literature)
  • JAPAN 445 (Foreign Study: Fourth-Year Japanese, 1-15 credits, maximum 20)
  • JAPAN 460 (Readings in Japanese Culture)
  • JAPAN 471 (Introduction to Classical Japanese)
  • JAPAN 472 (Readings in Classical Japanese Literature, Japan 471 required)
  • JAPAN 473 (Readings in Classical Japanese Literature, Japan 472 required)

II. 15 credits in additional language, literature, or linguistics courses, including:

  • JAPAN 321, 322, 323 (Japanese Literature I, II, III)
  • JAPAN 342 (The Japanese Language)
  • JAPAN 343 (Japanese Language in Society)
  • JAPAN 360 (Topics in Japanese Culture)
  • JAPAN 395 (Foreign Study: Japanese Linguistics or Literature; 20 credit maximum)
  • JAPAN 431, 432, 433 (Readings in Modern Japanese Literature)
  • JAPAN 440 (Introduction to Japanese Linguistics)
  • JAPAN 442 (Morphology and Syntax of Japanese)
  • JAPAN 443 (Topics in Japanese Sociolinguistics)
  • JAPAN 460 (Readings in Japanese Culture)
  • JAPAN 471 (Introduction to Classical Japanese)
  • JAPAN 472 (Readings in Classical Japanese Literature I, Japan 471 required)
  • JAPAN 473 (Readings in Classical Japanese Literature II, Japan 472 required)

5 of these 15 credits may be earned by courses offered in other departments such as:

  • ARCH 441 Visions of the Japanese House (3 credits)
  • ARCH 453 Japanese Architecture (3 credits)
  • ART H 317 Chado-Japanese Esthetics (this 4-credit class substitutes for a 5-credit class for purposes of the Japanese minor requirement)
  • ART H 318 Japanese Prints 1600-Present
  • ART H 321 Arts of Japan
  • HSTAS 423 History of Modern Japan
  • HSTAS 424 The Emergence of Postwar Japan
  • HSTAS 441 Economic and Social History of Japan to 1900
  • MUSIC 495 Music of Japan (3 credits) note that prerequisite is MUSIC 316 Music Cultures of the World (5 credits)
Japan 421, 422, 423 or Technical Japanese courses may not be applied toward the 15 credits of additional language, literature, or linguistics courses required for the Minor. 300- or 400-level Japan-related courses from other departments may be used to fulfill this requirement.

Major || Minor || M.A. || Ph.D. || top

M.A. Program

The Japanese Language & Literature M.A. Program has a choice of disciplinary concentration in literature or linguistics.

Specialization in Language and Literature

I. Admission

The applicant must meet the requirements of the Graduate School as outlined in the General Catalog. An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 in the junior and senior years is a prerequisite for admission, together with three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose. For admission to the M.A. program, the student should have a strong undergraduate preparation in any of the following: Japanese language and literature, with the equivalent of at least four years' work in the language; another language and literature, Asian regional studies, comparative literature, linguistics, art history, English, philosophy, or history. While a student lacking such preparation may be admitted, s/he will be expected to concentrate initially on compensating for deficiencies in background by taking course work chosen in consultation with his/her academic adviser. In the case of inadequate training in Japanese, intensive courses in the language are available.

II. Program Description

This program offers work in the history and criticism of Japanese literature from the earliest period to the modern age. Students normally concentrate on fiction, poetry, and drama, supplementing their reading and analysis of original works with readings in secondary critical and historical sources. For example, a student interested in Japanese aesthetic concepts might wish to devote a major portion of his program to the history of criticism, while students with other specific interests might wish to pursue a linguistic, philosophical, biographical or comparative literature approach. In any case, the student and his adviser plan a course of study that concentrates on the language and literature training offered by this department, and may also include course work in other departments when this is deemed necessary to develop the academic resources of the student for his research in Japanese literature. (Students primarily interested in the linguistic analysis of the Japanese language should refer to the brochure describing the M.A. Program with Specialization in Asian Linguistics. The Department does not offer a program in the techniques of language teaching.)

III. Course Work & Credits

The M.A. program requires a minimum of 45 credits above the 300 level which are to be earned through a combination of course work and research. At least 18 credits of course work must be completed in numerically graded courses at the 400, 500 level, and 18 credits at the 500 level and above. The following courses normally constitute a minimal level of training: Japanese 321-2-3 (History of Japanese Literature: no graduate credit), Japanese 421-2-3 (Fourth-year Japanese), Japanese 431-2-3 (Readings in Modern Japanese Literature), Japanese 471-2-3 (Readings in Classical Japanese Literature). Students whose undergraduate training has provided them with a background comparable to this may enter more advanced courses. Less well prepared students may require a program considerably in excess of the minimum 45 credits.

The student may present his research in either of two ways: (1) by submitting a thesis, in which case he takes at least 36 course credits and 9 thesis credits, or (2) by submitting two research papers that have been written either independently or for courses or seminars, in which case all 45 minimum credits will be in course credits.

IV. M.A. General Examination

Near the end of his study, the student will take two written examinations, each of two hours' duration, one in pre-modern (pre-Meiji) literature, and the other modern. These are intended to examine the student's general mastery of the respective areas. The student will meet with his academic adviser during the quarter prior to the quarter in which the examination is taken, in order to discuss the student's preparation for the examination. In connection with this, the student will usually be asked to compile a list of courses taken and readings during the program of study.

V. The M.A. and the Ph.D.

The M.A. and the Ph.D. programs are separate and independent. Admission to the M.A. program does not guarantee admission to the Ph.D. program. For procedures on bypassing the M.A., see sections 3.4.0 and 3.4.1d of the Departmental M.A. and Ph.D. Policies and Procedures.

Specialization in Language and Linguistics

I. Admission.

The applicant must meet the requirements of the Graduate School as outlined in the General Catalog. An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 in the junior and senior years is a prerequisite for admission, together with three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose. For admission to the M.A. program, the student should have a strong undergraduate preparation in linguistics, literature, or social sciences with the equivalent of at least four years' work in the Japanese language. Basic preparation in linguistics is expected, regardless of undergraduate specialization. While a student lacking such preparation may be admitted, he will be expected to concentrate initially on compensating for the deficiencies in background by taking course work chosen in consultation with his academic adviser. In the case of inadequate training in Japanese, intensive courses in the language are available (in the summer).

II. Program Description.

This program offers work in Japanese linguistics, including descriptive linguistics, theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, and sociolinguistics. Students may take courses in all of these areas, while choosing one area in which to specialize. Each student works with a faculty adviser to plan a course of study that combines the Japanese linguistics training offered in this Department with linguistics and language-related courses offered in other departments, particularly in the Linguistics and English Departments.

III. Course Work and Credits

The M.A. program requires a minimum of 45 credits above the 300 level which are to be earned through a combination of course work and research. At least 18 credits of course work must be completed in numerically graded courses at the 400, 500 level, and 18 credits at the 500 level and above. The following courses normally constitute a minimal level of training: Japan 421-2-3, Fourth-Year Japanese (if language training is necessary); Japan 342, The Japanese Language; Japan 343, Japanese Language in Society; Japan 440, Introduction to Japanese Linguistics; Japan 442, Morphology and Syntax of Japanese; Japan 443, Topics in Japanese Sociolinguistics. Students whose undergraduate training has provided them with a background comparable to this may enter more advanced courses. Less well prepared students may require a program considerably in excess of the minimum of 45 credits.

The student may present his research in either of two ways: 1) by submitting a thesis, in which case he takes at least 36 course credits and 9 thesis credits (Asian 700), or 2) by submitting two research papers that have been written either independently or for courses or seminars, in which case all 45 minimum credits will be in course credits.

IV. Linguistics

Near the end of the course of study, each student will take two written examinations in Japanese linguistics, whether in descriptive linguistics, theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, or sociolinguistics. These are intended to examine the student's general mastery of the respective areas. The student will meet with his academic adviser during the quarter prior to the quarter in which the examination is taken,
in order to discuss the student's preparation for the examination. In connection with this, the student will usually be asked to compile a list of courses taken and readings during the program of study.

V. Admission to the Ph.D. program

The M.A. and the Ph.D. The M.A. and the Ph.D. programs are separate and independent. Admission to the M.A. program does not guarantee admission to the Ph.D. program. For procedures on bypassing the M.A., see sections 3.4.0 and 3.4.1d of the departmental M.A. and Ph.D. Policies and Procedures.

Major || Minor || M.A. || Ph.D. || top

Ph.D. Program

Specialization in Language and Literature

I. Admission

Application for admission to the University of Washington Graduate School for study in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature is a separate process from petitioning for admission to any individual Ph.D. program in the Department. The former is undertaken before the applicant enters the University of Washington, the latter only after the student has completed at least two full quarters of graduate study in the Department. The successful applicant for admission to the Graduate School who already holds the M.A. degree is officially classified as a "Post-master" until the petitioning and examining process is completed, when the student becomes a "pre-candidate." (See "Graduate Student Level Classifications," General Catalog.)

Aside from having to complete at least two quarters of graduate study in the Department, the student petitioning for admission to pre-candidacy must either hold the M.A. degree in Japanese language and literature or must have completed a minimum of 45 course credits and have satisfied the language requirement for the M.A. The student should also be entering at least 500-level courses in modern Japanese and should have studied classical Japanese for a minimum of one year. Any insufficiencies in background (e.g., in the case of a student holding an M.A. in an area other than Japanese language and literature) should be made up before the student petitions for admission to pre-candidacy. The petition indicates that the student feels he is prepared to take a written examination on his general knowledge of the field and an additional oral diagnostic examination on his background and plans for future study. The petition should only be submitted after consultation with the academic adviser.

II. Course Requirements

In addition to the minimum of 45 credits or its equivalent required for the master's program, the student must take at least 50 credits of course work on the graduate level. The following courses and dissertation credits are required:

  • JAPAN 501 Readings in Bibliographical Materials (5)
  • JAPAN 505, 506, 507 Readings in Documentary Japanese (15)
  • JAPAN 531, 532, 533 Advanced Readings in Modern Japanese Literature (15).
  • JAPAN 571, 572, 573 Advanced Readings in Classical Japanese Literature (15).
  • JAPAN 590 Seminar in Japanese Literature (15)
  • ASIAN 800 Doctoral Dissertation (27)

Additional course work in related fields may be required to meet the needs of each program. In order to acquire the widest possible background, students are encouraged to take related courses in history, linguistics, religion, and the social sciences. Familiarity with Chinese literature and allied fields as well as with comparative literature is strongly recommended. Each student develops his individualized program of studies in consultation with his academic adviser.

III. Language Examinations

In addition to a second language (usually European) required for the M.A., the student must demonstrate proficiency in a second language, usually Asian (Chinese is the usual choice for an Asian language, but the student should discuss other possibilities with his/her adviser).  Proficiency must be demonstrated in the second language before the student may proceed to the General Examination.

IV. Field Examination

Once a student becomes a precandidate, he has completed a generalized study of the area of Japanese language and literature, and he chooses four specialized fields on which to concentrate his studying for the next one or two years under the guidance of a Supervisory Committee. A "field" may consist of a period (e.g., Heian literature, Muromachi literature, Meiji literature), genre or sub-genre (poetry, drama, fiction; tanka, haiku, shintaishi), a specific author and his work (Komachi, Zeami, Sōseki), a style or a school (Shinkokinshū symbolism, the naturalists, the White Birch school), a broadly conceived topic (Shinto elements in Japanese literature, literary censorship, women in the modern novel), a language topic (historical phonology, historical grammar, comparative grammar), or any other appropriate topic of interest to the student. The four fields must be sufficiently diverse, and at least one of them must be in language. As the supervisor for each field becomes satisfied that the student has attained sufficient mastery, the supervisor and the student will decide on a time for the student to take a written examination, either of the take-home or the sit-down variety.

V. General Examination

When the four field examinations and the second language requirement have been satisfied, the academic adviser arranges with the Graduate School for the student to take the oral General Examination for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The student will be asked to speak on his work to date and his proposal for a program of dissertation research.

VI. Dissertation and Final Examination

After achieving Candidate status, the student engages in research and the writing of the dissertation. When the Reading Committee has accepted the dissertation, the Dean of the Graduate School authorizes the Supervisory Committee to hold the Final Examination in defense of the dissertation, which completes the degree requirements for this program.

Major || Minor || M.A. || Ph.D. || top

 

Home | About AL&L | Languages & Degrees | People | Course Information | News & Events | Alumni & Friends | Resources
Search | Site Map
Some documents may require Adobe Acrobat Reader
The University of Washington's Department of Asian Languages and Literature does not guarantee
the accuracy or completeness of information on this web page.

Box 353521, 225 Gowen Hall, Seattle, WA 98195-3521
(206) 543-4996 | (206) 685-4268 fax | asianll@u.washington.edu
© 1999-2006 University of Washington, Department of Asian Languages & Literature

University of Washington Support the Department College of Arts & Sciences