BA Japanese and...
Duration: 4 years
Overview
Featured events
Entry Requirements
- A Levels: AAB
- IB: 36 (6/6/6)
- BTEC: DDM
- Scottish Highers: AAABB
- Scottish Advanced Highers: AAB
- Irish LC: 340 points from 5 Higher level subjects at grade C1 or above
- Advanced Placement: 4 4 5 (Two semesters - UCAS Group A) plus US HSGD with GPA 3.0
- Euro Bacc: 80%
- French Bacc: 14/20
- German Abitur: 2.0
- Italy DES: 80/100
- Austria Mat: 2.0
- Polish Mat: 75%
Minimum Entry Requirements: No preliminary knowledge of the language is required but a foreign language at A-level or equivalent is preferred.
Subjects Preferred: A foreign language at A level, or equivalent, is preferred
Interview Policy: In principle all mature students, and all Japanese nationals and all students one of whose parents is Japanese are invited for interview.
The joint degree in Japanese aims to provide the student with the highest level of competence in all aspects of the written and spoken language, and with high level of competence in their second subject. Japanese can be combined with a range of disciplines.
All students spend Year Three in Japan at one of the following universities: Hokkaido University of Education (Hokkaido), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Keio University, Waseda University, Sophia University, Ochanomizu University (all Tokyo), Nagoya University, Nanzan University (both Nagoya), Osaka University of Foreign Studies, Osaka University (both Osaka), Doshisha University (Kyoto), Kansai University, Kwansei Gakuin University, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Kyushu University, Kobe University, Ritsumeikan University, and Hiroshima University (Hiroshima). Please bear in mind that the Year Abroad is compulsory, and that no teaching is available at SOAS for 3rd year students.
Combinations
May be combined with
- Economics, LT12 BA/JEC
- Geography **, LT72 BA/JGE
- History, VTC3 BA/IH
- History of Art/Archaeology, VT32 BA/HAAJ
- Korean, TTG4 BA/KOJ
- Linguistics, QT12 BA/JKG
- Management ***, NT22 BA/MGJ
- Music, TW23 BA/MSJ
- Politics, LT22 BA/POLJ
- Social Anthropology, LT62 BA/SAJ
- Study of Religions TV26 BA/SRJ
** Taught at King’s College London
*** Taught at Birkbeck College, London
Structure
Students must take a total of four units each year.
Year 1
The programme accommodates absolute beginners as well as those with some knowledge of Japanese. Absolute beginners are placed in J1- Elementary Japanese (2 units), and students who know some Japanese may be allocated, after a placement test, to J-1 Accelerated Elementary Japanese (1.5 units).
Accelerated Elementary Japanese (1.5 units) students will also take an additional half-unit from any of the following: Aspects of Japanese Culture 1 or 2, Introduction to the Study of Language Learning 1 or 2, or Issues in post-war Japanese society 1.
Two subject degree students choose at least one unit from their other subject.
There also exists the possibility, again after a placement test, for entry directly into Year 2. (A grade in Japanese A-level is the benchmark for entry to Year 2.)
Year 2
Students take two units of Japanese language, and the remaining units from their other subject.
Year 3
This is a compulsory year spent in Japan for both single and two-subject degree students, and there is no tuition offered by the department. Students are expected to take the equivalent of 4 units in this year at a Japanese university.
A three-year BA Japanese Studies which does not include a period of study abroad will be on offer from 2009/10. Please check the website for updates.
Year 4
Two-subject degree students have no compulsory units in Year 4 (they may take any 4th year unit from the list shown in the table below) but are encouraged to undertake an Extended Essay (EE: 5,000 words-essay on an approved topic) or an Independent Study Project (ISP: 10,000-word essay on an approved topic).
Notes on degree progression for students entering in and after September 2009
Students in Year 1 of BA Japanese (single or joint subject) must meet all three of the following conditions to be eligible to progress to the second year of their degree:
- They must pass in all core courses prescribed for Year 1 of their degree.
- They must pass in courses to the minimum value of three course units.
- In the core Japanese course (J1Elementary Japanese 15 590 1195 or J1 Accelerated elementary Japanese 15 590 1196) they must obtain a minimum mark of 50% following the May/June examination.
*Notes to the regulation:
A. These progression requirements do not apply to BA Japanese Studies (single and joint subject).
B. Students who obtain 50% or more in J1Elementary Japanese or J1 Accelerated elementary Japanese following a September resit examination will not meet the progression requirement. Students who obtain 20% to 39% in J1 following the May/June examination may enter to take a September resit examination, but only with the aim of applying to transfer to another degree (see Note C below).
C. Students who meet conditions 1 and 2 above and either pass J1 with a mark of 40% to 49% following the May/June examination or who pass J1 with any mark from 40% upwards following a September resit examination may apply to transfer to another degree (such as Year 2 of BA Japanese Studies). Applications for transfer must be made by means of the degree transfer application form, obtainable from any Faculty Office.
D. September resit examinations are available only in respect of courses failed with a mark in the range 20% to 39%. Students who have passed a course (40%+) may not attempt a September resit examination with the aim of improving their mark.
1st year Elementary Japanese students must take at least the following:
- J1 - Elementary Japanese 2 units (full year)
Accelerated Japanese students must take at least the following:
- J1 - Accelerated Japanese 1.5 units (full year)
Plus at least half unit from the following:
- Aspects of Japanese Culture I 0.5 unit (term 1)
- Aspects of Japanese Culture II 0.5 unit (term 2)
- Issues in Post-war Japanese Society I 0.5 units (term 1)
Other units that may be taken in this department (depending on the requirements of the joint department) are:
- Aspects of Japanese Culture I 0.5 unit (term 1)
- Aspects of Japanese Culture II 0.5 unit (term 2)
- Introduction to the Study of Language Learning I 0.5 unit (term 1)
- Introduction to the Study of Language Learning II 0.5 unit (term 2)
- Issues in Post-war Japanese Society I 0.5 units (term 1)
The remaining units will be taken in the joint department.
2nd Year All two-subject 2nd year students must take
- J2: Japanese (core) 2 units (full year)
Additionally available are the following courses, and any of the other 2nd year courses
- Structure of Japanese I 0.5 unit (term 1)
- Structure of Japanese II 0.5 unit not on offer in 08/09
3rd Year
Spent in Japan
4th Year
There are no compulsory units for 4th year students doing two-subject degrees in Japanese, but students may take any 4th year unit from the list shown in the table above.
Programme Specification
Teaching & Learning
Year abroad
Teaching & Learning
Teaching Quality Assessment Score: 23/24
Research Assessment Exercise Score: 5
Language teaching is mostly in small tutorial groups; tapes and language laboratory facilities are available for formal teaching and self-study. Non-language units are taught by lecture and seminar.
Students are assessed by a combination of written examination (and oral for language units) and coursework, including essays and translations.
SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.
Pre Entry Reading
- R. Bowring & P Kornicki (eds), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan 1996
- D. Keene, Anthology of Japanese Literature, 1980
- A. Gordon, A modern history of Japan, 1996
- H Paul Varley, Japanese Culture (4th edition) 1998
