Fees for 2017/18 entrants. The fees are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. Further details can be found in the Fees and Funding tab on this page or in the Registry Undergraduate Tuition Fees page
BTEC: DDM
Access to HE: Minimum of 30 Level 3 Credits at Distinction
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: Overall 75% including 3 extended level subjects
Mode of Attendance: Full-time
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.
The information for BA, BSc, or LLB programmes refer to data taken from the single subject degrees offered at SOAS; however, due to the unique nature of our programmes many subjects have a separate set of data when they are studied alongside another discipline. In order to get a full picture of their chosen subject(s) applicants are advised to look at both sets of information where these occur.
Please see the Unistats data for the various combinations of this programme under the Combinations tab.
** Taught at King’s College London
Click on a combined programme to load KIS data
Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.
Students must take a total of 120 credits each year.
The programme accommodates absolute beginners as well as those with some knowledge of Japanese. Absolute beginners are placed in J1- Elementary Japanese (60 credits), and students who know some Japanese may be allocated, after a placement test, to J-1 Accelerated Elementary Japanese (45 credits).
Accelerated Elementary Japanese (45 credits) students will also take an additional 15 credits 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 should choose 60 credits from their other subject.
Progression
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 modules prescribed for Year 1 of their degree.
They must pass in modules to the minimum value of three course units.
In the core Japanese module (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 modules failed with a mark in the range 20% to 39%. Students who have passed a module (40%+) may not attempt a September resit examination with the aim of improving their mark.
Students take 60 credits of Japanese language, and the remaining 60 credits from their other subject.
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 120 credits in this year at a Japanese university.
Two-subject degree students have no compulsory modules 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).
Core modules must be passed in order to progress to the following year of study.
| Module | Code | Unit value | Term | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J1: Elementary Japanese | 155901195 | 2 Units | Full Year |
Two subject degree students choose 60 credits from their other subject.
Core modules must be passed in order to progress to the following year of study.
| Module | Code | Unit value | Term | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J1: Accelerated Elementary Japanese | 155901196 | 1.5 Units | Full Year |
| Module | Code | Unit value | Term | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspects of Japanese Culture 1 | 155901199 | 0.5 Units | Term 1 | |
| Aspects of Japanese Culture 2 | 155901200 | 0.5 Units | Term 2 | |
| Issues in Post-war Japanese Society 1 | 155901329 | 0.5 Units | Term 1 | |
| Issues in Post-war Japanese Society 2 | 155901330 | 0.5 Units | Term 2 | |
| Issues in the Study of Language Learning 1 | 155901197 | 0.5 Units | Term 1 | Not Running 2017/2018 |
| Issues in the Study of Language Learning 2 | 155901198 | 0.5 Units | Term 1 | Not Running 2017/2018 |
Two subject degree students choose 60 credits from their other subject.
Core modules must be passed in order to progress to the following year of study.
| Module | Code | Unit value | Term | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J2: Japanese | 155901215 | 2 Units | Full Year |
Two subject degree students choose 60 credits from their other subject.
Please see more information on the year abroad in Japan under the Teaching & Learning tab.
Student must take 30 credits from the list of Japanese language use modules below. Students may take 60 credits from the Japanese modules if the syllabus of their other subject allows.
| Module | Code | Unit value | Term | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Study Project in Japanese Language and Culture | 155900883 | 1 Unit | Full Year | |
| Higher Advanced Japanese | 155901285 | 1 Unit | Full Year | |
| Memory and Militarism on Japanese TV | 155901378 | 1 Unit | Full Year | Not Running 2017/2018 |
| Readings in Japanese History | 155900881 | 0.5 Units | Term 1 | |
| Readings in Japanese Intellectual History | 155900882 | 0.5 Units | Term 2 | |
| Readings in Pre-Modern Japanese Literature | 155901284 | 1 Unit | Full Year | |
| Readings in Modern Japanese Literature | 155901273 | 1 Unit | Full Year |
Students take the remaining credits in the other subject or as Open Options, depending on the requirements of the other subject.
Entry to optional modules is subject to language level.
All students spend their third year in Japan at one of the Japanese universities listed below, following successful completion of their second year and the J2: Japanese core module. Please note that there are limited places for each destination, and they may not be available every year. Students will be allocated a university based on their GPA (Grade Point Average) and their results from the first term of their second year.
Where possible, students in the BA Japanese (and…) must take half of their modules on Japanese Language and the other half on cultural topics. It is always preferable and recommended that students take lectures conducted in Japanese in order to get the most from their time in Japan.
In order to proceed to Year 4 of their degree, students must pass the equivalent of at least three quarters of the minimum number of modules considered to be a ‘full’ load by the host university. Students who fail to satisfy these requirements may be allowed to take a re-entry assessment at SOAS on their return to determine whether or not they are eligible to progress to Year 4 of their degree course. Failure to pass the re-entry assessment will result in the student having to apply for a change of degree.
Students usually apply for accommodation with the host university. Typical living costs are around 100,000 Yen per month, but this varies by location.
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.
Full details of undergraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Undergraduate Tuition Fees page.
Fees for 2017/18 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year.
| Programme | Full-Time | |
|---|---|---|
| UK/EU Students |
Overseas Students |
|
| BA, BSc, LLB | £9,250 | £16,575 |
| BA/BSc Language Year Abroad | £1,350 | £8,288 |
Application Deadline: 2017-04-17 17:00
For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section
Students who specialise in Japan and the Japanese language at SOAS will gain competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. You will have developed a familiarity with the region through a combination of the study of language, literature, history, cinema, politics, economics or law. Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers, both in business and in the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources. Choosing to study a joint degree programme will increase the breadth of your knowledge, and will develop additional skills with which to further your studies of the Japan, or to make comparative study with other areas. Japanese may be combined with a huge range of other disciplines. For more information on the extra skills you will gain from your second subject, please see the relevant departmental page.
Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:
| Arrow Group Barclays Capital Bloomberg BNP Paribas Investment Partners Bonhams Disney Interactive Studios Korea University London News Bureau of Japan's Public Broadcaster Nippon Kaiji Kyokai |
Osaka International University Price Waterhouse Coopers Standard Chartered Bank The Japan Foundation Tomorrow's Youth Organisation Nihon Shokken Altia Central British Government |
Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:
| Product Development Financial Analyst Head of Fund Management Localisation Producer - Asia Project Officer Senior Associate |
FX Trader Outreach Project Officer Field Representative Teaching Assistant Trainee News Cameraman Researcher |
For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.
Antoni SlodkowskiIt’s a melting pot of languages and cultures where your eyes open to new things you might have never heard about on a daily basis.
If you still have questions about this programme or studying at SOAS get in touch.
Undergraduate applications should be made through UCAS.
