Japan & Korea Section, Department of East Asian Languages & Culture

MA... and Intensive Language (Japanese) (2022 entry)

Select year of entry: 2022 2021

Overview

Overview and entry requirements

The MA (discipline) and Intensive Language (Japanese) has a two-year language pathway and is directed at students with a professional and academic interest in Japan. The intensive training in Japanese language aims at supporting students’ ability to tackle their disciplinary interests by engaging with written texts and in oral communication in Japanese.

Combine a discipline with Intensive Language (Japanese)

Your chosen discipline is combined with intensive Japanese language over two years, including a period in Japan, making this programme unique in Europe. Note that students bear the costs of travel to and from Japan, as well as all living expenses (including accommodation) during the period of their stay.

Access to the Japanese language pathway is currently available for students with a beginner level of proficiency. The post-beginner level of proficiency is not running in 2021/22 - this corresponds to having completed Minna no Nihongo, Volumes 1 and 2 (or an equivalent text), knowledge of approximately 500 kanji, and tuition time of about 220 hours in total. See the list of kanji and a sample test.

Students’ proficiency levels will be assessed through a placement test during registration week (specific dates will be provided to the applicants).

Students taking MA Japanese Studies as their discipline cannot choose additional Japanese language modules from the Languages list; you will have to select your discipline modules from the other categories. Please also note that Special Chinese and Basic Korean can only be taken with the approval of the language teachers and MA convenor.

See Japan and Korea Department

Why study Intensive Japanese Language at SOAS

SOAS is ranked 10th in the UK in the 2022 QS World University Rankings for Modern Languages
we are home to the largest concentration of Japan specialists outside of Japan
you will not only learn the essential language skills but also an in-depth understanding of the region’s culture covering subjects from literature, history, cinema, and politics
your command of a language will set you apart from graduates of other universities

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application such as supporting statement. References are optional, but can help build a stronger application if you fall below the 2:2 requirement or have non-traditional qualifications.

Please see our 'postgraduate entry requirements' page for Overseas and EU qualifications and equivalencies.

Featured events

duration:: Full-time (2 years) or Part-time (4 years)

Fees 2022/23

Home students fees:: £11,980

Overseas students fees:: £23,400

Fees for 2022/23 entrants. This is a Band 1 fee. The fees are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. Further details can be found on the Postgraduate tuition fees page

Convenors

Dr Barbara Pizziconi Convenor

Combinations

May be combined with:

Anthropology

History

MA History

History of Art

MA History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia

Japan and Korea

Linguistics

MA Linguistics

Structure

Students must take 315 credits in total, comprised of 255 taught credits (45 of which are taught abroad as part of a Summer School) and a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline as outlined below.

In their first year, students on the two-year Intensive Language programmes take 60 credits of intensive language instruction and 60 credits in the discipline. During the summer, they participate in a Summer School abroad.

In the second year, they take another 30 language credits as well as 60 credits in the discipline; they also complete their dissertation in the discipline.

Please see 'Programme specification' below to download the PDF pathways specifications of the four-year part-time version of the programme.

For information on the discipline parts of the programme see Postgraduate programmes by subject

Programme

Two Years Beginner

Year 1 (two years full time)

Language Component

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Intensive Elementary Japanese 1	15PJKC028	60	Full Year

Discipline Component

Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.

Summer Abroad

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Intensive Japanese 2 (Summer Abroad)	15PJKC020	45	Term 2

Year 2 (two years full time)

Language Component

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Japanese 4 (PG)	15PJKC011	30	Full Year

Or

Module	Code	Credits	Term

Discipline Component

Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.

Dissertation

Students complete a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline.

Two Years Post-Beginner (Not Running 2021/22)

Year 1 (two years full time)

Language Component

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Intensive Japanese 1	15PJKC019	60 Credits

Discipline Component

Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.

Summer Abroad

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Intensive Japanese 2 (Summer Abroad)	15PJKC020	45	Term 2

Year 2 (two years full time)

Language Component

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Intensive Japanese 3	15PJKC021	30 Credits

Discipline Component

Students take 60 credits in the selected discipline.

Dissertation

Students complete a 60-credit dissertation in the selected discipline.

Programme Specification

Important notice

The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching & Learning

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

Contact hours

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes will vary depending on the combination of courses chosen by individual students. Learning outcomes for each course can be found under the information provided on the relevant list of postgraduate courses on the departmental page of the SOAS website.

Knowledge

Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of Japan’s past and present, within the parameters of the courses and disciplines chosen.
Students will acquire an advanced understanding of the theoretical and methodological tools of the relevant disciplines.
Students will improve their knowledge of and ability to use Japanese in their everyday life and professional career.

Intellectual (thinking) skills

Students will learn how to assess data and evidence critically from a variety of sources and how to resolve problems of conflicting sources and conflicting interpretations.
Students will learn to evaluate the strengths of particular disciplinary and theoretical approaches, cultivating their ability to draw on a variety of such approaches.
Students will learn how to design and manage an independent research project, formulating the problem to be addressed, identifying the data to be analyzed, and synthesizing the findings to present well-supported conclusions.

Subject-based practical skills

Students will learn how to read critically, to participate effectively in seminar discussions, and to present their work in both oral and written form.
More specific skills will depend on the particular courses taken.
Students will acquire/develop linguistic skills which will enable them to tackle written and spoken tasks in contexts relevant to them.

Transferable skills

Students will learn how to access and evaluate electronic and other data effectively and efficiently.
Students will learn how to solve complex problems, for example concerning economic development, historical causation, literary interpretation, or political decision-making.
Students will learn how to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and formats.

SOAS Library

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.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Fees for 2022/23 entrants, per academic year (Band 1 tuition fee)

Full-time
Home Students	Overseas Students
£11,980	£23,400

Please note that fees go up each year. Two-year full-time programmes have 2 years of full-time fees; the fee in the second year will be higher than the fee for the first year (the full time fee above is for the first year only).

For full details of tuition fees, see our postgraduate tuition fees page.

Scholarships

Felix Non- Indian Scholarship

Application Deadline: 2022-01-28 15:00