MA Japanese Studies and Intensive Language

Program Overview

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The MA Japanese Studies and Intensive Language is a two-year full-time (or four-year part-time) programme. This MA is designed to provide intensive language training at different proficiency levels - depending on entry level - within a Masters programme in Japanese Studies

The MA Japanese Studies and Intensive Language programme allows students to:

cultivate or further develop a basic expertise in particular aspects of Japanese Studies

choose modules that meet their own needs, with respect to their interest in Japan and future career plans

develop their abilities to synthesize information, to think critically, to manage a complex research project and to present results in verbal and written form

achieve a high level of language proficiency

master transferable language and analytical skills in order to prepare for a variety of potential future professional or research careers.

Why study Japanese and Intensive Language at SOAS

we are ranked 12th in the UK for Modern Languages (QS World University Rankings 2023)

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

Program Outline

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 as outlined below.  15 credits are allocated to the core module.

In the first year, students take 60 credits of intensive language instruction, 15 credits on the core module and 45 credits in the discipline. During the summer, they participate in a Summer School abroad which gives them a further 45 credits upon successful completion.

In the second year, students take a further 30 credits in language, 60 credits in the discipline and a further 60 credits in the dissertation.

Across both years, students must choose a minimum of 45 credits of modules from List A (modules related to Japan) and a maximum of 60 credits from List B and/or List C (total of 30 credits), which includes language modules, modules related to other regions of East Asia and modules on Japan offered by other departments.

For students opting to take language acquisition modules in more than one language, a maximum of 30 credits of these can be at an introductory level.

Students will be asked to choose the module on which they will base their dissertation. The convenor of this module will usually be their dissertation supervisor. The module will usually be chosen from List A modules within the department, but after consultation with the programme convenor it may be possible to arrange for a supervisor from another department.

All modules are subject to availability.

The

Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures

has further information on the Intensive language part of the programme.

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes. However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

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Year 1 (two years full-time)

Discipline component

Module	Credits
Connections and Intersections: Core Aspects of East Asian Studies	15

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Plus

Modules from the list below to the value of 45 credits.

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Language component

Students take 60 credits in the selected language.

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Summer abroad

Students participate in a Summer School abroad for the selected language.

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Year 2 (two years full-time)

Discipline component

Modules from the

list below to the value of 60 credits.

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Language component

Students take 30 credits in the selected language.

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Dissertation

Module	Credits
Dissertation in Japanese Studies	60

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List A - guided options

Students must take a minimum of 45 credits from the list below

Module	Credits
Japanese-English Translation (PG)	15
Modernity, Nation and Identity in Japanese History (1853-1945) (PG)	15
Identity and social relations in Japanese (PG)	15
Japanese Traditional Drama (PG)	15
Writing from the Margins: Minority and "Outsider" Texts in Modern Japanese Literature (PG)	15
Japanese Cinema (PG)	15

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List B - East Asia modules

Students may take between 30 - 60 modules from the list below

Module	Credits
Myths, Legends and Folkways of East Asia (PG)	15
East Asian Cinema (PG)	15
Gender in East Asian Literature (PG)	15
Fieldwork methods in language and culture (PG)	15
New Taiwan Cinema and Beyond (PG)	15
Culture and Society of Taiwan (PG)	15
Literature, Politics and National Identity in Modern China (PG)	15
Contemporary Chinese Society (PG)	15
Trajectories of Modernity in Korean Literature and Film (PG)	15
The Making of Modern Korea	15
Korean-English Translation (PG)	15

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Language

Module	Credits
Chinese 1 A (PG)	15
Chinese 1 B (PG)	15
Chinese 2 (PG)	30
Chinese 3 (PG)	30
Chinese 4 (PG)	30
Chinese for Business (PG)	15
Ch400: Advanced Chinese (PG)	15
Korean 1 A (PG)	15
Korean 1 B (PG)	15
Korean 2 (PG)	30
Korean 3 (PG)	30
Korean 4 (PG)	30
K200: Intermediate Korean (PG)	30
K400: Advanced Korean (PG)	15

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List C - guided options

Students can take 0 to 30 credits from the list below.

Module	Credits
Art and Authority in Japan	15
Japanese Art and Visual Culture	15
Economic development in the Asia Pacific region	15
Comparing Democracies in North East Asia	15
Political Economies of Northeast Asia: Japan, Korea and Taiwan	15
East Asian Buddhist Thought	15

The MA Japanese Studies and Intensive Language programme allows students to develop in four key areas:

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Knowledge

Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of Japan’s past and present, within the parameters of the modules and disciplines chosen, and of her connections to the wider East Asian Region through the core module.

Students will acquire an advanced understanding of the theoretical and methodological tools of the relevant disciplines.

Students who choose to take language will improve their knowledge of and ability to use Japanese in their everyday life and, depending on the level achieved, professional career.

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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 the strengths and disciplines 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.

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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 modules taken.

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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.

Through your study of language study

you will acquire/develop skills in both written and spoken language.

develop a procedural knowledge of rules governing both oral and written linguistic usages and of multiple norms regulating intercultural communication, analytical skills (problem solving, formal operations), critical skills and creativity.

develop the ability to engage with people or texts from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, understanding the role of different linguistic or cultural frames of reference.

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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.

Graduates from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures develop competencies in intercultural awareness, analysis and communication. Demand for specialists with advanced proficiency in the languages of China, Japan and Korea has significantly increased in recent years, and graduates with these skills are highly sought after by employers.

Recent graduates have been hired by organisations including:

Accenture

Amazon

Bloomberg LP

Department for Work and Pensions

European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea

European Commission

Google

ITN

Japanese Government

Korea Trade Centre (KOTRA)

KPMG

Mizuho Bank

Nagahama Board of Education

Nanjing Museum

Pinsent Masons LLP

PwC

Seoul Metropolitan Government

Shelterbox

UNDP

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