Program Overview

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Japanologie/Japanese Studies - Bachelor (Major Subject)

Key Data on Study Program

• Faculty: Faculty of Humanities
• Academic Degree: Bachelor (Major Subject)
• Restricted Admission: None
• Regular Duration of Studies: 8 semesters
• Combination Subject Required: Yes
• Application Deadline for 1st Semester: Overview of application deadlines
• Program Start: Winter semester
• Language of Instruction: German
• Costs: Tuition and other fees

Requirements and Application

Requirements for Studies

• Abschluss Bachelor Hauptfach: The prerequisite for studying at the University of Tübingen is the general higher education entrance qualification, usually the Abitur, or another higher education entrance qualification. The Japanology major is not subject to admission restrictions and can only be started in the winter semester.
• Abschluss Bachelor Nebenfach: The prerequisite for studying at the University of Tübingen is the general higher education entrance qualification, usually the Abitur, or another higher education entrance qualification. The Japanology minor is not subject to admission restrictions and can only be started in the winter semester.

Languages Required

• Very good English skills are expected, as a large part of the specialist literature is in English.
• Active mastery of the two syllabary scripts, Hiragana and Katakana, is another requirement before the start of studies.

Combination Subjects

• As a scientific minor, any existing BA minor can be chosen. It is recommended to choose a methodological subject that conveys research methods that can be applied to one's own interests in Japanology. These include, for example, history, ethnology, sociology, religious studies, and political science.
• Students who want to keep the option open to study the Master's program in Politics and Society of East Asia later should enroll in a social science minor such as sociology or political science, as this is a prerequisite for admission to this Master's program.

Program Details

Topics Dealt with in the Program

The Tübingen Japanology can look back on a long tradition in cultural science research. Currently, three professorships are based in Tübingen, which deal in particular with the following topics:

• The area of modern Japan, represented by Prof. Dr. Robert Horres, is the interface between Japan-related cultural and social sciences and deals with media science as well as the history of technology.
• The area of religions, represented by Prof. Dr. Monika Schrimpf, conveys knowledge about the history of religion in modern and contemporary times and deals with current topics such as gender and religion.
• Junior Professor Dr. Fynn Holm represents the area of Japanese history (17th-20th century) with a focus on environmental, global, and social history.
• In addition, there are focal points in Tübingen in the reading of pre-modern literature (Dr. Eva-Maria Meyer) and in the history of ideas and everyday religions (Dr. Michael Wachutka).
• Great importance is attached to a broad spectrum of teaching methods in the transmission of the teaching content. In the seminars, students learn scientific working methods such as writing term papers, holding scientific lectures, and writing reviews. On the other hand, innovative teaching concepts such as the creation of a field research journal, texts for websites, the recording of podcasts and videos for social media, and the development of these together with the students are also used.

What is Special about the Tübingen Program?

• The major feature in Tübingen is the one-year stay in Japan at our branch office at Dōshisha University in Kyōto. Students have the opportunity to experience Japanese everyday life with a Japanese host family.
• The integration of the stay into the regular study program guarantees a seamless connection of the language courses from Tübingen to Kyōto. The language instruction is given by trained native-speaking lecturers both in Germany and in Japan.
• In addition to the language courses, the content courses also build directly on one another and are continued thematically in Kyōto. In the project seminars at the TCJS, which are held every semester by employees and professors, there is the unique opportunity to apply the methods learned theoretically in the classroom directly on site.
• Another special feature of the study program is the close contact with Japanese exchange students who come to Tübingen every semester as part of the Dōshisha EU Campus program. This provides numerous opportunities to establish contacts with Japanese people in Germany and to expand one's own language and cultural knowledge.

Help with Choosing a Study Program

Is the Program Right for Me?

To help you decide whether Tübingen is right for you, here are some contact points and information on studying in Germany:

• University of Tübingen's international profile
• Contact: University office for the advising and admission of international students
• Information on application for international students
• FAQs for international students
• Addresses and contact points for international students at the University of Tübingen

After Your Studies

Career Prospects

With a Bachelor's degree in Japanology, various future prospects open up. On the one hand, you can enroll in our Master's program, which offers the opportunity to deal in-depth with a self-chosen topic in the Master's thesis. For students who have already completed our four-year Bachelor's program, there is the option of completing the Master's program in just one year.

• After completing the Bachelor's degree, there is also the possibility of entering the job market directly. The Bachelor's program trains students in critical and analytical thinking, which is seen by many employers - with or without a connection to Japan - as an important basic requirement. Furthermore, students have acquired the language skills that enable them to work in Japanese companies in Germany or in companies in Japan itself. The intercultural skills acquired, among other things, during the stay in Japan, also represent an important plus point when looking for a job. With a Bachelor's degree, you can work in various fields, such as education, cultural management, international relations (Foreign Office, international NGOs, etc.), or in the private sector, for example in tourism, in companies with a connection to Japan, or in the media. Knowledge of Japan and intercultural and linguistic competence are in demand and represent an important resource on the way to the job market.

Postgraduate Programs

• Consecutive Master's program in Japanology/Japanese Studies
• Non-consecutive interdisciplinary Master's program in Politics and Society of East Asia
• All degree programs

Advice and Internships

The University's Career Service advises on career orientation and getting started in your profession. Jobs and internships can be found in the Praxisportal.