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Japanese Language & Culture, B.A.

Equipping you with knowledge of Japanese language, culture, history, and social dynamics to build a thriving career in today’s fast-moving, increasingly interconnected world.

The B.A. in Japanese Language & Culture will offer you exceptional preparation in an increasingly interdependent global economy where literacy in international matters, multiculturalism, and proficiency in the Japanese language and social dynamics can be your springboard to a successful career.

Empowering You to Excel in Your Chosen Profession

The program will equip you to build an exciting career in today’s fast-moving, increasingly interconnected world by giving you powerful knowledge of the Japanese language and culture.

You’ll find our graduates leading fulfilling and dynamic careers at a diverse range of employers all over the world, some of which include:

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme
  • JTB Americas
  • Sacramento Union High School District
  • Salinas Union High School District
  • San Francisco Union High School District
  • Sony

The program delivers powerful preparation for any number of professional settings and roles, including:

  • Translator
  • Interpreter
  • Localizer
  • Educator
  • Manager in Tourism, Hospitality, and Business
  • JET (Japanese Government) Coordinator of International Relations
  • Assistant Language Teacher
  • AmeriCorps Assistant

We’ve seen our program alums move on to advance their education at impressive colleges and universities in the country, including:

  • Inter-University Center for Japanese Studies (Stanford)
  • UCLA
  • UC Santa Barbara
  • University of South Florida
  • CSU Long Beach
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Public University Price, Private University Experience

A Lifetime of Value

Tuition & Fees Financial Aid

Japanese Language & Culture, B.A.

The Japanese Language & Culture program will prepare you to achieve an impressive level of language proficiency (intermediate-high level according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), enabling you to communicate effectively with well-rounded cultural knowledge of Japanese history, literature, and social sciences.

 

Educational Objectives

Our dynamic classroom environment includes students coming to CSUMB from throughout California and beyond, which will expose you to a vibrant diversity of backgrounds and perspectives from fellow students.

Our partnerships with a dozen Japanese universities sets us apart from most other colleges and universities in California and will open exciting new doors of opportunity for you to take your studies overseas.

Our robust and comprehensive curriculum includes courses on Japanese and Asian history and culture, in addition to your language courses, providing you with a deeper understanding and valuable context of the mindset behind the language that other institutions don’t typically offer.

Our extracurricular partnerships with centers and programming including the Tyler Center for Global Studies, the Okinawa Memories Initiative, and the Monterey Bay World Languages Project will position you to engage in multidisciplinary research; field work on the social, political, and historical complexities of American military bases in Japan; seminars; and other learning activities.

In order to graduate, you will also need to complete your General Education and university requirements.

Proficiency equal or greater to successful completion of JAPN 201 is required prior to beginning major coursework in Japanese.

Complete all of the following courses:

 

Complete  JAPN 420 - Maximizing Study Abroad Experiences and then select one of the following options to satisfy the requirements of the major:

  • Option 1 - Study Abroad (for a Summer, a Semester, or one Year)
  • Option 2 - Community Project. See Department Chair for details.

 

Complete both of the following Culture courses:

 

Complete four of the following Language and Linguistics courses:

 

Complete three of the following Culture courses:
Please note: only one course may be at the 200-level

 

Complete one of the following Secondary Culture courses:

As a student in the program you’ll learn about the history and impact of immigrants to the CSUMB region, including from Japan, who transformed the coastal environment and inform our region today. This history is often neglected in other fields, which has contributed to the erasure of this important history.

The program features service learning courses that will take you out into the local community to teach Japanese language and culture at local schools, while also reflecting on your own perspectives and evolving understanding of the importance of embracing diversity and social responsibility.

News

Read about our student success and faculty innovation in CSUMB News

Questions? We’re Here to Help!

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you have about the Japanese Language & Culture program.

Our experienced and supportive admissions staff is here to provide all the individualized guidance you need.

Study Japanese Language & Culture in an inspiring coastal environment where we are truly committed to mentorship and an engaging student experience.