Academics

Cherry blossoms in Japan after a rainy day.

Undergraduate students can major or minor in Japanese by earning credits in various Japanese classes at Hunter College.

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Japanese Major

The Japanese Language and Culture Major aims to have students reach a level of proficiency equivalent to the N2 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) as well as developing a deep knowledge of Japanese culture. The total number of credits required for a major is 30-36 credits—This means 24 credits of required JPN courses, plus 4 elective courses (12 elective credits). Only one 200-level course can be taken from the language elective courses, and only one course can be taken from the culture elective courses. Graduates with the Major will be equipped with a deep and broad knowledge of Japanese language and culture, which will open a wide range of opportunities for them to pursue Japan-/Japanese-related careers, both professional and academic

Major Requirements - Overall:

  • Earn at least 30-36 credits

Major Requirements - Major Courses:
Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:

  • Complete ALL of the following Required Language Courses:
    • JPN 10100 - Elementary Japanese I*
    • JPN 10200 - Elementary Japanese II*
    • JPN 20100 - Intermediate Japanese I
    • JPN 20200 - Intermediate Japanese II
    • JPN 30100 - Advanced Japanese 1
    • JPN 30200 - Advanced Japanese 2

    12-18 credits: Students who are exempt from language courses at the 200-level or above must make up their credits using other Japanese language courses.
    *Students who place above JPN 101,102 when entering the program do not need to take 101 & 102 (thus the difference between 12-18 credits for the above, and the difference between 30-36 credits for the major)

  • Complete ALL of the following Required Culture Courses:
    • JPN 25100 - Japanese Culture Before 1600
    • JPN 25200 - Japanese Culture Since 1600

Major Requirements - Elective Courses:

  1. You must take 4 additional elective courses**
  2. At least one course must be a language course and one course must be a culture course. (in other words, you may not take entirely culture or language courses to fill these electives)
  3. Only one course from language and one course from culture can be a 200-level course.

**If you have placed out of 201 and/or 202 you must replace these courses with additional Japanese language class electives (1-2 additional electives total, depending on whether you placed out of only one, or both courses)

Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:

  • Complete ANY of the following Language Courses:
    • JPN 27100 - Japanese Reading: Recitation and Comprehension
    • JPN 20400 - Intermediate Special Topics in Japanese Language
    • JPN 30400 - Special Topics in Japanese Language*
    • JPN 35100 - Advanced Japanese Conversation
    • JPN 40400 - Advanced Special Topics in Japanese Language*
  • Complete ANY of the following Courses:
    • JPN 26100 - Special Topics In Japanese Culture*
    • JPN 30300 - Special Topics in Traditional Japanese Culture*
    • JPN 40300 - Special Topics in Contemporary Japanese Culture
    • JPN 42100 - Independent Study in Japanese**

*Two separate courses from within the same Special topics area can be counted towards the major (so you can count JPN 304.01 and JPN 304.02 separately, for example).
**A total of 6 credits of 42100 may be counted towards the major.

Japanese Language - Minor

The Japanese Language Minor seeks to develop students’ understanding of the Japanese language at an advanced level. With higher-level language courses, students will be exposed to more complex oral and written Japanese that will lead to a greater fluency in the language. To this end, the Japanese Language Minor requires completion of a minimum of 12 credits (4 courses). By completing the Japanese Language Minor, students will also have fulfilled the Hunter College language requirement. No grade below B- shall be considered to fulfill the requirements for this minor.

Japanese Language Minor Requirements - Overall:

  • Earn at least 12 credits
  • Earn a minimum B- or 2.7

Japanese Language Minor Requirements - Required Courses:

  • Complete ALL of the following Courses:
    • JPN 20200 - Intermediate Japanese II
  • Complete at least 3 of the following Courses:
    • JPN 20400 - Intermediate Special Topics in Japanese Language
    • JPN 27100 - Japanese Reading: Recitation and Comprehension
    • JPN 30100 - Advanced Japanese 1
    • JPN 30200 - Advanced Japanese 2
    • JPN 30400 - Special Topics in Japanese Language
    • JPN 35100 - Advanced Japanese Conversation
    • JPN 40400 - Advanced Special Topics in Japanese Language
    • JPN 42100 - Independent Study in Japanese
  • Only ONE of the three required elective language courses may be 200-level or below

Japanese Studies - Minor

The Japanese Studies Minor seeks to develop students’ understanding of Japanese culture, while also fostering a broader understanding of Japan’s influence in the world. The required culture classes (JPN 25100 and JPN 25200 ) will give students a foundation specifically in Japanese culture and society, and the additional elective courses offer students the option to customize the aspects of Japan they want to research. This minor is designed to be flexible and accommodate students who do not take Japanese language classes, but rather have an interest purely in Japanese culture. The majority of classes that satisfy this minor are taught in English, however some Japanese language classes can be used to fulfill it. Students who complete the minor will have a well-rounded perspective on Japanese history and contemporary issues that will give insight into Japan. No grade below B- shall be considered to fulfill these requirements.

Japanese Studies Minor Requirements - Overall:

  • Earn at least 12 credits
  • Earn a minimum B- of 2.7

Japanese Studies Minor Requirements - Required Courses:

  • Complete ALL of the following 6 credit hour Courses:
    • JPN 25100 - Japanese Culture Before 1600
    • JPN 25200 - Japanese Culture Since 1600
  • Complete at least TWO electives in JPN courses fulfilling the following guidelines:
    • Only ONE of two culture courses may be 200-level or below
    • Both may be language classes, but BOTH MUST BE 300-level courses or above.
  • Possible Elective Courses include:
    • JPN 26100 - Special Topics In Japanese Culture*
    • JPN 26161 - Japanese Myths, Legends, and Folktales
    • JPN 30100 - Advanced Japanese 1
    • JPN 30200 - Advanced Japanese 2
    • JPN 30300 - Special Topics in Traditional Japanese Culture*
    • JPN 30400 - Special Topics in Japanese Language
    • JPN 35100 - Advanced Japanese Conversation
    • JPN 40300 - Special Topics in Contemporary Japanese Culture*
    • JPN 40400 - Advanced Special Topics in Japanese Language
    • JPN 42100 - Independent Study in Japanese**

    *Two separate courses from within the same Special topics area can be counted towards the minor (so you can count JPN 403.01 and JPN 403.02 separately, for example).
    **A total of 6 credits of 42100 may be counted towards the minor.