Floating Torii Gate of Itsukushima Shrine off the coast of Miyajima Island in Japan at sunset.

Bachelor of Arts

Japanese Studies

Program of Study

Foundation Courses (6 credits)

Choose from Japanese 100 and 200-level courses except Elementary Japanese I & II. 

  • Japan: Its Culture and Heritage

  • Intermediate Japanese I & II

  • Japanese Studies Research and Bibliographic Methods

  • Survey of Traditional Japanese Literature

  • Modern Japanese Literature in Translation

  • Japanese Pop Culture from Edo to the Present


Language Requirements (16 credits)
  • Intermediate Japanese I &II

  • Advanced Japanese I & II


Information Literacy Course (3 credits)

East Asian Studies Research Methods

Upper-Level Courses (6 credits)

Choose from Japanese and East Asian 300 & 400-level courses. 

Sample courses:

  • History of Modern Japan
  • Topics in Japanese Literature, History, and Culture
  • Fascism: Japan and Beyond
  • World War II: The Japanese View
  • Readings in Modern Japanese Literature
  • Economies of Japan and Korea
  • Readings in Buddhist Texts
  • Confucius and Confucianism
  • The History and Culture of Traditional Tibet
  • The Silk Road

 

Capstone Course (3 credits)

East Asian Studies Research Capstone
 

Experiential Learning

You will have the option to travel to East Asia for intensive study. Whether you go for a summer, a semester or a whole year, this immersive experience will be a valuable highlight of your collegiate education, taking your language learning to the next level and gaining firsthand knowledge.

In addition to taking courses while studying in East Asia, there are internships available at East Asian companies and the local branches of multinational firms. You will gain work experience and connections at these positions, as well as language and cultural immersion experience.

Honors Program

Students with 3.50 grade point average are eligible for the Honors Program. In addition to completing the regular requirements for the major in Japanese Studies, students in the Honors Program complete a further six credits of Colloquium in East Asian Studies.

experiential
Career Outcomes

You can apply your East Asian Studies degree to a succeed in any career that involves expertise about Japan, including government and international business. You may also opt to combine your knowledge of Japanese language and culture with graduate studies in health care, education, information science or communication to seek specialized roles in those fields. 

Possible career paths include: 

  • Banking, accounting or marketing work with an international focus
  • Government work at the State Department, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Cultural commentary and analysis
  • Interpreting or language expertise in the military
  • Japanese language instruction
  • Health, IT or Communications

 

 

A group of international business people walking together in an office hallway
careers

"I feel that my education at the University at Albany is the whole basis for where I am today. I wish I knew all those years ago what I could do with a BA in Japanese studies. It would have saved me a lot of worry and stress about my future! I didn't know where to look or how to connect it to other fields, but I can see now how my background in Japanese opened up a lot of doors for me in a variety of industries I never knew existed back then."

-Bonnie (Baldigo) Veronico, ’01

Student Learning Objectives
Bachelor of Arts

Chinese Studies BA

  1. Students will demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written Chinese to the advanced college level.
  2. Students will demonstrate familiarity with the highlights of Chinese Literature, History, Religion and Geography.
  3. Students will acquire the ability to navigate library catalogs and the internet, with specific emphasis on Chinese databases and resources, in order to conduct research using East Asian Studies materials.
  4. Students will gain an understanding of native perspectives from a broad exposure to primary material and complete a research project based on that knowledge.

 
East Asian Studies BA

  1. Students will demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written Chinese, Japanese, or Korean to the intermediate level.
  2. Students will demonstrate familiarity with the highlights of East Asian Literature, History, Religion and Geography.
  3. Students will acquire the ability to navigate library catalogs and the internet, with specific emphasis on Chinese, Japanese and Korean databases and resources, in order to conduct research using East Asian Studies materials.
  4. Students will gain an understanding of native perspectives from a broad exposure to primary material and complete a research project based on that knowledge.

 
Japanese Studies BA

  1. Students will demonstrate proficiency in spoken and written Japanese to the advanced college level.
  2. Students will demonstrate familiarity with the highlights of Japanese Literature, History, Religion and Geography.
  3. Students will acquire the ability to navigate library catalogs and the internet, with specific emphasis on Japanese databases and resources, in order to conduct research using East Asian Studies materials.
  4. Students will gain an understanding of native perspectives from a broad exposure to primary material and complete a research project based on that knowledge.
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Undergraduate Research

Research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University at Albany is an option for all students, across all academic disciplines. You will be able to learn more about a specific academic field or career path all while building a long-lasting mentoring relationship with a faculty member or principal investigator.

Explore Minors

Build competency in a passion or strengthen your resume.

A minor consists of 18–24 graduation credits which must include a minimum of 9 graduation credits of advanced coursework at or above the 300 level. Most undergraduate degrees require completing a minor and it has to have a different title from your major.

Full List of Minors
  • Acting
  • Africana Studies
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  • East Asian Studies
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  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
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  • Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
  • English
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  • French
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  • Geography
  • Globalization Studies
  • Hebrew
  • History
  • Informatics
  • Instrumental Performance
  • International Studies
  • Italian
  • Japanese Studies
  • Journalism (Fully Online Option)
  • Judaic Studies
  • Korean Studies
  • Latin American and Caribbean Studies
  • Law and Philosophy
  • Leadership
  • Legal Studies
  • LGBTQ Studies
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  • Theatre
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  • Urban Studies and Planning
  • U.S. Latino Studies
  • Vocal Performance
  • Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies