The Japanese Program
The Japanese Program offers students the opportunity to major in Languages and Cultures with a concentration in Japan or to minor in Japanese language.
The major is designed to provide advanced proficiency and cultural competency in Japanese and requires completion of a total of 42 units, including 24 units of Japanese language and culture courses and 18 units in other cultures and literatures offered in the Modern and Classical Languages Department. See the Languages and Cultures major in the CSUN catalog for details.
The minor in Japanese, requiring completion of twenty units, is offered to students who are specializing in other languages or academic subjects. See the Japanese language minor in the CSUN catalog for details.
Several FLIT (Foreign Literature in Translation) courses dealing with Japanese language and culture are also available to students as part of the CSUN curriculum requirements.
Students in the Japan Program who have completed two or more semesters of Japanese language study and one semester of cultural studies are eligible to study abroad in a number of existing programs, giving them the opportunity to experience life in Japan while advancing their studies.
Why Study Japanese?
The study of the language affords students the opportunity to communicate, read and write in Japanese.
- Japan is the one of the world's largest economies, and if the US is to remain competitive in Asian markets, Americans must begin to study Asian Languages and cultures.
- Study of Japan, long under the influence of the great civilizations of India, China, and Korea, provides an understanding not only of Japan, but of Asia in general, with which Japan shares many of its religious beliefs, ethics and aesthetics.
- With our Study Abroad programs, you will be able to actually get the chance to live in Japan for a set amount of time, and experience the culture and language first hand, as well as gain a different perspective on the education system.
- To investigate career opportunities in a variety of social, economic, and educational fields. There are several programs in Japan that allow you to teach English as a second language, or join US companies that have strong economic ties to Japan.