Japanese Studies: What You’ll Learn and Where It Can Take You

With a Japanese degree, you will explore Japanese language, culture, history, and contemporary society while building skills for a variety of academic and career paths. Develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency through coursework in language, popular culture, film, and professional communication. With study abroad opportunities, cultural activities, and internships, you can gain practical experience, strengthen cross-cultural communication, and prepare for careers in fields such as business, marketing, education, translation, and international affairs. Discover how our Japanese program can broaden your perspective and support your future goals.

Core Language and Cultural Development

A Japanese degree at the University of Mount Union can help you develop language skills, cultural understanding, and interdisciplinary knowledge that can be applied in a variety of academic and professional settings.

Language Proficiency: Develop Japanese speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills from elementary to advanced levels. Build a foundation in everyday communication through JPN 101 and JPN 102, strengthen conversational skills in JPN 201, improve reading and writing in JPN 202, and advance your language proficiency and cultural awareness in JPN 301.
Culture and Society: Explore Japanese culture, history, and contemporary society through film and popular media. JPN 203 examines Japanese animation, manga, and music, JPN 204G explores Japanese language and culture through film and current events, and JPN 235H examines Japan’s social, political, economic, and cultural developments from 1945 to the present.
Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Connect Japanese language learning with professional communication, translation, and cultural studies. JPN 304 focuses on using Japanese in professional settings such as business, education, and engineering, JPN 305 explores translation techniques for technical and literary texts and manga, and JPN 350 provides opportunities to gain professional experience through an internship.

Japanese can complement other areas of study, including business, marketing, international affairs, and technology, helping you build a versatile academic and career path.

Academic and Experiential Opportunities

Course pathways: Start with introductory language courses and progress to advanced classes in conversation, reading comprehension, and specialized topics. A major in Japanese studies often includes advanced seminars or a capstone project that showcases your proficiency.
Study abroad and immersion: Strengthen fluency through semester exchanges with partner universities. Homestays and daily language use accelerate gains and deepen cultural understanding—an essential part of a Japanese major.
Internships and research: Apply classroom learning in internships with companies, cultural organizations, nonprofits, or schools. Participate in undergraduate research on areas like media analysis or translation, and engage in language clubs, conversation tables, and cultural festivals.

Discover

Japanese

A Bachelor of Arts degree in Japanese at Mount Union allows students to prepare for work in the real world through a strong in-class curriculum, experiential learning, and various opportunities for hands-on and study abroad experiences.

Start Your Journey

Career Paths and Transferable Skills

Career Paths

A degree in Japanese can prepare you for a variety of career paths, including education, translation and interpretation, international business, marketing, tourism, and public service. Japanese language skills and cultural understanding can also support careers with organizations working across international markets and cultures. In addition, students interested in teaching can pursue a Japanese teaching license, which prepares graduates to teach Japanese in schools. This is a distinctive opportunity among universities in Ohio.
Transferable Skills

Studying Japanese helps develop cross-cultural communication, adaptability, critical thinking, and an understanding of diverse perspectives. Through language learning, cultural studies, and professional experiences such as internships, students can build skills that are valuable across a wide range of academic and professional settings.
Next Steps

Graduates can pursue further study in areas such as Japanese Studies, East Asian Studies, international relations, or education. Students may also consider the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) to demonstrate their Japanese proficiency or explore additional qualifications relevant to their career goals. Highlighting language proficiency, study abroad, internships, and cultural experiences can help demonstrate the practical value of a Japanese degree.

Beyond the Classroom: Japanese at University of Mount Union

Study Abroad: University of Mount Union has a partnership with Kansai Gaidai University and Akita International University. USAC offers partnership and specialty study abroad programs in Japan. Students can develop their Japanese skills while experiencing new cultures firsthand.
Japanese Club: Japanese Club offers a fun, hands-on way to explore Japanese culture through activities such as making onigiri, playing Japanese card games, and trying origami. Students can enjoy Japanese traditions, learn about the culture, and connect with others in a relaxed and welcoming environment. No prior knowledge of Japanese is required, and everyone is welcome, regardless of major or minor!
AIS: Association of International Students (AIS) provides you with a great opportunity to meet international students from all over the world, engage with students from different backgrounds, learn about their cultures, and develop a deeper understanding of different prospectives.
Teaching license: Students majoring in Japanese can also pursue a teaching licensure, a distinctive opportunity among universities in Ohio. Licensure students complete additional coursework required by the state and a department-approved study abroad program, gaining both classroom preparation and firsthand experience of Japanese language and culture.

Building a Career

Mount Union alumna Brianna Erler '22 is supporting the next generation of students interested in Japanese as a Japanese teacher at Perry High School in Ohio. Her foundation in the language and culture at Mount Union set her up to be successful in the classroom.

Read Brianna's Story

Sources:

Akita International University. Akita International University, web.aiu.ac.jp/en/.Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
“Benefits of Language Learning.” ACTFL, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, www.actfl.org/educator-resources/guiding-principles-for-language-learning/benefits-of-language-learning. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
“Interpreters and Translators.” Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.htm. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
“Japanese Degree” University of Mount Union, www.mountunion.edu/academics/undergraduate-degrees/japanese. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
“Japanese: Opportunities.” University of Mount Union, www.mountunion.edu/academics/undergraduate-degrees/japanese/opportunities. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, www.jlpt.jp/e/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
Kansai Gaidai University. Kansai Gaidai University, www.kansaigaidai.ac.jp/en/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC). USAC, usac.edu. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.