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Japanese
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The major in Japanese provides students with an opportunity to concentrate on acquiring expertise in an important modern language and its culture. As Penn State’s first and only major in a non-European language, the major in Japanese will strengthen a student’s overall skills in internationalism and provide a focus on one of the world’s most important nations.
This new major enables students to accomplish some or all of the following: acquire a good working knowledge of the Japanese language; understand important aspects of Japanese culture, with an emphasis on recent and contemporary Japan; prepare themselves for graduate study in Japan-related fields, and prepare themselves for work in contexts where the language and culture are pertinent; prepare themselves to visit Japan, or to live and work there, as informed and capable individuals equipped with appropriate intercultural skills and awareness; and prepare themselves for work or further study in any field where international experience or a knowledge of Asia may be useful. The new major, for which six new Japanese courses were established, includes education abroad in Japan.
RELATED EXPERIENCES
Advisers will suggest ways for students to take advantage of education abroad programs. Living in another culture can immeasurably enrich a student's education and provide a job qualification which may interest some employers.
CAREER DIRECTIONS
As with other Liberal Arts graduates, Japanese major graduates may find jobs in government service, domestic and foreign offices, the United Nations, the Peace Corps, the U.S. Information Agency, or other international agencies. Employment may also be available with import and export trade organizations, international banking houses, or U.S. companies abroad. In addition, an increasing number of domestic and multinational companies are seeking employees who have backgrounds in multicultural studies as a way of dealing with the global market.
By combining undergraduate work with courses in education, graduates may prepare to teach. Students planning to teach in public schools should schedule the appropriate courses leading to certification in consultation with an adviser in the College of Education.
Some students may choose to go on to graduate school or law school.