Japanese Degree?

[Azenith]

I've currently been studying in the UK (my A-levels) and was considering to take a combined honours degree majoring in Japanese and a minor in law for university, but decided to take a gap year to really think about my decision instead (I'm considering other combinations as well but law is my favourite for now). This is because I'm not sure what kind of career prospects I might have or is guaranteed to me when I graduate. I'm also being persuaded by my parents that It'd be better for me to go into medicine or something involving the subject of science simply because the chances of employment and payment is higher. They also suggested that if I still really wanted to do Japanese, I could always study the degree after I can finally finance myself, meaning graduate with a BSc, get a job and go back to Uni. That way if things doesn't work out for me I'm secure...

The thing is I think I might be really wasting a lot of my life like that, and I don't want to have to keep studying into my late 20's nor study a subject that I know will truly make me miserable. But the unpredictability of graduating with a Japanese degree is really holding me back.

So if anyone could be so kind as to help me figure out a way around this or to maybe give me an idea on what there is in hold for me if i do obtain this sort qualification, i would very much be greatful to them. I've already decided not to go into teachinng because teaching in general just isn't for me. I've also sought after suggestions from career advisors and such but that proved more than useless, there isn't alot of people here i know of that do this degree either and those I've encountered that had any invlolvment in working in Japan had only did TEFL.

I'm well and truly stumped does anyone have any ideas on what i should do?

 

[Mandylion]

No too familiar with how the UK works so this might be worthless, or you might hate these idea -

I would say you could take your Japanese/law degree and work for the government/state whatever you want to call it. There are business connections to be maintained (chamber of commerce type stuff), trade issues to work out, embassies to staff, intelligence agencies to fill.

Or you could go private - a multinational corp. or the like.

Pretty much, if you take Japanese, it needs to be more than a hobby, and you need to remain flexible about where you will work (since your career will be internationally-oriented).

Japanese does not have to be useless, but stay away from things like Heian poetry to be safe.

 

[Yokan]

I can't be really helpful here. tho I do know that you can get a degree in Japanese language and cultural arts in a University in London. It's down in the list as the 18th or so best Uni in the UK if that helps.

 

[senseiman]

Just do what I did. After getting my undergraduate degree (political science)I went to Japan as an English teacher and spent five years there learning the language, culture and a million other things on my own a lot better than I would have at school. I saved up enough money that I could come back to Canada and pay my way through law school, which is what I'm doing now.

Of course I'm 29 and still in school, but I've also spent about 7 years in the workforce in between.

 

[epigene]

I don't know about the British school system, so I'll just post what I think.

I personally think you don't need a degree to gain competence in Japanese. Actually, a university degree in Japanese language (in the UK or US) means nothing to the Japanese--unless you can prove your competence by passing JLPT Level 1 and impressing the Japanese in an interview.

So, I'd say pursue whatever academic studies you think you excel in and study Japanese on the side (maybe as a minor or joining a Japanese language club or society). If you are enthusiastic enough and determined to put your mind into learning the language, you can do it by interacting with other Japanese language students and native speakers! You can eventually brush up your Japanese by taking a year or two (while you're studying or after completing university studies) to live in Japan.

Just my two yen...

 

[GaijinPunch]

Epigene has pretty much hit the nail on the head. As someone that has a degree in Japanese and a minor in Asian studies, I can say that neither has been a real help in finding a job OR learning the advanced aspects of the langauge. By the time I graduated, I had a survival level of the langauge. I learned more Japanese in my first year in Japan (doing self-studying) than I did in 4 years of University, often taking 6 semester hours (that's two classes if you didn't know).

In terms of work, my degree never came up, as it's listed as Liberal Arts. If you're getting a job like document translator or interpretor, then JLPT 1 or 2 will definitely help, but I've been to plenty of job interviews where they require (what they refer to as) bilinguals. Generally someone will just grill you for 20 minutes or so. If you can keep up, then you've pretty much passed that part of the interview. At least that's the case w/ my experience.

 

[bentenmusume]

Let me just chime in here and agree with what everyone else has been saying.

Like GaijinPunch, I can speak from my own experience here. I majored in Japanese, but I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless:
(1) You plan on making a career of teaching Japanese (or Japanese history, literature, or what have you)
(2) For whatever reason, you don't have any particular interest in any other field, and the choice is basically between majoring in Japanese or dropping/failing out of school due to lack of motivation. (<- this was me at 19 years old)

You don't need to major in Japanese to learn the language, and neither will majoring in the language guarantee that you'll be able to speak/read/write/understand it with any proficiency after four years' time. I spent two years as a TA in the Japanese language department of my university, and I saw many Japanese majors who were absolutely hopeless. I felt quite bad for them as their degree will basically amount to nothing.

If there is any other subject that you're at all interested in, I would major in that, and either minor in Japanese or just take classes in it. Either way, it's going to take a lot of effort outside of class and (ideally) some time in Japan to really develop proficiency in the language. This way, when you're out of school and ready to enter the workforce, you'll have some skills/training/background to bring to the table aside from just semi-advanced Japanese language proficiency. This makes it easier to find employment in Japan as well -- I don't know whether or not that's one of your eventual goals.

I feel like I've done pretty well with my Japanese degree, but if I had the chance to do it over again knowing what I do now, I think I would have made the effort not to limit my studies to the language alone.

 

[konstancja]

Law and Japanese Faculty

I used to know one guy who graduated from both Law Faculty and Japanese Philology ... and succeeded - He works for government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). He started Japanese studies after completing two years of Law. And, that was the best choice! He was really someone there, because students of Japanese Philology usually devote themselves to this one faculty while he had ﾂ'a real knowledgeﾂ" - as I would call it. He wrote his MA thesis about Dainippon Teikoku Kenpō (1889) (the Constitution of Japan).
A language is just a tool to communicate, but you have to be good at sth. else to get a good job.
However, If you studied economy or sth of the sort, It wouldn't be worth of recommendation because of the reasons that other JERF members wrote about.
As some of them, I'm disappointed with my Japanese studies too, but that's not the story ...

 

[zeroyon]

I am currently a Mechanical Engineering major in university, and I am also taking Japanese classes at the same time (I might minor in Japanese). While it is extremely hard to do this, and will take a few years longer to graduate, it is definately possible. I will hopefully be studying abroad in Japan next year, and take some engineering classes while I am there as well

 

[GaijinPunch]

If there is any other subject that you're at all interested in, I would major in that, and either minor in Japanese or just take classes in it. Either way, it's going to take a lot of effort outside of class and (ideally) some time in Japan to really develop proficiency in the language.

I was going to be a double-major, but the Business part didn't quite work out for me. I think the moral of the story would be that your not doomed with a Japanese (or any other Liberal Arts degree), and you won't have it made with a business degree. Doing anything requires work, and lots of it. The Japanese degree is a degree that requires years of work AFTER you get it. I moved to Japan right after graduating for the sole purpose of improving, as I knew it was a worthless major to have if you couldn't even speak it.

 

[Ma Cherie]

Oh, the misconception that a Liberal Arts degree is useless.

 

[dadako]

well, from the UK we are sort of screwed.

Theres no UK to Japan uni exchange, and sometimes when there is, it's very limited.

your best shot is to apply for a working holiday visa in your gap year, then you can see japan, learn japanese and work or study to your hearts content.

One thing I must say is that whatever you plan to do, it's gonna take a LOT of money.

I studied Japanese on a tourist visa in Japan for 6 months, and it cost me almost 8 grand!

You have the right to apply to enter a Japanese uni, but you'll need to pass the exam, which is in Japanese.

 

[cyberryo]

Hi, I just joined the forum today. I finished my BEngrg at a Japanese university 14 years ago, currently doing business with Japanese associates, and living in Singapore.

I managed to pass my JLP1 after studying in Japan for one year without any prior knowledge of even aiueo, and then moved to U for my Bachelors. But I must say, I only understand 1/3 of the lectures in the first year of U, 1/2 in the second year, 3/4 in the third year sometimes still felt lost in the 4th year.

I learnt the most about Japanese people when I started working with them, not when I was studying with them during my undergraduate years. Most of them get "burnt out" during the senior high school examinations, and the undergraduate years is like a "holiday" period before they graduate to join the workplace.

I also find that my fellow gaijin friends who were pursuing their Masters and Doctorate degrees associated more with their Japanese cohorts because they were doing research together, and had to do a lot of group projects.

My wife is Japanese, and she is a market research consultant. To put it frankly, there`s no way I can beat her in Japan essay writing even after my U days in Japan.

My own humble opinion: better take up law (you really really like it, right?), medicine, etc. If you still like or want to do Japanese studies after that, take it as a second degree. Or if you should decide to study law, you can still go to a Japanese university to do your research paper on law for Masters later, if you want to.

Anyway, in today`s competitive, fast changing workplace and business environment, people are endlessly re-tooling themselves with new skills and knowledge to stay relevant. So, do not worry that you have to do the degree in your 30s, 40s etc. It is just a fact of life.

Ken

 

[Azenith]

I'd just like to say a very big thank to all of you who have posted to give me some advice on this subject, it really helped out a lot to what i had already had in mind.

Anyway alot of you have suggested that i should pursue a degree that I'm most interested in but if i *did* i wouldn't be having this problem. To be totally truthful i haven't got a clue what subject I'm interested in, thats why i was considering to take on Japanese, it isn't just for the sake of taking a degree but because it is actually something i enjoy, but since most of you already say that its useless if all i want to do is learn the language (and I too had my doubts) then i guess I'm better off taking something that would be beneficial to employees anywhere around the world right?

Alot of you also assume because i decided to take on law that I was interested in it, but that isn't the case, i only decided to chose Law as the other half of the combination because someone told me that it would prove useful if i wanted to work in Japan, i personally don't have a particular interest for the subject nor for any other for that matter, same goes for medicine (Parents choice).

As for the language I've already been taking classes since i was 17 about a year ago and i can say in almost certainty that I'm able to pass level 4 and maybe level 3 of the JLPT. I've been taking lessons from the EIC Japanese language center (with teachers all of which are native speakers) to hone my interest in the language, mind you its nothing intense and the lessons are quite flexible, you could say its almost like a hobby.

So would anyone have any suggestions on which degree would be useful for me take if i where to want to work in Japan?

Just so everyone knows, I'm only 18 and I'm taking a gap year to think over my decision for Uni, I'm also pretty much broke -_- because i need to save up on University tuition fees thats just made an increase this year, as well as the Japanese lessons I'm taking on the side (hopefully my part time job will just be about enough to keep me from burning a hole through my pocket). So any "expensive" suggestions wouldn't be very favourable to me at least not right now.

dadako: There are a few Uni's around London that do have a pretty good UK to Japan uni exchange programmes, namely Oxford brookes, Leeds, and Sheffield. Anyway your suggestion *does* sound great but i just don't have the money. ._.

 

[dadako]

7 grand of that was for my beer addiction

 

[Harvey]

If you can do Japanese extremely well, and get a Law degree (not undergrad, I mean pass the bar and everything), you can make lots of money working at an international law firm and doing translation of Japanese law related docs into English.

Places like this.
http://www.mofo.com/about/offices.html

 

[Drkns]

Well, being from the UK we are sort of screwed. There's no UK to Japan uni exchange, and sometimes when there is, it's very limited.

dadako: There are a few uni's around London that do have a pretty good UK to Japan uni exchange programmes, namely Oxford brookes, Leeds, and Sheffield.

In the UK we've got Edinburgh, SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), Leeds, Sheffield, Oxford and - according to Azenith - Oxford Brookes. There might be one or two others that I've missed, such as Nottingham, which combines Japanese with some form of Mechanical degree, I think.

The majority of these universities have reasonable exchange programs for the third year of this four year course. I would imagine that going to Japan is not optional but compulsory for most of them. I know that Edinburgh, at which I am currently in my first year, reading Japanese, offers quite a few universities in Japan that we can exchange with in our third year.

Azenith: You need to find what you want to do and then move on from there. It might be that Japanese alone won't be the most employable skill, but you could always study a more business-oriented subject as a post-graduate. Or you could further your Japanese studies. It's up to you, but remember that while this choice can and will affect the rest of your life, life isn't all about work and business. There's this little thing called 'fun' too!

N.B. I had taught myself some Japanese - not a huge amount, but enough - and found that this meant I found the first semester of first year Japanese to be far too easy. The pace is gradually picking up, but beware of the fact that you might find your first and perhaps even second year too easy if you're good enough to pass JLPT 3.

Good luck,
Drkns

 

[Tim33]

Im currently doing a Japanese degree for Oxford Brookes university. At the moment im in my third year meaning im actually studing in Japan now at KitaKyushu University near Fukuoka. Been here 3 months now and i have to say it was the best decision i have ever made.

Im actually majoring in another subject but to be honest i think i prefer doing my Japanese.

If you really have an interest in it then i would say go for it. Try to do a joint honours and combine the two subjects. The plus is you get a year out studying in Japan and that really builds a person.

There is no real reason why you would not graduate, to be honest it is no harder than any other degree. If you work you will go far if you dont then you will most likely still scrape through.

 

[blade_bltz]

I'm a freshman at a university right now, and although I'm already in third year Japanese, quite frankly it still feels like a hobby to me. The workload is ridiculous, and already it is causing problems as I look at my schedule for next quarter. Without getting into technicalities, I think Mandylion is right: Japanese should be more than a hobby.

 

[senseiman]

:

So would anyone have any suggestions on which degree would be useful for me take if i where to want to work in Japan?

Just so everyone knows, I'm only 18 and I'm taking a gap year to think over my decision for Uni, I'm also pretty much broke -_- because i need to save up on University tuition fees thats just made an increase this year, as well as the Japanese lessons I'm taking on the side (hopefully my part time job will just be about enough to keep me from burning a hole through my pocket). So any "expensive" suggestions wouldn't be very favourable to me at least not right now.

dadako: There are a few Uni's around London that do have a pretty good UK to Japan uni exchange programmes, namely Oxford brookes, Leeds, and Sheffield. Anyway your suggestion *does* sound great but i just don't have the money. ._.

If you get any degree you are going to be qualified to work as an English teacher in Japan, regardless of your major. Its not the best of jobs, but its a pretty good stepping stone to other lines of work if you want to stay in Japan long term. Its probably not really worth choosing a major based on how it will effect your chances of getting work in Japan because outside of English teaching there aren't many careers you can just jump into from you undergraduate degree in Japan.

Like I said earlier though, if you spend a couple of years after your undergraduate degree working as an English teacher in Japan you can learn a lot of Japanese and save money at the same time. Then you can go back home and do some post graduate study in an area that will give you more opportunities, like law.

 

[eric]

sorry to post my questions in your thread, but I have a couple of questions that is about Japanese Universities as well

I'm currently studying my undergraduate Accounting/Finance degree in Australia and only began studying Japanese this year as my electives, since then I've gained alot of interests in the Japanese language and culture, at the moment I'm considering studying in Japan after I complete my degree which is in about 2 years time from now. I mainly want to study the Japanese language. The Intensive Language Program at Waseda University in Tokyo seems to be perfect as to what I intend to do. Just want to know more about this University or are there other programs/courses that I should consider as well?

thanks so much

 

[cyberryo]

Waseda University is ranked highly among the private universities. I cannot comment on the Intensive Language Program as I did not study there. Japanese graduates from Waseda can be found among the top ranks in all segments of society in Japan. So, I think the network would be useful.
Ken

 

[GaijinPunch]

Ditto what cyberryo said. While the Japanese higher education system is a bit of a joke compared to the US/UK (can't comment on Australia) I can't imagine a program at Waseda being bad.

 

[eric]

thanks so much for the replies !

 

[Eien ni]

Surely a Japanese degree does not merely grant you "useless" skills such as proficiency in the language, there are many other elements to the course such as linguistics, politics, culture, history, etc - would these not be employable too? I am considering a Japanese and Linguistics course at SOAS, is this a particularly employable degree? If not, would it be better to take a year out and reapply for Oriental studies at Cambridge? (Given the reputation).