Japanese Studies (with Year Abroad)
Durham University
UCAS Code: T202 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Durham University
UCAS Code: T202 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Grade A in History is required, if taking the History option. Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Access to HE Diploma
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham. History is required for students taking the History route of Japanese Studies.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
History is required for students taking the History route of Japanese Studies.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: Seventeen points (6, 6, 5) in Higher Level subjects. History is required for students taking the History route of Japanese Studies.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
History is required for students taking the History route of Japanese Studies.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
History is required for students taking the History route of Japanese Studies.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
History is required for students taking the History route of Japanese Studies.
Scottish Advanced Higher
History is required for students taking the History route of Japanese Studies.
Scottish Higher
Departments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis.
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements. Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Course details**
Spanning languages and society, the arts and cultural history – an in-depth understanding and appreciation of language and culture will give you a greater insight into communities and build deeper connections with people across the world.
This multidisciplinary degree will develop advanced knowledge and the understanding of Japanese language and culture. You will study a core language module in each of your three years. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of Japanese, but a pathway is available if you already have an A level or equivalent qualification in Japanese.
You will also have the chance to choose from a selection of other modules relevant to the study of Japan from other departments. This includes Anthropology, Education, Government and International Affairs, Economics, and Theology and Religious Studies. In addition, you may choose to take additional language modules, including European languages, Chinese and Korean.
**Why Durham University?**
Our highly skilled academics share their expertise in languages, as well as in literature, cultural history, cinema and visual culture, and translation. Many of our language academics are native speakers, while others have lived experience of the culture and language of the country.
All of our language degrees include a year abroad, a valuable experience that will broaden your horizons, boost your skills and give you the confidence to adapt to different environments.
You will return to Durham for the final year with a deeper understanding of language and cultures, and be better equipped to make meaningful connections with people around the world.
**Facilities**
Learning facilities include language laboratories, computer classrooms and a large study area. There are satellite and recording facilities for viewing programmes in all the major taught languages.
The University's fully equipped Centre for Foreign Language Study is housed in the same building, and Languages and Cultures students have access to its facilities.
**Rankings**
**World Top 100** in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023
**6th** for Italian and 5th for Asian Studies in The Complete University Guide 2024
**5th** in The Complete University Guide 2024
**Top 10** in The Guardian University Guide 2024
**Career Opportunities**
A degree in Languages and Cultures will provide you with an impressive portfolio of cultural knowledge, transferable skills and real-world experiences that is valued by employers worldwide.
With the UK as a whole producing fewer linguists, proficiency in languages coupled with the intellectual rigour and cultural understanding acquired during your degree will make you highly employable in a wide range of careers both in the UK and internationally.
These include occupations such as interpreting, translation and teaching, media and the arts but also working across wider industry in research, administration, human resources, sales and business development, and the financial services.
Modules
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
Assessment methods
Language modules are assessed by a mixture of oral, listening and written examinations. Optional modules are assessed by essays, commentaries, projects and examinations. You will also complete a 12,000-word dissertation in your final year.
During your year abroad you will complete a Year Abroad assignment.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
What students say
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Asian studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Asian studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
In 2015, only 150 students graduated from the UK with degrees in Japanese, so anyone studying the subject will get a very rare qualification — so take that into consideration when drawing conclusions from the data above. This subject does seem to have a higher unemployment rate than the average, but this may be more to do with the very small number of graduates than any lack of demand for the degree. A third of graduates went to work abroad, and those working in the UK tended to be in London and in jobs in business and the media. Employers rate graduates who have more than one language, but you'll need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Asian studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£33k
£41k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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