Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Japanese and Linguistics

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B

Required subjects: A Levels: no specific A Level subjects required. GCSEs: a language other than English at A or 7 and English at C or 4.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

34-36

36 points with 665 at HL - 34 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: no specific subjects required. SL: a language other than English at 6 and English at 5.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,B

AAAB by end of S5 or AAAA by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: no specific Higher subjects required. National 5s: a language other than English at A and English at C.

UCAS Tariff

126-136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Linguistics

Japanese studies

Over the past 150 years, Japan has experienced rapid change yet it retains its fascinating cultural heritage.

On our programme you will develop the linguistic, intercultural and analytical skills to critically engage with this dynamic society in a truly interdisciplinary way.

Japanese and Linguistics make an excellent joint honours choice by combining the study of:

* a modern language in its cultural context

* the expression and creation of meaning

You will benefit from the same Japanese language training as our MA (Hons) Japanese students but will be able to focus your studies on the social scientific understanding of language.

Linguistics courses of particular relevance to language students cover:

* the speech sounds of the world's languages

* variation in the languages of the world

* the structure and history of world languages

**Japanese**

Edinburgh is the only university in Scotland to offer undergraduate honours degrees in Japanese.

Our programme has been carefully designed around the goal of making you an expert on Japan. You will also learn about the country's place in East Asia, one of the world's most important and influential regions.

Our language courses will develop your skills in speaking, listening to, reading and writing Modern Japanese. Classes are active, innovative, inclusive and always informed by the best practice in the field. You can start the language as a complete beginner.

A highlight of the programme is spending Year 3 in Japan. This gives you the opportunity to study abroad and experience Japanese culture firsthand.

**Linguistics**

Linguistics examines how language works, describing how sounds, words, sentences and conversations combine to express and create meaning.

You will also study:

* the uses of language in everyday life

* the ways in which it varies across society and evolves over time

* how it is mastered by children

As you progress through the programme, you will have the opportunity to plan and test scientific hypotheses about linguistic phenomena using specialist linguistics and phonetics equipment.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£26,500
per year
International
£26,500
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Central area campus

Department:

School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

61%
Linguistics
59%
Japanese studies

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.

Linguistics

Teaching and learning

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
94%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
54%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

70%
Library resources
91%
IT resources
83%
Course specific equipment and facilities
43%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

63%
UK students
37%
International students
26%
Male students
74%
Female students
92%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

Asian studies

Teaching and learning

78%
Staff make the subject interesting
78%
Staff are good at explaining things
78%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
65%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

59%
Library resources
81%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
45%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

85%
UK students
15%
International students
33%
Male students
67%
Female students
97%
2:1 or above
0%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A
A

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.

Linguistics

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.

£18,500
med
Average annual salary
92%
low
Employed or in further education
46%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Other administrative occupations
12%
Teaching and educational professionals
10%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

This is not a particularly common subject at first degree level and most of the degrees that fall in this category are offered by the University of Durham. If you fancy one of these broad degrees, it is probably best to speak directly to tutors to find out what your options on your degree might be and what they can lead to,

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.

£22,000
high
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education
65%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

17%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
15%
Teaching and educational professionals
14%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

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.

Linguistics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£20k

£20k

£23k

£23k

£32k

£32k

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.

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.

£21k

£21k

£29k

£29k

£33k

£33k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here