Guidelines for Japanese Special Major Proposal: 66 credits

Japanese is not a regular major at Carleton, it is available only as a Special Major, through a petition to the Academic Standing Committee. The petition form is available from the Academic Standing Committee website.

It is the student’s responsibility, in consultation with advisors, to devise a program suited to that student’s needs and interests. It would be good to have a possible comps topic in mind from the beginning, and plan courses that will provide the necessary background to complete the comps project.

There is considerable flexibility in course choice, including all language, literature and most culture courses offered at off-campus study programs in Japan. Under normal circumstances this major cannot be completed without considerable study abroad.

There are two possible tracks: Language and Literature, and Language and Linguistics.

Language and Literature Track

Prerequisites: Students must have completed Japanese 205 or its equivalent.

Requirement & CreditsDetails
Language Courses (30 credits)Students must take Japanese 206 and at least four 300-level Japanese language courses
Methodology Course (6 credits)Literary Studies 245: Introduction to Critical Methods
Content Courses in English (12 credits)Two Japanese literature/film courses (numbered in the 230s or 240s) taught in English
Cognate Courses (12 credits)
  • Civilization course: History 151, ASST 284, or equivalent
  • Second Cognate: Another course on Japanese society or culture, related to comps
Comps (6 credits)
  • Normally a thesis written on text or oral interview in Japanese (public presentation in English)
  • Language proficiency (oral presentation in Japanese)

Total Credits

66

Language and Linguistics Track

Prerequisites: Students must have completed Japanese 205 or its equivalent.

Requirements & CreditsDetails
Language Courses (30 credits)Students must take Japanese 206 and at least four 300-level Japanese language courses
Methodology Courses (12 credits)Two Linguistics Department classes, at least one at or above the 200-level, not including LING 100: A&I Seminar
Content Courses in English (12 credits)Choose Two:
  • Asian Languages 111:Writing Systems
  • Asian Languages 260: Historical Linguistics
  • Linguistics 285: Linguistics of the Japanese Writing System
  • Linguistics 286: The Structure of Japanese
Cognate Courses (6 credits)History 151, ASST 284, or equivalent
Comps (6 credits)
  • Normally a thesis written on text or oral interview in Japanese (public presentation in English)
  • Language proficiency (oral presentation in Japanese)

Total Credits

66