Japanese

Why Study Japanese at the UO?

Japanese is the 9th most spoken language in the world with 128 million speakers. Japan also has the world’s third largest economy. Beyond the practical reasons for studying Japanese, you also grow your horizons by learning about more than 1000 years of literature and a fascinating culture.

At the University of Oregon, you’ll learn Japanese in friendly, activity-based, intensive classes designed to achieve high-level proficiency. You will learn the basics of Japanese culture, society, literature and linguistics from historical and contemporary perspectives.

Undergraduate Programs

Our program enables students to achieve proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking Japanese while acquiring a fundamental knowledge of the literature of the country.

Graduate Programs

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literature offers both MA and PhD programs in Japanese.

Japanese garden with pond

Travel and Study Around the World

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literature prepares students for the future of global citizenship and the workforce. Many of our students spend time traveling and living in another culture. We offer study abroad opportunities in Japan. The department offers several scholarships to help students pursue their studies.

What You Can Do with a Degree in Japanese?

Japanese majors have a wide variety of professional opportunities. Some of our graduates have gone on to teach English in Japan, become professional translators, worked in trade between US and Japanese companies, and found jobs in government and nonprofit agencies. Some graduates have also gone on to law school and other professional and graduate studies.

Old Japanese painting

Learn from Experts in Japanese

Our department is composed of faculty who are active in their interdisciplinary research as well as institutes and programs at the UO. They are passionate scholars who inform, inspire, and mentor students in building real-world skills.

Scholarships and Funding

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literature awards multiple scholarships to current undergraduate and graduate students. Learn more about available scholarships and eligibility requirements.

Undergraduate Scholarships 
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Our academic advisors can help students talk through their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.

Undergraduate Advising 
Support for Graduate Students

East Asian Languages and Literatures News and Events

January 10, 2024
EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES, ASIAN STUDIES - Fulbright Scholar and CAS Professor Alisa Freedman is chronicling the rise of women’s scholarship during a five-month trip to Vietnam, where she's helping women professors find their footing in the academic publishing world.
June 13, 2022
EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES & LITERATURES - Using language skills and cultural knowledge to tell stories that will make a difference are among the goals of a new program at the University of Oregon, which recently received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
March 31, 2022
Ten UO researchers and scholars whose work focuses on subjects including digital stewardship, pulmonary hypertension and literature in imperial China have received 2022 Faculty Research Awards.

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University of Oregon Night at the San Francisco Giants
Jul30
University of Oregon Night at the San Francisco Giants Jul 30 Oracle Park
The BIG 10+ Academia Career Fair
Oct16
The BIG 10+ Academia Career Fair Oct 16
Bob Bussel Labor History Lecture
Apr24
Bob Bussel Labor History Lecture Apr 24 William W. Knight Law Center

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