The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures offers undergraduate major programs in Chinese and Japanese. Each program enables students to achieve linguistic proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking and to acquire a fundamental knowledge of the literature of the country.
Prospective majors must meet with an academic adviser when declaring the major as well as each spring to obtain the adviser’s signature before fall term registration, and two terms before graduation. Any course for which a grade lower than C- is received does not count toward the major.
If you have prior experience, learn about taking a language placement test.
At present, the department doesn’t offer a major in Korean. However, students interested in Korean can pursue a major in Asian Studies and fulfill the requirements for that degree program predominantly by taking Korea-related courses.
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Chinese Major Requirements
There are three pathways for students interested in a bachelor's degree in Chinese:
- Culture-intensive program
- Language-intensive program
- Linguistics-intensive program
Options within majors are ways of focusing academic interests, but they do not appear on grade transcripts. Other terms used for options include areas of concentration, emphasis, focus, or specialization; preparatory programs; primary and secondary areas or subjects; fields or subfields; programs of emphasis or study; and tracks.
Chinese Culture-Intensive Option
Students must take 47 graded credits in courses beyond the second-year level, including:
- Third-year Chinese (CHN 301, 302, 303)
- Four courses from the 150, 151, 152 series, the 305, 306, 307 series or 308—two of which must be at the upper division level
- Four upper-division courses in Chinese language, culture, literature, linguistics, film, or other adviser-approved areas taken from this or other departments. Of these, at least three must be from the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, with two having the CHN subject code. A third non-Chinese course chosen from within the department may also count toward the culture-intensive option.
Chinese Language-Intensive Option
Students must take 47 graded credits in courses beyond the second-year level of Chinese including:
- Third-year Chinese (CHN 301, 302, 303)
- Introduction to Chinese Literature/Linguistics—three courses from CHN 305, 306, 307, 308, 480
- Literary Chinese (CHN 436, 437)
- Three courses chosen from Cultural Geography (CHN 413), Media Chinese (CHN 434), Chinese Academic Writing (CHN 439) and Advanced Language Strategies (CHN 445)
Chinese Linguistics-Intensive Option
Students must take 47 graded credits in courses beyond the second-year level, including:
- Third-year Chinese (CHN 301, 302, 303)
- Two upper-division language courses beyond third-year level, including Cultural Geography (CHN 413), edia Chinese (CHN 434), Intermediate Language Strategies (CHN 420, 421, 422), Chinese Academic Writing (CHN439), and Advanced Language Strategies (CHN 445)
- Three linguistics survey courses from CHN480, 482, EALL209, LING301. CHN 480 must be taken if available
- Two advisor-approved upper division East Asian Languages and Literatures linguistics courses, including CHN 482, 436, 437, EALL440, 442, 443
- One advisor-approved upper division elective course with the subject codes EALL, CHN, GSL, or LING
Japanese Major Requirements
There are three pathways for students interested in a BA degree in Chinese:
- Culture-intensive program
- Language-intensive program
- Linguistics-intensive program
Options within majors are ways of focusing academic interests, but they do not appear on grade transcripts. Other terms used for options include areas of concentration, emphasis, focus, or specialization; preparatory programs; primary and secondary areas or subjects; fields or subfields; programs of emphasis or study; and tracks.
Japanese Culture-Intensive Option
Students must take 47 graded credits in courses beyond the second-year level, including:
- Third-year Japanese (JPN 301,302,303)
- Eight credits of upper-division Japanese language courses beyond the third-year level, which may include JPN 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 434, 435, 436, and 437
- Introduction to Japanese Literature/Linguistics—two courses from JPN 305, 306, 307, 315. Students graduating AY 21-22 may substitute any of the following upper-division courses for JPN 305 and JPN 315 which are not being offered this year: JPN 399 (W22), JPN 407 (S22) JPN 410 (F21, W22, and S22), JPN 490 (F21).
- Sixteen credits of upper-division courses in Japanese culture, literature, linguistics, film, or other adviser-approved areas taken from this or other departments. Of these, at least three must be from the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, with two having the JPN subject code. A third non-JPN course chosen from within the department may also count toward the culture-intensive option.
Prospective majors who place above 301 language level must draft an individualized program in conjunction with an East Asian languages and literatures advisor.
Japanese Language-Intensive Option
Students must take 47 graded credits in courses beyond the second-year level of Japanese including:
- Third-year Japanese (JPN 301, 302, 303)
- Introduction to Japanese Literature/Linguistics—two courses from JPN 305, 306, 307, 315. Students graduating AY 21-22 may substitute any of the following upper-division courses for JPN 305 and JPN 315 which are not being offered this year: JPN 399 (W22), JPN 407 (S22) JPN 410 (F21, W22, and S22), JPN 490 (F21)
- Two terms of fourth-year Spoken Japanese (JPN 411, 412)
- Two terms of fourth-year Reading and Writing Japanese (JPN 414, 415)
- Either the third term of fourth-year Spoken Japanese (JPN 413) or the third term of Fourth-Year Reading and Writing Japanese (JPN 416)
- Four adviser-approved credits of upper-division courses in Japanese language; or JPN/EALL literature, culture or linguistics
Japanese Linguistics-Intensive Option
Students must take 47 graded credits in courses beyond the second-year level of Japanese including:
- Third-year Japanese (JPN 301, 302, 303)
- Two upper-division language courses beyond third-year level, including fourth-year Japanese (JPN411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416), Advanced Japanese (JPN434,435,436) Classical Japanese Literary Language (JPN437)
- Three linguistics survey courses from JPN315, EALL209, EALL 440, 441, LING301. JPN315 must be taken if available
- Two advisor-approved upper division EALL linguistics courses, including EALL440, 441, 442, 443, 486
- One advisor-approved upper division linguistics course offered in EALL and Linguistics
Prospective majors who place above 301 language level must draft an individualized program in conjunction with an East Asian languages and literatures advisor.