Bachelor of Arts in Japanese

The Japanese major consists of 45 units of lower and upper division coursework. 

Upper division courses in Japanese are generally conducted in Japanese, and students are expected to use Japanese in their speaking, reading, and writing.

Writing in the Major

Students must complete the University’s GWAR requirement by taking MLL 400GW, CWL 400GW, HUM 300GW, or COMM 362GW on advisement.

Japanese (B.A.) — 45 Units

Required Courses (39 Units)

Upper Division Electives (6 Units)

on advisement

Note: A minimum of 40 upper division units must be completed for the degree (including upper division units required for the major, general education, electives, etc.). A student can complete this major yet not attain the necessary number of upper division units required for graduation. In this case, additional upper division courses will be needed to reach the required total.

Note: In general, it takes two semesters of JAPN 250 to reach the mastery of 1,000 Educational Kanji, which is a prerequisite to JAPN 510.

Complementary Studies

Required of all candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Japanese are 12 units of complementary studies, which must come from courses bearing a prefix other than JAPN, and not cross-listed with JAPN. Complementary Studies for the Japanese major can be satisfied via four possible routes:

1. 12 units in any foreign language other than Japanese (may include MLL-prefixed courses);
2. 12 units of course work taken as partial completion of a second major or minor;
3. 12 units of course work taken in an approved study abroad program (including CSU Study Abroad and SF State Bilateral);
4. 12 units of course work in related disciplines with the prior approval of a Japanese Program advisor.

Related disciplines typically include (but are not limited to) linguistics, literature, humanities, philosophy, history, art, theatre arts, anthropology, education, international relations, international business, and any aspect of East Asia or Asian Americans. Where a course with a non-JAPN prefix (and not cross-listed with JAPN) is taken as a core requirement or elective for the Japanese major, the said course may also count towards complementary studies (i.e., double-counting allowed).

General Education Requirements

Note: LD = Lower Division; UD = Upper Division.

First Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)

This roadmap opens in a new tab.

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

1. Before transfer, complete as many lower division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
2. The following courses are not required for admission, but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
   • a course in U.S. History
   • a course in U.S. & California Government
   • a 2nd-semester course in written English composition

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

• Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower division major requirements for this major, including 2nd-semester composition;
• Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 units/90 quarters required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper division transfer (for example, if course was not passed on the first attempt, or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California community college of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower division general education in areas C and D until after transfer in order to focus on preparation courses for the major. (This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.)

Transferring from institutions other than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (GE A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit http://bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.

Identify and complete a 2nd-semester written English composition course before transfer. This is usually the next course after the typical “freshman comp” course, with a focus on writing, reading and critical analytical skills for academic purposes, and developing skills in composing, revising, and the use of rhetorical strategies.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.

All students must meet the transfer eligibility requirements outlined below for admission. For more information, visit the Undergraduate Admissions section.

• Complete 60 or more transferable semester units or 90 or more quarter units
• Earn a college grade point average of 2.00 or better in all transferable courses. Non-local area residents may be held to a higher GPA standard.
• Be in good standing at the last college or university attended
• Complete 30 semester units (45 quarter units) of general education, including four basic skills courses:
  1. One course in oral communication (same as CSU GE area A1)
  2. One course in written composition (same as CSU GE area A2)
  3. One course in critical thinking (same as CSU GE area A3)
  4. One course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning, with intermediate algebra as a prerequisite (same as CSU GE area B4)
• The four basic skills courses and a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (90 quarter units) must be completed by the spring semester prior to fall admission, or by the fall semester prior to spring admission. Earn a "C" or better grade in each basic skills course.