Looking for a good undergrad Japanese program.

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi. I'm a high school junior. I've been studying Japanese for 5-6 years in classes outside of school (not offered at mine) and with a tutor, and am currently doing freelance translation for an entertainment publication. I'm planning on studying abroad for a semester of my senior year, then graduating back in the states. I've also studied the language in Tokyo for a month 2 years ago. </p>

<p>I'm looking for a school that has a good Japanese program for undergraduates, preferably one with a literature component. I've visited two schools, SUNY Albany and UMass Amherst. I spoke with professors at both schools. SUNY Albany said I could start at least the 300 level (300 is last required, 400 optional), and Umass Amherst said I could at least skip all the prerequisite courses (24 credits) at this point in time.</p>

<p>So far the only school that seems like they have a rich program is UMass Amherst, and getting into that school wouldn't be a problem. The other one is Columbia, and although my credentials may seem impressive, so do thousands of other applicants. I'm a "racial minority" (hispanic/latino lol), but I'm not sure this would help enough..</p>

<p>So, besides Umass Amherst, any ideas of good programs? Doesn't matter where it is really, just looking for a school with a deep program. Thanks.</p>

2

<p>Earlham College has a VERY rich Japanese program.</p>

<p>Japanese Studies:
Japanese</a> Studies At Earlham College</p>

<p>Japanese Language and Linguistics:
Japanese</a> Language</p>

3

<p>Look at Claremont-McKenna, in southern California</p>

4

<p>Cornell University offers both Japanese language study and an Asian Studies major.</p>

<p>The</a> Japanese Language at Cornell - Department of Asian Studies</p>

<p>Undergraduate</a> Programs - Department of Asian Studies</p>

5

<p>The University of Washington also has a good program:
Degree</a> Programs in Japanese - Asian Languages & Literature at the University of Washington</p>

6

<p>Also look at Michigan and Ct College.</p>

7

<p>The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor has an excellent Japanese Language and Studies program.</p>

<p>Asian</a> Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan</p>

<p>Asian</a> Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan</p>

<p>And Michigan has several excellent study abroad programs in Japan:</p>

<p>The</a> Office of International Programs</p>

<p><a href="http://www.lsa.umich.edu/oip/Programs/Flyers/japan_***uoka.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.lsa.umich.edu/oip/Programs/Flyers/japan_***uoka.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The</a> Office of International Programs</p>

<p>The</a> Office of International Programs</p>

8

<p>Here's what the Gourman report has on Japanese:</p>

<p>Columbia University
Cornell University
Harvard University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Pennsylvania
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison</p>

<p>Berkeley has always had a very well-respected Japanese program. The long-anticipated East Asian Library just opened, in fact.</p>

<p>03.14.2008</a> - C.V. Starr East Asian Library to open March 17</p>

<p>Some features:</p>

<p>
[quote]
The UC Berkeley collections contain more than 900,000 volumes, primarily in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. The library also houses thousands of manuscripts, rubbings of stone and bronze objects and of inscriptions, and the largest, most comprehensive and most valuable collection of historic Japanese maps outside of Japan. It also incorporates UC Berkeley's Center for Chinese Studies Library, previously located in the Center for Chinese Studies on Fulton Street and the world's largest academic repository in the United States of materials on the People's Republic of China.

[/quote]
</p>

9

<p>Other universities with excellent JApanese Programs:</p>

<p>Columbia University
Cornell University
Stanford University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the suggestions guys, unfortunately most of the schools with the best programs are also the most elite, and hardest to get into. There's no way I could get into Stanford or UC Berk..Harvard or Cornell.. And Columbia is quite a stretch, even with me harassing all the professors and admissions people there.. Shame.</p>

11

<p>If you think you have a chance at Columbia, you have a chance at Cornell.</p>

12

<p>You still have a bunch of very good programs, like Chicago, Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin.</p>