Japanese Studies

The MPhil in Japanese Studies is designed as a two-year, six-term taught programme that comprises advanced research training focusing on developing language skills and on deepening your understanding of contemporary Japan.

It acts either as a foundation for those intending to seek employment working in Japan or with Japan, or as a preparation for further research on Japan on a doctoral programme at Oxford or elsewhere. It is taught by full-time members of the Nissan and Oriental Institutes and all the courses are designed for master's-level students.

The department does not teach Japanese for beginners but rather aims to develop your existing language skill to the level at which you can use it to conduct research about Japan. The department's courses aim to take you from a minimum of JLPT Level 3 up to and beyond Level 1.

There are eight components to the MPhil degree.

In the first year, you will take:

• a core course on research methods
• two courses about Japan chosen from the following options (please note that not all options may be offered every year):
  • Modern Transnational History of Japan
  • Japanese Linguistics (The History and Structure of Japanese)
  • Modern Japanese Literature
  • Japanese Politics
  • Economy and Business of Japan
  • Japanese Social Anthropology
  • Sociology of Japanese Society
  • Classical Japanese Literature
  • Classical Japanese Language
  • Old (8th century) Japanese Texts
  • Texts in Modern Japanese Literature
  • Texts in Japanese Linguistics
  • Classical Japanese Texts
• the Japanese language course (or a further course about Japan if you have native-speaker language competence).

In the second year of the course, you will go on to take:

• one or more courses on research methods in the appropriate department
• one course about Japan
• the advanced Japanese language course or a further course about Japan
• a thesis of 30,000 words.

All the courses about Japan have been designed for students at the graduate level and most students will be on the Japanese studies programme. Some courses may also be taken by students who are studying elsewhere in the university - for example, the course on Japanese politics is an option for both Japanese studies students and students on the MPhil in Politics (Comparative Government).

A range of assessment methods is used:

• the research methods course is assessed on the basis of projects and tasks set in the course of teaching;
• the language course is assessed through a combination of tests and quizzes set during the year and a final examination; and
• the courses about Japan are assessed by a three-hour written examination in English in the chosen subjects.

Progression to the second year is conditional on satisfactory performance in the first year.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies.

Graduate destinations

There are three typical career courses that the department’s graduates pursue. The first is further study on discipline-based graduate programmes either in Oxford, elsewhere in the UK or overseas, including the US and Japan.

The second career pattern of the department’s graduates is to work in Japan or with Japanese employers. Recent examples include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Fuso (Daimler Trucks) and Mitsui-Sumitomo Bank. Not only Japanese native speakers but also non-native-speaker graduates obtain employment in Japan or with Japanese companies outside Japan, making full use of their enhanced Japanese language skills and social science knowledge of Japan.

The third route is to professional careers with such companies as Accenture, KPMG, and Ernst & Young, in which the department’s alumni can utilise their presentation skills both in English and Japanese, and their critical thinking skills.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

Courses suggested by the lead school

Oriental Studies DPhil

All graduate courses offered by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies

African Studies MSc

Area Studies DPhil

Contemporary Chinese Studies MSc

Japanese Studies MPhil

Japanese Studies MSc

Latin American Studies MPhil

Latin American Studies MSc

Modern Chinese Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MSc

Modern South Asian Studies MPhil

Modern South Asian Studies MSc

Russian and East European Studies MPhil

Russian and East European Studies MSc

All graduate courses offered by the Faculty of Oriental Studies

Bible Interpretation MSt

Buddhist Studies MPhil

Classical Armenian Studies MSt

Classical Hebrew Studies MSt

Classical Indian Religion MPhil

Contemporary Chinese Studies MSc

Cuneiform Studies MPhil

Eastern Christian Studies MPhil

Egyptology MPhil

Islamic Art and Archaeology MPhil

Islamic Art and Archaeology MSt

Islamic Studies and History MPhil

Islamic Studies and History MSt

Japanese Studies MPhil

Japanese Studies MSc

Jewish Studies MPhil

Jewish Studies MSt

Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period MPhil

Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period MSt

Korean Studies MSt

Modern Chinese Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MSc

Modern South Asian Studies MPhil

Modern South Asian Studies MSc

Oriental Studies DPhil

Oriental Studies MSt

Syriac Studies MSt

Tibetan and Himalayan Studies MPhil

Traditional China MSt

Traditional East Asia MPhil

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