Japanese Studies
Bachelor of Arts (Minor subject)

The entry requirement for the bachelor's programme in Modern Japanese Studies is a university entrance qualification ("Abitur"). Under certain conditions, persons holding vocational qualifications can be admitted without a university entrance qualification. Good knowledge of the English language, in which the greater part of the non-Japanese specialized literature is written, is required.

The bachelor's programme Modern Japanese Studies includes basic knowledge of the Japanese language, history, culture and society. The unique feature of our department is its focus on Modern Japan. Once students have acquired a basic knowledge of Japan in the first semesters, they can focus on their own areas of study interest in in-depth modules.

Our department offers seminars in the fields of cultural and social science research on Japan such as gender studies, globalisation, demographic change, consumer society and popular culture. Since Gelsenkirchen has such a large and lively local Japanese community with which we maintain good contacts and which we include in our research work and teaching, it is a popular place of study for students of Japanese Studies.

In the first year, the curriculum focuses on Japanese language classes. In the second year, students acquire a basic knowledge of Japanese Studies in the areas of history, culture and society. In the third year, students deepen their studies in the areas of cultural and social science research on Japan.

The intercultural expertise gained during the studies is increasingly of interest for international organizations and business enterprises. Employment opportunities for graduates of the Bachelor's programmes in Modern Japanese Studies can therefore be considered very positive. Depending on the subject combinations, there are good career prospects in educational institutions, organizations with a cultural focus, libraries, in the publishing sector and journalism, in the tourism sector as well as in all internationally operating companies and organizations with a relation to Japan.There are also various employment opportunities wherever knowledge of the Japanese language is required. In this regard, Gelsenkirchen with its numerous Japanese companies is well suited as a location for starting a career.