Japanese Studies
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: T210 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: T210 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
+ B at A Level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in a relevant subject
Scottish Higher
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
+ AB at A Level
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Complex, unique, endlessly fascinating, Japan embraces modernity and technology while maintaining its rich traditional culture. Our Japanese studies course will develop both your Japanese language skills and your understanding of Japanese culture and society. You'll also spend part of your degree studying in Japan, immersing yourself in Japanese society.
**Combine intensive language training with in-depth study of Japanese society, politics, and culture over four years, graduating as an expert with deep, lived experience of the subject.**
Study on one of the UK’s longest running Japanese studies programmes, with over 60 years of experience creating leaders within the field. Our award-winning teaching staff will give you the insights, language skills and disciplinary knowledge to critically appreciate Japanese society, history, politics and culture.
From day one, you’ll go deep into the language of the country, studying the phonetic scripts (kana), picking up the 2,000 Sino-Japanese characters (kanji) over the course of your degree – all while developing subject expertise in the humanities and social sciences. Thanks to our intensive language training approach, you’ll graduate with a high level of proficiency in written and spoken Japanese.
You’ll spend a year studying at a Japanese university, putting what you've learned into practice and gaining life-changing experience. In your final year, you will develop a dissertation project on a topic of your choice, supported by world-leading researchers.
The degree gives you the skills to truly unpick every aspect of your chosen subject, acquiring both critical approaches to the study of Japan, and first-hand experience of the country and its peoples.
**Why study this course?**
- Voted number one: Ranked 1st in National Student Survey (NSS) results 2023 across Asian studies in the UK, our staff are UK leaders in supporting your studies and career goals.
- One of the first Japanese studies programmes: Japanese Studies at Sheffield has a 60-year history and a thriving research culture, giving you endless opportunities to tap into world-leading expertise.
- Life-changing year abroad: Practise your language skills in the real world, and stretch yourself in ways you couldn’t have imagined at one of our 28 Japanese partner universities.
- Strong emphasis on skills development, careers and employability: Right from the start, you’ll be encouraged to develop and track the skills you’ll need to turn your degree into a career.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Sheffield
School of Languages, Arts and Societies (East Asian Studies)
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Asian studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Asian studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
In 2015, only 150 students graduated from the UK with degrees in Japanese, so anyone studying the subject will get a very rare qualification — so take that into consideration when drawing conclusions from the data above. This subject does seem to have a higher unemployment rate than the average, but this may be more to do with the very small number of graduates than any lack of demand for the degree. A third of graduates went to work abroad, and those working in the UK tended to be in London and in jobs in business and the media. Employers rate graduates who have more than one language, but you'll need to have them as part of a whole package of good skills.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Asian studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£24k
£31k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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