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Japanese

The Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies offers different Japanese classes in fall vs. spring. The classes available in fall 2023 are

  • JAPN 101, Elementary Japanese I
  • JAPN 203, Intermediate Japanese I
  • JAPN 305, Advanced Japanese I
  • JAPN 401, Gateway to Mastering Japanese
  • JAPN 412, Understanding Japanese Business Culture and Its Practice)

Also offered by the Department of Linguistics this fall is LING/JAPN 563, Structure of Japanese.

In spring 2024, the Japanese course offerings will be

  • JAPN 102, Elementary Japanese II
  • JAPN 204, Intermediate Japanese II
  • JAPN 306, Advanced Japanese II
  • JAPN 411, Food and Culture in Japan
  • JAPN 414, Manga as a Japanese Art and Culture

For a complete listing of Japanese courses and course descriptions, consult http://catalog.unc.edu/courses/japn/.

If you’re a beginner (no previous knowledge of Japanese), register for any section of JAPN 101. Note that this class will not be offered in spring semester.

Beginning Japanese is also being offered in summer 2023:

  • JAPN 101 in first summer session (starts May 17)
  • JAPN 102 in second summer session (starts June 26)

New students are eligible to take summer courses (second session only for first-years, either/both sessions for transfer students). If you have been accepted for fall, Admissions will change your starting semester from fall to summer at your request.  Taking summer courses could allow you to learn a year’s worth of Japanese before fall even begins. More information is available on the Summer School website.

If you have prior knowledge of Japanese and want to take Japanese, you must take a placement test. This is true for everyone, regardless of how you learned Japanese (in high school, at home, etc.) and regardless of any test credit or transfer credit you may have. Please go to https://asianstudies.unc.edu/placement/ to sign up for the Japanese placement test.

On the same page is a self-assessment guide that you can use to estimate your probable placement. You are welcome to go ahead and enroll in the class that you think is right for you when you get to register for fall courses. If your placement doesn’t turn out to be what you predicted, the department will try to help you switch into the correct class. It’s also possible you’ll have to wait until spring to continue studying Japanese if you place into a class only offered in spring.

If you have trouble getting into the Japanese class you want, please refer to the information and help in this registration FAQ: https://asianstudies.unc.edu/registration-faq/, or contact Lori Harris at lori@unc.edu.