BA Modern Language and Business & Management (Japanese)

Your time will be divided equally between business and management studies and studying Japanese language and culture.

Compulsory units introduce management, finance, microeconomics and macroeconomics, and develop transferable skills. You will choose two further options across management, finance and economics units.

You will take 40 credits of Japanese language in your first year. Japanese Language 1 and 2 are for beginners, while Japanese Language 3 and 4 are for those at A level standard or equivalent. Japanese Language 3 and 4 each include an Independent Language Learning Portfolio that will help you develop your skills in reading texts of your choice. You will also take Introduction to Japanese Studies.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

In Year 2 you can continue with an even distribution between business and management and Japanese studies. You can take exclusively second year course units if you wish, but you have the option of taking up to 20 credits from first year course units.

Alongside one compulsory unit that compares management approaches internationally, you can tailor your business and management studies by choosing from a range of options. You have the chance to study Leadership in Action with national leaders as part of the Manchester Leadership Programme. You can also put your learning into practice with local charities and social enterprises by participating in the Manchester Enterprise Challenge.

If you took Japanese Language 1 and 2 in your first year, you will progress to Japanese Language 3 and 4. If you took Japanese Language 3 and 4 in your first year, you will progress to Japanese Language 5. All these units include an Independent Language Learning Portfolio. You will continue your study of Japan by choosing from options covering diverse aspects of Japanese culture, society, and history. We will offer help and support to guide you through the process of applying for residence abroad.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Your third year is spent abroad under approved conditions; you will continue to develop Japanese language proficiency at our partner universities and through immersion in the Japanese linguistic environment. Level N2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a good target to aim at by the end of your third year. Our partner universities in Japan are listed below by region.

Tokyo region

Chuo University, Dokkyo University, Hitotsubashi University, International Christian University, Kanagawa University, Keio University, Meiji University, Meiji Gakuin University, Rikkyo University, Saitama University, Tokyo University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Waseda University.

Kansai region

Doshisha University, Kansai Gaidai University, Kobe University, Kyoto University, Kwansei Gakuin University, Osaka University, Ritsumeikan University

Nagoya region

Nanzan University

Chugoku region

Hiroshima University

Kyushu region

Fukuoka Women’s University, Oita University

Tohoku and Hokkaido regions

Hokkaido University, Yamagata University

In your final year, you can take up to two-thirds of your credits in either business and management or language and cultural studies. There is a broad range of specialised units available in business, management, accounting and finance, economics and entrepreneurship. You can study more aspects of Japanese culture, society, and history in depth, and have the option of writing a dissertation about Japan on a subject of your choice, under the supervision of an academic staff member in Japanese Studies. You can take up to 20 credits in second year course units if you wish.

In Japanese Language 6, you’ll develop your all-round language skills to more advanced levels and acquire business Japanese communication skills. Students who meet the prerequisite can also take Advanced Readings in Japanese Studies, allowing you to study about Japan through reading selections from Japanese books and articles and then presenting about and discussing them in Japanese.

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk