BA Japanese Studies

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• Modern Languages and Cultures
• East Asian Studies

ABB including one essay based/humanities subject.

This programme is designed for students whose level of Japanese at entry ranges from complete beginner to approximately A-level standard. It is not suitable for students whose first language is Japanese.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

BBC including one essay based subject.

This programme is designed for students whose level of Japanese at entry ranges from complete beginner to approximately A-level standard. It is not suitable for students whose first language is Japanese. If you are taking A Level Japanese we will require grade B.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

• live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
• live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
• have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

BBC including one essay based/humanities subject.

This programme is designed for students whose level of Japanese at entry ranges from complete beginner to approximately A-level standard. It is not suitable for students whose first language is Japanese.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

• have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
• have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 6 or B in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and 4 or C in Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade B/6, or;

IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component, or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

• Find out more from student finance
• Eligible UK students can apply for bursaries and scholarships
• Funding for EU and international students is on our country-specific pages
• Many students work part-time or complete a student internship
  

Residence abroad support

We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income.

You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.  Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest.  There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.  If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.  Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )

Access courses are acceptable as an entry route to this course - please contact the UG Admissions Team.

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 and History and Civilisation of Japan as mandatory course units, with the option of taking Empire and Culture in East Asia. This leaves 20 credits for you to take a free choice course unit from the many options across the Faculty of Humanities.

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

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 options about a range of aspects of Japanese culture, society, and history, and you can also take free choice options. You will be guided 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 of study is spent abroad under approved conditions. While in Japan, you will continue to develop your Japanese language proficiency, through language classes at our partner universities and through immersing yourself in the Japanese linguistic environment, using the independent study skills you have acquired. Level N2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a good target to aim at by the end of your third year, though there is no requirement to pass JLPT N2. 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

Chugoku region

Hiroshima University

Kyushu region

Fukuoka Women’s University, Oita University

Tohoku and Hokkaido regions

Hokkaido University, Yamagata University

All students take Japanese Language 6, which develops your all-round language skills to more advanced levels in its core classes, as well as letting you choose between classes focused on business Japanese communication and on reading and translating Japanese texts.

Students who meet the prerequisite can also take Advanced Readings in Japanese Studies, which allows you to study about Japan through reading selections from Japanese books and articles and then presenting about and discussing them in Japanese.

You will write a dissertation on a subject of your choice under the supervision of one of our academic staff, and you can study in more depth about Japan through final year course units on specialised aspects of Japanese culture, society, and history. We also offer the opportunity to take one or more free choice options from other programmes if you wish.

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