East Asian Language Studies
Bachelor of Arts
(Faculty of Arts)
The East Asian Language Studies Major degree will provide you with a solid training in all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in two major East Asian languages, Chinese and Japanese. You will choose one of the two languages as the primary study field; the other will be secondary.
Our Bachelor of Arts (BA) program will offer you diverse careeropportunities including diplomatic services in the federal andprovincial governments, international business, education, libraryservices, legal services, translation, cultural consultation and so on.Wishing to embark on an academic career? You could enter humanities,social sciences, management, education and law.
Co-op is also available for East Asian Language Studies students. The Co-operative Education version of the program will give you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in up to four paid work terms of three months each. For details, see our Co-op website.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission applicants are required to present appropriate high school subjects and a competitive average.
Application/Document Deadlines
What will I study in my first year?
As a first year student you are required to select either Japanese or Chinese as your primary field of study. After, you will begin your language studies at a level appropriate to your prior knowledge of each language. It is not necessary that you have a working knowledge of either language before beginning this degree as introductory courses are offered for each.You are encouraged to explore a variety of option courses in your first year that will compliment your studies in East Asian Language Studies. You are also encouraged to take courses from the faculties of Communication and Culture, Fine Arts, Science or Social Sciences. For example, you may wish to explore an interest in film studies or anthropology. You could also take a Computer Science course to gain computer skills that employers like seeing on students’ resumes.
What will I study in later years?
As a senior student you will continue to work on your language skills in both Chinese and Japanese while also learning about East Asian cultures. In the final year, students take East Asian Language Studies 501: Topics in East Asian Language Studies. This course allows you to synthesize your training in East Asian languages and cultures and bring it to bear on a particular issue in the two languages, and/or the relation between the languages and the cultures.What can I do with this degree?
The great thing about studying a field in Humanities is that you’ll graduate with a number of marketable skills including:- Analysis and synthesis of information
- Creative thinker
- Editing and revision abilities
- Interdisciplinary perspective
- Planning and organization skills
- Written and oral communication skills
Graduates from the East Asian Language Studies program have a number of career options available to them in a variety of industries. Here is what some U of C grads have done with their East Asian Language Studies degree:
- Account Executive
- Communications Specialist
- Community Affairs Coordinator
- Human Resource Management
- Import / Export Coordinator
- International Banking Loan Officer
- Interpreter
- Playwright
- Volunteer Coordinator
Additional Information
Student Finance
