Master of Arts in Japanese Language Pedagogy

Do you already have a bachelor's degree in Japanese and would like to continue your studies? The M.A. program in the East Asian Languages and Cultures department at HLS allows students to specialize further in the Japanese language and culture.

Many of our master's students intend to pursue a Ph.D. in Japanese, but the M.A. is also appropriate if you plan a non-academic career where a deep familiarity with more than one East Asian language is needed.

The M.A. program in Japanese consists of 30 credit hours of approved courses. You can choose from two tracks--the traditional M.A., or the M.A. with a language pedagogy track. If you choose the language pedagogy focus, you'll take a subset of courses specific to that track, and have a final M.A. project demonstrating your pedagogical skills.

In either track, you'll take courses in Japanese language, literature, history, and culture--and develop an expertise in this part of Asia.

Language study is a fundamental element of the M.A. program, and there are opportunities to develop your skills--such as language courses, Japanese conversation clubs, and overseas study.

If you intend to apply to a Ph.D. program in a field requiring a second East Asian language, it is highly recommended that you begin that coursework during the M.A. program.