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Japanese (Minor)

Japanese (Minor)

SVSU > College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences > Japanese (Minor)

About

You may know exactly what you want to do and be after you graduate from college. But why limit your outlook to just one area of the world? When you pair your studies with a degree offered by SVSU’s Department of Modern Foreign Languages, you unleash a new realm of possibilities for yourself. As a Cardinal at SVSU, we’ll give you skills to be an educator or a foreign correspondent. Or, we’ll show you how to bring your business skills to boardrooms beyond this continent. Whatever your aspirations, SVSU’s Department of Modern Foreign Languages can help you achieve them. Approved by both the Michigan Department of Education and adhering to guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, SVSU’s programs promise to equip you with the communication skills required for language proficiency. Your story starts when you apply to SVSU.

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Cardinal Points

  • Multiple scholarships are available to students along their journey through the Modern Foreign Languages program, including Sebastian and Ida Ramet Endowed Scholarship for the Study of Foreign Languages or Cultures, International Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship.

  • Students have opportunities through Organizations and Activities such as the Japanese Culture Club (JCC), the International Student Club (ISC) and much more.

  • Students have opportunities to study abroad in locations such as Japan to learn their culture more in-depth. 

"My time at SVSU shaped who I am and helped me figure out my academic and career goals. I have taken many interesting classes and had many excellent professors who supported and encouraged me. My Japanese professor, Dr. Monika Dix, has been especially helpful. The Japanese language program has classes in a variety of topics such as literature, culture, and communication. The assignments were fun and useful. We translated readings, wrote responses to interesting prompts, watched videos, and gave presentations on topics of our choice. There is also a Japanese club and conversation tables which are great ways to connect to others with an interest in Japanese. All of these really helped improve my Japanese skills. I also had the opportunity to do an independent study related to my specific interests, women and labor in Japan, which I really enjoyed." — Madaleine Wesol '21, History major, Japanese minor

Japanese students at cultural fest

What You’ll Study

SVSU offers both majors and minors in French and Spanish and a minor in Japanese. You can also choose to pursue a French or Spanish major or minor with a teaching certification. The Department of Modern Foreign Languages offers immersive experiences and a comprehensive language lab to develop proficiency. Our faculty integrate technological resources, online tools and multimedia in their courses, ensuring you engage with a language in a variety of contexts and forms. The Spanish, French and Japanese programs all hold weekly conversation hours where you interact with native or near-native speakers, improving your skills in the best way possible: practice.

Do you have questions about Japanese placement tests, course planning and advising? Contact the MFL Department Chair, Professor Monika Dix at mdix@svsu.edu.

Highlighted Courses

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Key Electives

Click here to see a listing of programs

Programs

Majors

Other

Complementary Minors/Majors

Beyond The Books

Monika Dix holding Japanese flag

Foreign Language Day

Since 1976, the Department of Modern Foreign Languages at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) has sponsored an annual Foreign Language Day for high school students.
student learning with lab equipment

Learning Facilities

The Lab is equipped with Sony/Sans Virtuoso Major and Soloist software. The Lab is open for the use of all language students during the hours specifically listed as "Open" on the Lab schedules.
students at intercultural program

Student Organizations & Activities

Students have opportunities through Organizations and Activities such as the Japanese Culture Club (JCC), the International Student Club (ISC) and much more.
students group studying

After Graduation

  • 2% projected growth for the employment of interpreters and translators through 2033. (U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  • $59,440 is the median yearly pay for interpreters and translators in the U.S. in May 2024. (U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

With a Japanese Language minor from SVSU, graduates develop advanced language and intercultural communication skills, preparing for careers in translation and interpretation, education, international business, diplomacy, tourism, and graduate study.

Our Students After Graduation...

Employers

K12
Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Career Opportunities

Spanish Teacher
Rater
Interpreter