Japanese

Undergraduate Minor

Japanese torii in water

Earn a Japanese minor at UW

Ready to dive headfirst into Japanese language and culture? UW’s Japanese minor is entirely online but also supports a lively community on campus. Students have the opportunity to study various aspects of Japanese culture, including manga, film, literature and gaming. Students are also encouraged to join student-led organizations, like the anime club and the Japanese culture club.

In addition to exploring Japanese culture through courses and study abroad programs, you’ll develop important speaking, listening and communication skills.

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Japanese torii in water

This program is currently offered in
the following locations:

Online

About the Japanese Minor

The Japanese minor consists of 18 credit hours of courses in Japanese language, history and cultural topics. All students take at least three Japanese language courses and then get to choose advanced electives. Elective topics include manga, anime and literature, among others.

Structures in Japan

 

You must be pursuing an undergraduate degree at UW to declare a Japanese minor.

Japanese minor student looks at a globe

 

 

Online Learning at UW

The Japanese program is offered entirely online, giving our students ultimate flexibility. Students may choose courses that don’t conflict with their major studies and do coursework on their own schedule.

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UW Online

Learn more about the University of Wyoming's online programming!

Japanese Minor Program Highlights

Study Abroad & Exchange Programs

Here at UW, we believe the best way to learn is through experiences. That’s why the Modern and Classical Languages Department offers a wide range of study abroad and exchange programs. UW partners with three Japanese universities to offer semester or year-long exchanges at UW tuition rates. These universities include Saitama University, Kobe College and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. UW also offers a faculty-led trip to Japan for three weeks each summer.

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

UW’s Japanese program is proud to offer a wide variety of courses in Japanese language, history and culture.

  • The History and Culture of Anime
  • The History and Culture of Manga
  • Japanese Film
  • Japanese Literature
  • Modern Japanese Society
  • Japanese Gaming Culture

View all courses

Making friends, networking and connecting with like-minded peers are all fun and important parts of the college experience. UW is home to many thriving student-led organizations.

  • The Anime Club
  • The Japanese Culture Club
  • The Laramie-Japan Friendship Society

These organizations host meetings and events, including an annual Japan festival!

CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

The Japanese minor is led by accomplished and dedicated faculty members. Mark Kretzschmar specializes in Japanese gaming culture. Noah Miles specializes in Japanese language and literature. He also teaches manga and anime courses. Each year, Noah leads two summer programs that take students to Japan for immersive study-abroad experiences.

Meet our faculty

What can you do with a Japanese minor?

A Japanese minor is helpful for a wide variety of career paths including education, international business and medicine. Some of our graduates use their Japanese language skills on a daily basis, while others continue to study Japanese culture in their spare time.

A Japanese minor enhances your career opportunities in fields like international business, translation, education, tourism, journalism and diplomacy by building valuable language skills and cultural insight. It’s especially useful for roles involving Japan such as teaching English abroad, working with global tech or gaming companies or participating in cultural exchange programs like JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program). When combined with majors like business, international studies or communication, it can make you a strong candidate for globally focused careers.

Here are some of the careers our grads have pursued:

  • Medical professional
  • Scientist
  • International business
  • Computer scientist
  • English teacher
  • Engineer

Minoring in Japanese is a great way to boost your resume and stand out in today’s global job market. You’ll build valuable language skills, gain insight into Japanese culture and open up opportunities for study abroad, international internships and programs like JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program). Whether you’re majoring in business, international studies, communication or another field, adding a Japanese minor can help you connect with people around the world and prepare for careers with a global edge.

Yes, you can work internationally with a minor in Japanese—especially if you pair it with a major in fields like business, international studies, communication, education or tech. A Japanese minor can help you qualify for opportunities abroad, such as teaching English in Japan, working for international companies with ties to Japan, participating in cultural exchange programs like JET or contributing to global projects that require cross-cultural communication skills.

English teaching opportunities

UW has an exceptional record for placing students into the competitive and highly-regarded JET program. The JET Program (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) places English teachers in Japanese public schools for up to three years. The program has been running since 1987 and accepts applicants from over 80 countries. 

Learn more about JET

Japanese temple