Japan is famous for its pop culture, great food, long history, rich traditions, beautiful seasons and nature, advanced technology, and much more. It is also one of Australia’s major economic and political partners, as well as in cultural exchange, and research and development.

Develop your ability to engage professionally with the people and culture of Japan. This course focuses on a communicative approach, which steadily builds your proficiency in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing contemporary Japanese, as well as learning about many aspects of Japanese culture and society.

This course features integration of on-campus learning and in-country study which allows students to undertake an exchange program in Japan. After completing either your second or third-year units in Japanese language, you’ll have the opportunity to study for one or two semesters at one of our 10 Japanese partner universities. If you have completed ATAR Japanese, you might be eligible for our fast-track course, where you can skip first-year Japanese units.

3 reasons to study Japanese at Murdoch

Murdoch has received a five-star rating for median graduate starting salaries in the field of languages*.
*Source: The Good Universities Guide 2020
You can study a Japanese major and two minors in Asian Studies, Global Politics, Modern History or Anthropology, or alternatively study two majors in 3 years and graduate with several specialisations, further enhancing your career prospects.
You can immerse yourself in Japanese culture and language through study for one or more semesters at one of our 10 partner universities across Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hyogo.

What you’ll learn

Build the knowledge and skills you need to meet your career or study goals. Here are some of the things you’ll learn:

Contemporary Japanese spoken and written language
Japanese cultural practices
Japanese worldviews
Many aspects of the society, history and nature of Japan
Research skills and methods using Japanese sources.

Your future career

When you graduate, you’ll have the language skills and cultural knowledge needed to work in a broad range of industries, both locally and internationally. Careers could include:

Diplomat
Interpreter or Translator
Hospitality or Tourism Operator
Teacher or Academic
Professional in Japan

Professional recognition

You can apply for professional accreditation as an interpreter and translator through testing by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).