Course details

Summary

Japan is one of the most influential nations in the Asia-Pacific region — culturally, diplomatically and economically. It is a key player in New Zealand's import and export, tourism and education markets and continues to be an attractive destination for graduates.

Aspects of Japanese culture have become popular in much of Asia, Australasia and America. These include animation, computer games, fashion, art, sport and spirituality.

Learning the Japanese language helps you to do business with Japanese people and multinational companies, equips you for a job in Japan and opens up an understanding of a proud people with a long history and fascinating culture.

PGCertArts students will be introduced to sophisticated subject matter and develop skills in the critical evaluation of academic literature in their discipline or area of specialisation. They will also foster high-level skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication.

Qualification structure and duration

To qualify for the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts, a student must complete at least 60 points from taught courses, as approved by the Head of Department and the Dean of Arts.

This certificate takes six months full-time or 12 months part-time to complete.

Further study

Subject to the approval of the Dean of Arts, a student may transfer courses passed with a B grade or higher for the Postgraduate Certificate in Arts to:

the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts

the Bachelor of Arts with Honours

the coursework section of a master's degree (there are a number of taught master's operated by the College of Arts)

Career opportunities

A degree in Japanese can lead to a variety of career options.

Some graduates have been awarded prestigious Monbukagakusho (Japanese Ministry of Education) Scholarships for study and research in Japan. Many have joined the Japanese Government's Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. Others have been employed by the Japanese Embassy or Consular Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Government Communications and Security Bureau in Wellington.

There is a demand for teachers of Japanese in secondary schools and some graduates have joined the teaching staff of Japanese departments at tertiary institutions.

Other graduates enter banking, import/export and legal industries or find jobs in multinational companies that have links with Japan. Some become freelance translators or enter the tourism and travel industry.

Entry criteria

Candidates must have qualified for a Bachelor of Arts or an equivalent degree and satisfied the prerequisites for the subject concerned. Prerequisites vary between departments, but normally good grades in 300-level courses in that subject are required.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.