Honours Program
- Overview of Honours in Japanese Studies
- Elegibility
- Structure of the program
- Scholarships
- Life after Honours
- Why do Honours in Japanese?
- Staff in Japanese Studies and areas in which they supervise
- Further Information
Overview of Honours in Japanese
The Honours program in Japanese is a one-year full-time course or a part-time program over two years.
Full-time students complete 48 credit points over one year: part-time students do so over two years, with 24 points completed each year.
The program consists of 24 points of coursework and 24 points of research and thesis writing.
Eligibility
Students with a major in Japanese and an average of 70 or higher in that major will be accepted into the Japanese Honours Program (this is a faculty regulation). Students who feel they may have adequate reason to be accepted with lower marks should consult with Dr. Beatrice Trefalt, the Convenor of Japanese Honours Program ( Beatrice.Trefalt@arts.monash.edu.au ).
The Honours program in Japanese is open to students from other universities. It is recommended that students complete ASN3071 Theory and Research in Asian Studies or a similar unit in research methodology in their second or third year of study in order to be able to work constructively over the summer period on a literature review and to prepare for any empirically - based research they might wish to undertake during the Honours year. Upon entry , students should consult with the Program Convenor about the level of language study they should undertake or whether further language study might be foregone. Japanese native speakers without a major in Japanese are also welcomed into the program.
The Structure of the Program
Coursework Requirements (24 points)
Students enrolled in Honours in Japanese will normally complete the following coursework:
(1) Honours seminar (12 points) taken in the first semester as :
LLC4020 One World or Many? (Convenor: Professor Ross Mouer)
or
ASN4499 Honours Seminar in Asian Studies (Convenor: Professor Bruce Jacobs)
AND
(2) Electives (12 points)
Most students will complete two language units at the appropriate level, each earning 6 credit points. Students with high levels of proficiency in the Japanese language may opt to do other coursework worth 12 credit points.
OR
(3) Coursework in Japan (up to 24 points)
Students may arrange to do the coursework component at an approved university in Japan . There are some scholarships to support that study and a range of options exist. Students able to do the Honours program on a part-time basis over two years may consider applying for a Japanese scholarship for study in Japan from March to March, with 24 points of credit being earned, returning to Melbourne to complete the second half of their program at Clayton in the second year. Regarding study in Japan , students should consult with Dr. Hiroko Hashimoto, the Convenor of Japanese Exchange Program ( hiroko.hashimoto@arts.monash.edu.au ).
The Research-Thesis Component
The thesis should present original research which examines issues relevant to understanding contemporary Japan to the Japanese language or to Japan-Australia relations. The Japanese Studies Program at Monash is staffed by academics with a wide range of research interests. Normally one of those staff will be appointed to supervise the Honours research. A list of staff members and their research interests is given below, and it is expected that students will locate their own supervisor. Students having difficulty locating a supervisor should contact the Convenor of the Japanese Honours Program .
Some of the areas investigated by Honours students in the past include:
- The marketing of wine, cheese, small goods and wool to Japan ;
- The nature of interpersonal relations in Japan ;
- Various aspects of Japan 's popular culture;
- Various aspects of Japan 's relations with Australia and/or other parts of Asia ;
- Employment practices in Japanese firms;
- The history of Jewish persons transiting Japan on the way to China during the war;
- Japanese literature; and
- Speech acts in Japanese .
Students are advised to select an area for research and to discuss their vision for the research with a potential supervisor before the summer break, so that background reading can be started before the first semester begins. Those planning to do research while in Japan will need to have a very good outline of their research and a clear plan for obtaining ethical approval before leaving Melbourne .
Other Requirements
While enrolled in the Honours program, students are expected to be involved in the following:
- Two or three meetings each semester in which various aspects of conducting research might be discussed, along with possible employment opportunities and other matters related to being a "professional in Japanese studies".
- Two reporting days at which students give a progress report on their research and how it is advancing
- Seminars organised by staff in the Japanese studies program and/or seminars run by the Japanese Studies Centre. These will be on a range of topics and broaden the background of Honours students as potential professions in knowing about and/or dealing with Japan .
Scholarships
Special Honours Scholarships from the Japanese Program are available for Monash Honours students. For application, please consult with the Convenor of Japanese Honours Program.
Life after Honours
The Honours program is designed to prepare students both for further study and research at the postgraduate level and for employment in areas which involve on-going contact with Japanese and Japanese organizations. Many graduates find employment in Japan to be a useful way of extending further the skills and knowledge acquired during the Honours program.
Postgraduate programs offered at Monash which would be of particular interest to graduates with an Honours Degree in Japanese include the Masters in Applied Japanese Linguistics, the Masters in Japanese Interpreting and Translation, and the Masters in Asian Studies. Those who do exceptionally well in Honours may qualify to become a PhD candidate pursuing research in many fields of Japanese studies.
Why do Honours in Japanese?
- to extend further one's knowledge and skills relevant to working in Japan or in contact with persons having a Japanese background;
- to acquire a four-year degree, with advanced skills in research and report writing;
- to gain a greater appreciation for Japan and a fuller sense of the Japanese cultural context;
- to expand expertise in the discipline area in which research is conducted;
- to network in ways that will later assist in finding employment or career advancement; and
- to gain entry into various postgraduate programs.
Members of staff in the Japanese Program and areas in which theysupervise
Note: There are many other areas in which students have done research for their Honours thesis. If an area of interest does not appear below, please contact the Honours Convenor for further advice. (Further information about staff is available on their staff profile pages.)
Dr.
Hiroko Hashimoto
Applied linguistics;
teaching Japanese as a foreign language
Assoc.
Prof. Helen Marriott
Sociolinguistics
and intercultural communication; applied linguistics
Prof.
Ross Mouer
Theories of Japanese society,
work organization and social inequality, Japanese studies as a discipline,
images of Japan in other countries, Japan 's globalization
Dr. Robyn Spence-Brown
Language acquisition; language teaching and
assessment; and other topics in the area of applied linguistics
Mr. Masato Takimoto
Japanese interpreting and translation
Assoc.
Prof. Alison Tokita
Music, theatre, performed
narrative; Japanese popular culture; Australia-Japan relations
Dr. Takako Tomoda
Curriculum development in Japanese language, CALL, LOTE education,
language policy, language change (in particular: loanwords, keigo
, kanji use), language contact, medicine in
Japan
Dr. Beatrice Trefalt
Modern Japanese history, legacies of the Second World War, war and memory, historical debates, gender issues, minority issues, identity and citizenship, migration.
Ms. Jun Yano
Applied linguistics; Japanese grammar form the point of view of TJFL;
teaching of kanj ; Japanese popular culture
Dr. Kuniko Yoshimitsu
Sociolinguistics, bilingualism, language maintenance and shift
Further information:
Further information about Honours is available from the School's Honours page (note particularly the information on the Asian Languages and Studies page).
If you would like more information on Honours in Japanese, contact the Japanese Honours Program Convenor:
Dr. Beatrice Trefalt
Room: W420 , Building 11
Phone: +61 3 9905 5118
Email: beatrice.trefalt@arts.monash.edu.au
For general information on Honours in the Faculty of Arts: