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Minor in Japanese Language & Culture

The Department of World Languages and Cultures is happy to offer a minor in Japanese, requiring the completion of 18 credit hours, as outlined below.

If you have any prior experience with studying/speaking Japanese, please review our Placement Exam information prior to registration.

Please contact worldlanguages@drake.edu if you have questions about declaring a minor.

Objectives of the Japanese Minor

The program objectives/outcomes for the Japanese minor are as follows:

To allow students to earn transcriptable recognition of their work in the Japanese language and culture beyond a listing of individual courses and
To allow students to demonstrate their ability to communicate competently in the Japanese language and culture.

Successful completion of all required courses indicates that a student has achieved the desired outcomes.

Requirements for Minors Declared in Fall 2022 or Later

Students must take:

Language courses beginning at 001 or above (12 hours minimum, at least 9 of which must be taken at Drake; more than 12 hours would be acceptable and encouraged);
6 additional credits from language courses or from the elective course list; See WLC's approved list of electives taught in English for the Japanese minor.

Total = 18 hours

Students may apply no more than 6 transfer and/or dual credit hours to a language minor. This policy does not apply to Drake-approved study abroad programs. You may earn:

3 credits for an AP placement of 4 on the language exam
6 credits for an AP placement of 5 on the language exam
6 credits for an AP placement of 4 or 5 on the literature exam
3 credits for a CLEP placement over 50 for the Level One exam
6 credits for a CLEP placement over 50 on the Level Two exam
6 credits for having completed an IB program and successfully passed the exam

Requirements for Minors Declared in Fall 2020 or Later

Students must take:

Language courses beginning at 001 or above (12 hours minimum, at least 9 of which must be taken at Drake; more than 12 hours would be acceptable and encouraged);
Courses related to the chosen language and culture in the fields of art, economics, English, history, marketing, music, philosophy/religion, political science, study of culture and society, world languages and cultures, or other areas as approved by a WLC advisor (up to 9 hours).

Total = 21 hours

Students may apply no more than 6 transfer and/or dual credit hours to a language minor. This policy does not apply to Drake-approved study abroad programs. Please note that we do not accept AP, CLEP, or IB credits for minors.

Requirements Prior to Fall 2020

Prior to Fall 2020, there were two tracks for fulfilling the requirements for a minor in language and culture. If a current student declared a minor before Fall 2020, they may choose either to continue with their previously-chosen track listed below or to switch to the current requirements set out above. (Students declaring a minor in Fall 2020 or later must meet the current requirements described above.)

Track 1

18 hours in the language

for French, German, and Spanish, 18 hours above 003
for Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese, 18 hours beginning with 001 or above

WLC 148 Intercultural Communication (3 hours)

Total = 21 hours (a minimum of 12 of these must be taken at Drake)

Track 2

Language study, 001 and above (12 hours minimum, at least 9 must be taken at Drake; more than 12 hours would be acceptable and encouraged)
Courses in the fields of art, economics, English, history, marketing, music, philosophy/religion, political science, study of culture and society, world languages and cultures (up to 9 hours)

Total = 21 hours

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