Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin)
The study of Chinese accesses the literature, thought, culture, and society of the world’s largest population with the longest cultural continuum; moreover, since the civilizations of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam are founded on traditional Chinese Confucianism, a major in Chinese opens up much of the wider world of modern Asia. You will communicate in spoken and written Mandarin, gain skills in analyzing and appreciating both traditional and modern literature, acquire effective research strategies, and learn to write clearly and persuasively. All the personal enrichment and interpersonal understanding that results from a liberal arts education in the humanities is offered through the study of Chinese.

Japanese
Although Japan’s economic successes are widely recognized, few people know much about the rich cultural heritage of Japan in literature, thought, painting, music, and the other arts. The study of Japanese language and literature will introduce you to many of the major aspects of that heritage while providing the kind of training in language and social skills that will prepare you to undertake careers in a wide variety of fields. The study of Japanese at the university level is aimed at providing you with advanced language skills and a sophisticated understanding of Japan and its people acquired through an examination of the literature and culture.

Korean
Korean is a difficult language, and at BYU we emphasize reading and writing the language as well as speaking and listening. Basic course work emphasizes linguistic skill and the language’s literary value and tradition.

Note: Instruction is also regularly available in Hebrew and Arabic.

Students who major or minor in the languages and cultures of Asia and the Near East will find that, as will any other humanities-centered course of study, they have been well provided with tools to communicate both in the target language and in English and have broadened and deepened their knowledge of the region of their choice. Career options are many and varied for such students, but those who do not plan to continue on in the academic study of the language are strongly urged to consider a second major or a strong minor in a practical field that can be combined with their language skills. In the competitive world of today, language ability alone no longer provides the competitive advantage it once offered on the job market. Students are urged to consult the College of Humanities Advisement Center, Career Placement Services, and their academic advisors for the best ways to make use of their language as they begin to seek employment.

Chinese
Chinese majors have all of the advantages of the liberal arts graduate (who claims effective communication and interpersonal skills) with the added edge of knowing the language and culture behind a leading world economy. Therefore, graduates enter the work force in a wide variety of occupations, such as journalism, insurance, business, travel, investment, and government service. They not only are marketable as trained linguists, translators, and cultural advisors, but are vigorously recruited as personnel managers and business representatives by companies with overseas interests. Graduates are also highly competitive in applying to professional schools for medicine, dentistry, law, and business.

Japanese
In recent years, graduates from the Japanese major at BYU have gone on to law, engineering, computer, or MBA programs, while others have continued on to medical school. Afew have pursued graduate work in a variety of academic fields at some of the most prestigious universities in the country. Others have gone directly to work in government service, in the military, and in American or Japanese business firms where their language ability and cultural background are in high demand.

Korean
Most of the jobs available for students with a Korean major are in government (NSA, CIA, FBI), etc., but Korean majors also have all the advantages of a liberal arts degree. Many of our graduates go on to professional schools, law, business, or medicine. Korean is an excellent complement, either as a major or minor, to studies in prelaw, political science, accounting, English, international relations, and many other majors available on campus. Korean is an important language in the world of diplomacy and defense, as well as the world of international business. (Korea is the eighth largest trading partner of the U.S.) Our graduates have been hired by the U.S. government and by U.S., international, and Korean businesses. They work in technical areas as well, involving everything from computers to broadcasting to medicine.

The Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages strongly recommends that StDev 317, a 1-credit-hour course, be taken at the end of the sophomore year or the beginning of the junior year. Because liberal arts degrees provide preparation in a variety of useful fields rather than a single career track, this course is recommended to help liberal arts students focus on specific educational and occupational goals and to identify the career options or educational opportunities available to them. The course will introduce them to the resources needed for accessing information about graduate schools, internships, careers, and career development. Students will learn basic employment strategies, including the steps necessary for obtaining employment related to their own specialty.

To receive a BYU bachelor’s degree a student must complete, in addition to all requirements for a specific major, the following university requirements:

• The university core, consisting of requirements in general and religious education (See the University Core section of this catalog for details. For a complete listing of courses that meet university core requirements, see the current class schedule.)
• A minimum of 30 credit hours in residence
• A minimum of 120 credit hours
• A cumulative GPA of at least 2.0

BA Chinese
BA Japanese
BA Korean
Minors

Students should see their college advisement center for help or information concerning the undergraduate programs.

MA Language Acquisition (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean)

For more information see the BYU 2006–2007 Graduate Catalog.

Language Credit by Examination

Credit by examination is available for many lower-division courses of the above-listed languages. Enrollment in an advanced class is prerequisite to taking the examination.