The BA in Japanese Studies is a four-year course. The Japanese language element is strong with 60 of the 120 credits in the first year devoted to language for beginners) and 40 credits to language for advanced learners. The single honours students take core courses in Japanese History and Culture (20 credits) and Modern Japanese Society (20 credits) and have a free choice option (courses in Chinese Studies recommended but not obligatory). Joint honours students are required to attend lectures only for the courses in History and Culture and Modern Society. Single honours students taking the advanced language programme (40 credits) take a 20 credit course in Language in Cultural Context: Reading the Television.

In the second year the Language element is 40 credits and single honours students take Japanese Readings in Context (20 credits) and at least 40 credits from the optional list. Several new 20 credit courses are being planned and the following is an indicative list: Religion in Japan ; Japanese Society in Comparative Perspective; Gender in the Japanese Context; The Making of Modern Japan; Japanese Popular Culture.

The third year is spent in study abroad (see below) and the final year has compulsory courses in Japanese Language and Linguistics (20 credits), Advanced Readings in Japanese (20 credits, single honours only) and a Dissertation (40 credits for single honours) as well as a range of optional courses to be confirmed. A dissertation (20 credits) is optional for those on joint honours programmes

Research degrees are offered and staff can supervise in a wide range of areas and shared supervisions with colleagues elsewhere in the School are possible. There are MA programmes in Translation Studies, and Interpreting Studies that can be taken on a Japanese pathway and interested parties should contact the postgraduate admissions office.

Currently two PhDs are in progress, one on Japanese pilgirms' diaries in the modern day, the other on religious conversion choices among young Japanese in northern Japan.