Modern Language and Business & Management

Japanese combined with business and management is a degree that prepares you for the international dimension of one of the world's most significant economic relationships. Japan is a major global economy, a centre of technological innovation, and a cultural force of worldwide influence, from automotive and electronics industries to architecture, cuisine, and popular culture. Japanese as a language is demanding but deeply rewarding to learn: its writing systems, grammatical structure, and register system are all quite unlike European languages, and the level of proficiency a degree programme develops gives you genuinely distinctive professional capabilities.

At the University of Manchester this four-year full-time degree develops your Japanese language competence alongside a thorough grounding in business and management. You will study Japanese language from an appropriate starting level, developing reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills alongside an engagement with Japanese culture, society, and history. The business and management component covers strategy, marketing, finance, organisational behaviour, and the specific features of Japanese business culture and practice that are essential knowledge for anyone intending to work in or with Japanese organisations.

A sandwich year is built into the programme, giving you the opportunity to work in a professional environment, which may well involve a placement in Japan or with a Japanese-facing organisation. Work placement activity is embedded throughout.

Graduates of Japanese and business management programmes are highly employable, particularly in roles that involve working with Japan or with Japanese companies operating internationally. Banking and financial services, consulting, manufacturing, technology, and cultural and educational organisations are all significant employers. The language and cultural competence the degree develops is rare among UK graduates and is valued accordingly.

Postgraduate study in Japanese studies, Asian business, or international management is available for those who want to develop further expertise.