Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Japanese

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Course Sequence

Field of Interest

Field of Interest: Culture and Society

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Japanese provides the first two years of a four year curriculum for the student who plans to transfer to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese. An Academic Certificate (AC) in Language Studies is also available.

Details

Details icon Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:

Field of Interest
Culture and Society
Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Japanese (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8130
Total Credits Required
60-64
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students intending to complete the Academic Certificate in Language Studies (Major Code 6237N) should consider the recommendation notes listed below.

Students may qualify to enter higher level Japanese courses by placement or may qualify to exempt out of taking any Japanese courses by assessment.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges to earn a degree with this emphasis.

What You’ll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Interpret intermediate-level informational and literary texts in Japanese.
  2. Interpret intermediate-level oral communication in Japanese.
  3. Present information and express opinions in intermediate-level written and spoken Japanese.
  4. Interact and negotiate meaning in intermediate-level spoken Japanese.
  5. Explain the relationship between Japanese linguistic practices and cultural perspectives.
  6. Compare and contrast Japanese language and culture with other languages and cultures.
  7. Use intermediate-level Japanese in multiple environments and contexts.
  8. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Opportunities

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Maricopa County-based annual median wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Interpreters and Translators

$50,475

Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teachers

$72,944

Secondary School Teachers

$63,199

* Career and wage information provided by Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JPN101 Elementary Japanese I Critical course Gateway course OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment G 0–5
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL View requisites Critical course FYC or FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
Elective Elective JPN115 or JPN116 recommended 0–3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JPN102 Elementary Japanese II View requisites OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment G 0–5
JPH245 Traditional and Modern Japanese Culture G, HU 3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL View requisites FYC or FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking View requisites OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication View requisites SB or SB or L or SB 0–3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3
Elective Elective JPN115 or JPN116 recommended 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JPN201 Intermediate Japanese I View requisites OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment G 0–5
ENG213 or
SLC201		 Introduction to the Study of Language or Introduction to Linguistics View requisites HU, SB or HU, SB 3
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
JPN202 Intermediate Japanese II View requisites OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment G 0–5
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry L 3
HU or
SB		 Humanities, Fine Arts & Design or Social-Behavioral Sciences Either HU or SB may be met by ENG213 OR SLC201 in Required Courses HU or SB 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4

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Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, meet with an academic advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=16452821).

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts (AA) in Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Japanese