The undergraduate Japanese program focuses on developing proficiency in the language in a socio-cultural context by offering a variety of language training courses and by conducting courses in culture and literature in Japanese. In addition to the required course work, students choose electives from a broad range of subjects, which include various courses in literature and culture as well as in translation, interpretation, and business Japanese. The Master of Arts in Japanese offers two emphases: Teaching of Japanese as a Foreign Language and Professional Applications of the Language Study. The curriculum for the teaching emphasis prepares students for a career in teaching Japanese at the community college level. Courses offered include linguistics, pedagogy, and culture. The professional applications emphasis helps students acquire competency in their specific occupational goals in areas such as business, government, communication, arts, and other professional fields.

Some careers require a foreign language as a primary skill. For those employed in teaching foreign languages, culture and literature, and for those who work as interpreters and translators, a high degree of fluency or near-native competency is required. On the other hand, there are a great number of career alternatives open to people who possess good competency in one or more foreign languages. Local and state agencies as well as the federal government (such as the State Department, the Department of Defense, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Peace Corps) often have openings for people with language skills. Further employment possibilities are in multinational companies with significant global operations (international marketing and accounting firms, international banking, and other international business), advertising, journalism, publishing, communications, and information services, media and entertainment, travel and tourism, the hotel and restaurant industry, health care, as well as in the arts. Competency in one or more foreign languages will open the door to many exciting careers.