Entry Requirements

The degree in Japanese Studies and History is designed to provide knowledge and understanding of Japanese society culture and language. Taught jointly with the School of East Asian Studies, the third year of this four year programme is spent at one of our partner universities in Japan, providing an excellent opportunity to enhance your language skills and to immerse yourself in Japanese society. The School of East Asian Studies is one of the main centres for Japanese in Europe, and is one of two universities' departments that constitute the National Institute of Japanese Studies.

The language is taught intensively from scratch, covering all the basic skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. You learn phonetic scripts (kana) from the outset, and learn the roughly 2000 Sino-Japanese characters (kanji) needed over the four years of the course. You encounter over a quarter of these in the first year. By the end of the first year you will have covered most of the core grammar of the language, and from the second year of the course you start to deal with real texts, including newspapers, and you develop compositional, summary, translation and presentational skills. The lecture-based modules cover a range of disciplines. The main focus is on contemporary social sciences, so you can choose modules on contemporary society, minorities, politics, economics, gender, modern history, business management and international relations.

In history, you will study core (compulsory) modules at each level, which will develop your skills, but you are otherwise free to choose from an enormous range of modules. These cover many different periods, countries and approaches to the past. There is a wide chronological and geographical coverage of history from the late Roman to the modern period, addressing political, social and cultural themes in history.

Entry Requirements

We accept all A-Level subjects, including General Studies.

View acceptable combinations of A-level subjects.

We also welcome applications from candidates taking other qualifications such as Access to HE Diplomas or the International Baccalaureate. Candidates only offering AS level History are also considered, in this situation you should use your personal statement to briefly make a case about why you were unable to take History to A-level.

• A Levels – ABB (including History).
• Two A Levels plus two GCE AS Levels – AB(History) + AB*
• Cambridge Pre-U – D3 M2 M2
• Two A Levels plus Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma – AB + Pass
• BTEC National Diploma in a relevant subject – DDM. An additional History qualification is required if the BTEC does not provide sufficient preparation in History
• Scottish Highers – AAAB
• Irish Leaving Certificate – AABBB
• International Baccalaureate – 34 points (including 6 in Higher Level History).
• Access to HE Diploma – usually in History or a related subject. 60 credits overall with Distinctions in 30 Level 3 credits and Merits in 15 Level 3 credits, to include History units.
• Core requirements - grade B in both A Level History or equivalent.
• Non-native English speakers: minimum of IELTS 7.0 (with 6.5 in each component) or equivalent.

View alternative acceptable English qualifications.

* Please note we would normally expect candidates to be taking three subjects at A-level (or equivalent) and this offer will only be used where an acceptable explanation for the alternative route of study is included in the application.