2025/26 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BA Italian B and Japanese

Programme overview

Programme code
BA-ITB&JAPN
UCAS code
RTH2
Duration
5 Years
Method of Attendance
Full Time
Programme manager
Maria Chiara La Sala
Contact address
m.c.lasala@leeds.ac.uk
Total credits
605
School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme
School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
Examination board through which the programme will be considered
School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups
Languages, Cultures and Societies:
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/sbs-languages-cultures-and-societies-15.pdf?sfvrsn=2098f781_12

Entry requirements

For entry requirements for this course please visit: Coursefinder

Programme specification

The programme will:

- Allow students to study the disciplines of Italian and Japanese to the same depth as Single Honours students of the disciplines, but with less breadth in each. This means that Joint Honours students will normally be required to take compulsory and a subset of the optional modules that are also part of the corresponding Single Honours degree programmes, and that they will be assessed on those modules using criteria identical to those applied to Single Honours students. Joint Honours students will reach the same levels of fluency and accuracy in their target language(s) as Single Honours students.
- At Levels Two and Three, allow students to choose, within certain parameters, optional modules from the full range available within each discipline, and thereby devise pathways of their own choosing.
- Require students to undertake two periods of residence abroad: a Year Abroad in a Japanese-speaking country at the end of Level One, and a Year Abroad in Italy at the end of Level 2. The Year Abroad in Japan will normally take the form of a course of study.
- Allow students the option at Level Three of undertaking an autonomous research project in either discipline, potentially linking the two disciplines by bringing knowledge and understanding gained in one discipline to bear in the other.
- Require students to acquire the flexibility of mind and variety of learning techniques needed to switch between the two disciplines.
- Provide a basis for further advanced study in either Italian or Japanese, or in a cognate interdisciplinary area.
- Have the flexibility to allow students to change programme upon successful completion of Level One, subject to approval. It is normally possible to switch from Joint Honours Italian & Japanese into Single Honours in either discipline.

Year 1

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

In Level 1 students must study 120 credits. Students are required to study 60 credits in each of Italian and Japanese

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
EAST1210Basic Japanese Language (1)20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST1220Basic Japanese Language (2)20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)PFP
ITAL1025Exploring Italy: Introduction to Italian Culture and Society20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
ITAL1030Beginners Italian (A1 of the CEFR)20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
ITAL1032Lower Intermediate Italian (A2+ of the CEFR)20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)PFP

Optional Modules

Candidates are required to take 20 credits from the following optional modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
EAST1252Modern Japan20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
EAST1450Foundations of East Asia20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
EAST1510Introduction to East Asian Religions and Philosophies20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Discovery Modules

Students with prior knowledge of Japanese may, subject to a placement test, study more advanced language modules as appropriate in their first year

Year 2

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Candidates will spend second year of the programme studying in Japan.

Compulsory Modules

Students are required to study the following core residence abroad module. Please note that the appropriate Level 1 module(s) in the language needs to be passed in order progress to the Year Abroad.

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
MODL9500LCS Year Abroad120Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Year 3

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

In Level 2 students must study 120 credits. Students are required to take 40 credits in Italian and 60 credits in Japanese. The remaining credits should be taken in either of the named subjects or taken as discovery modules.

Compulsory Modules

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
EAST2719Japanese 2: Pre-Advanced Communication Skills 120Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)PFP
EAST2720Japanese 2: Pre-Advanced Communication Skills 220Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)PFP
ITAL2027Upper Intermediate Italian (B1/B2 of the CEFR)20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Optional Modules

Candidates will be required to study between 20 and 40 credits from the following optional modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
FILM2202Screening Italy: Neorealist cinema to Netflix20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
ITAL2025Linguistic Variety in Modern Italy20Not running in 202526
ITAL2500Modern Italian Identities Across Cultures20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2001Linguists into Schools20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2045From Inferno to the world. Reading Dante’s Divine Comedy in a global context20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2075Global Environmental Humanities20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

- Students wishing to choose MODL2001 as one of their Italian options must take a minimum of 60 credits in Italian in level 2 including ITAL2016.
- Not all modules will be available every year.

Candidates will be required to study between 20 and 40 credits from the following optional modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
EAST2006China Since 197920Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST2007Japan's International Relations20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST2008The Making of Modern Thailand20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST2025Global Korea in Context: Sociocultural and Political Dynamics20Not running in 202526
EAST2128Contemporary East Asian Culture20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST2148Trauma Narratives in the Contemporary Sinophone World20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST2360Chinese Cinema20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST2480Japanese Development Assistance in a Globalising World20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST2717Society, Culture and Environment in Early Modern China20Not running in 202526
EAST2718Topics in Contemporary East Asian Societies20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST3015Religion in China20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST3017Japan-Korea Relations in the Shadow of Empire20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST3020Civil Society and the Non-Profit Sector in Contemporary China20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST3252Modern Japanese History20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST3271East Asia's Regional Political Economy20Not running in 202526
EAST3350Japanese Cinema in the World20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL2001Linguists into Schools20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2075Global Environmental Humanities20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

- Not all modules will be available every year.

Students may also choose to study the below module, as long as they are not already enrolled onto Linguists into Schools.

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
FOAH2020Towards the Future: Skills in Context20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Discovery Modules

Candidates may choose to study up to 20 credits of discovery modules in a third subject, pursue additional modules in the two named subjects or take the above FOAH module.

Year 4

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

The candidate will spend the fourth year of the programme in Italy.

Compulsory Modules

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
MODL9501LCS Year Abroad 2120Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Discovery Modules

Year 5

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

In Level 3 students must study 120 credits, which includes a Final Year Project Module. Students are required to take at least 40 credits in Italian and 60 credits in Japanese: the Final Year Project can be taken in - and count towards - either of the two languages. The remaining credits should be taken as optional modules in the other language to the Final Year Project or as MODL modules. Students taking the Final Year Project in Japanese may also choose to take 20 credits of Discovery modules.

Compulsory Modules

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
EAST3285Japanese 3: Advanced Communication Skills20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP
ITAL3010Italian Language 320Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP
MODL3050Final Year Project40Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)PFP

Optional Modules

Candidates who choose to complete their Final Year Project in Italian will be required to choose 40 credits from the options below.

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
EAST3015Religion in China20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST3016East Asian Performing Arts20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST3017Japan-Korea Relations in the Shadow of Empire20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST3018Death in Japanese Society and Culture20Not running in 202526
EAST3148Trauma Narratives in the Contemporary Sinophone World20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST3156Nature and Technology in Japan: Cultural Images20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
EAST3252Modern Japanese History20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST3271East Asia's Regional Political Economy20Not running in 202526
EAST3286Advanced Japanese in Context: Culture and Identity20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST3287Advanced Japanese in Context 5: Japanese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in Historical Context20Not running in 202526
EAST3350Japanese Cinema in the World20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
EAST3525Globalising China and the Developing World20Not running in 202526
EAST3580Advanced Japanese in Translation20Not running in 202526
FOAH3150Religion and Violence20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Candidates may not take a module from this group that they taken in another group/year.

Candidates who choose to complete their Final Year Project in Japanese will be required to choose at least 20 credits from the options below. The following modules can be taken in and count towards either Italian or Japanese credits. Students may choose to study up to 40 credits from the modules below instead of ITAL/EAST optional modules.

CodeTitleCreditsSemesterPass for Progression
ITAL3200‘Femminismi’. Theories and practices of gender in the Italian context20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
ITAL3400Made in Italy. Italian for Business20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3200Representing the Holocaust: Transgression and the Taboo20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3410Contemporary World Literature20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL3600Material Cultures and Cultures of Consumption20Not running in 202526
MODL3610Adventures of the Imagination: Crime and the Fantastic Across Continents20Not running in 202526
MODL3620Decolonial Approaches20Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3630Social Movements across Cultures20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3650Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present20Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL3800Linguists into Schools20Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Discovery Modules

Candidates taking the Final Year Project in Japanese may also choose to take up to 20 credits of Discovery modules instead of further optional/MODL modules.

Last updated: 23/07/2025 10:16:03

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team