Coursework

Clemson University has a diverse set of courses that I was able to enroll in order to learn about not only the Japanese language, but also Japanese culture, literature and business. These courses developed strong competencies in areas such as marketing, management and finance made adaptable to Japan's social and business environment. For further details about what I learned, further details about related coursework I completed as an undergraduate can be found below.

Language-Oriented Courses

JAPN 1010 Elementary Japanese

The fundamentals of Japanese are taught. This includes the writing system (hiragana, katakana and some kanji), how to write and speak simple sentences such as to make requests, ask questions and make basic observations. Covers the first half of Genki 1

JAPN 1020 Elementary Japanese 2

Expands on JAPN 1010 by teaching more kanji and more complicated grammar points that allow students to more smoothly express themselves and their desires. Covers the second half of Genki 1

JAPN 2010 Intermed Japanese

Covers more advanced grammar and sentence structures. Greater emphasis is placed on reading comprehension and conversational ability. This being done through reading various short stories and roleplay skits to further language proficiency. Covers the first half of Genki 2

JAPN 3160 Japanese for Int’l Business

Japanese course emphasizing spoken/written Japanese vocabulary and grammar. Students are guided through how to create a Japanese resume and how to conduct themselves in a Japanese job interview. Additionally, how Japanese employees conduct themselves in various situations is taught.

JAPN 4160 Japanese for Int’l Business 2

(IN PROGRESS) Continuation of 3160 that further teaches business related Japanese grammar and vocabulary with a greater focus on reading and evaluating case studies about Japanese companies.

Intensive Japanese 2B (Meiji Gakuin)

Fundamental Japanese class like JAPN 1020, but with a greater emphasis on speaking and listening. Several classes where students can interact with Japanese students to improve their conversational ability. Covers the first half of Marugoto A1

Intensive Japanese 3B (Meiji Gakuin)

Continuation of 2B. More advanced listening and reading exercises that teach students about Japanese culture that emphasizes group work to facilitate growth in Japanese conversation. Taught entirely in Japanese and covers the first half of Chukyu e Ikou.

Intermediate Practical Japanese SB/WB (Meiji Gakuin)

Japanese class focusing on writing and speaking practice. Students create short essays and presentations about various topics such as their interests, pieces of media and experiences. Uses numerous listening exercises to test listening comprehension and ability to use Japanese to discuss the exercises’ contents with classmates.

Culture and Literature Courses

JAPN 4060 Intro to Japanese Literature

Students read various native-level Japanese short stories and discuss contents and express their opinions in Japanese with classmates. Additionally, Students translate a piece Japanese media and discuss the difficulties and observations they obtain from the process with classmates.

Gender & Society (Meiji Gakuin)

Covers the topic of gender in the context of Japanese society. How masculinity and femininity are viewed in Japan’s past and present under various contexts such as sports, government and work.

Japanese Society (Meiji Gakuin)

International students and Japanese students are paired together to watch Japanese media together and discuss the contents while also deepening knowledge of each other’s culture. Media ranged from the live action adaptation of Death Note to the animated film Summer Wars.

Business Courses

ACCT 2010 Fin Acct Concepts

Students are taught finance vocabulary and mathematics needed to create and read financial documents such as trial balances, bank statements, invoices, etc.

ACCT 2020 Mgr Acct Concepts

Expands further on ACT 2010 while incorporating more advanced documentation and mathematics along with added scenarios to help students decide when to use certain documentation.

ECON 2120 Principles of Macroeconomics

Discusses economies on a large scale and how changes in the global market such as by inflation, unemployment and policy decisions influence countries.

ECON 2110 Principles of Microeconomics

Discusses economies on a small scale and how business interacts with their consumers. Additionally, it covers various types of business entities such as monopolies and franchises.

ECON 3140 Intermediate Microeconomics

Dives deep into the mathematics of microeconomics. Focuses on concepts like consumer utility, consumer/producer surplus and price elasticity. Tasks students with evaluating various hypothetical scenarios to determine how market changes will affect business and consumer decision making.

MKT 3010 Principles of Marketing

Introduces students to the basics of marketing and how businesses make their products known to the consumer. Covers the 4 P’s of marketing along with the various methods that companies use to determine who to market towards and how to best persuade them to buy their products.

MKT 3020 Consumer Behavior

Examines how consumers think and behave. Evaluates consumer’s personalities, beliefs, and other influences that businesses can use to better cater their product towards their target market.

MKT 4270 International Marketing

Discusses the methods and scenarios in which business interact with their international consumer base. Whether by how to cater towards a certain country’s culture or how to evaluate a product to determine where it might find the most success.

MGT 2010 Principles of Management

Introduces students to management’s role in a business’ organization and how it manages its employees. Teaches students about the various tasks of management and the dynamics between divisions of a business.

MGT 4000 Mgt of Organizational Behavior

Focuses on effective practices for management by considering employee attitudes, motivations and response to stressors. Incorporates psychological theories such as the Job Characteristic Theory and Value Perception Theory and how they’re used by managers to guide their decision making.

MGT 3030 Global Business

Covers the factors that businesses must consider when operating a business in a foreign country. Such as entry strategy, economic environment, logistics, culture, employment, and future potential. Students are tasked with creating a mock proposal that evaluates these factors to determine the best way for a company to enter a foreign market.

KC3015 Contemporary Japanese Economy A/B (Meiji Gakuin)

A course on the current Japanese economy and the current issues plaguing it. Covers the recent history of Japan’s economy starting from World War 2 and tackles issues such as Japan’s plummeting birthrate and depreciating yen. Evaluates the current strategies put in place by the Japanese government to reform these issues and considers other potential solutions.