The department attempts to maintain an informal scholarly atmosphere with close contact between students and teachers. The departmental Reading Room contains basic research material and there is a strong East Asian collection at the Memorial Library.
Graduate students can choose to concentrate either in literature or linguistics.
The program develops students' expertise in both modern and classical Japanese language and literature, comparative applications of contemporary Western literary theory, Japanese linguistics, history of Japanese language and literature, and language pedagogy. A student who passes the M.A. at an appropriately high level will be eligible to enter the Ph.D. program. To be considered for admission, the student should have the equivalent of a B.A. major in Japanese from the University of Wisconsin. Applicants lacking this qualification but of superior caliber will be admitted conditionally. E.A. 573-74, Readings in Classical Japanese Literature, is required of all students intending to enter the Ph.D. program in Japanese literature.