Asian Studies, BA

Enyu Zhang, PhD, Director

Objectives

Asian Studies is a multi-disciplinary program that prepares students to intellectually engage in one of the most dynamic and important areas of the world. It will enable students to understand diverse patterns of Asian life and society, strengthen their skills and knowledge of the area through intense language and interdisciplinary training, and enhance their appreciation of Asian cultures and civilizations.

Students majoring in Asian Studies will be prepared to undertake entry-level professional jobs in the realm of Asian commerce, communication, or social justice work, or continue on to advanced studies of Asia and international studies in a variety of disciplines.

Requirements

In order to earn the bachelor of arts degree with a major in Asian Studies, students must complete a minimum of 180 credits with a cumulative and a major/program grade point average of 2.00, including the following:

I. Core Curriculum Requirements

Module I: Engaging Academic Inquiry

UCOR 1100 - Academic Writing Seminar
UCOR 1200 - Quantitative Reasoning (or MATH 118 or above)
UCOR 1300 - Creative Expression and Interpretation
UCOR 1400 - Inquiry Seminar in the Humanities
UCOR 1600 - Inquiry Seminar in the Social Sciences
UCOR 1800 - Inquiry Seminar in the Natural Sciences (or BIOL 161/171, 200, CHEM 121/131, PHYS 105, 121)

Module II: Exploring the Self and Others

Module III: Engaging the World

Choose one:

II. College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

NOTE:

All students with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences must demonstrate competency through the level of 135 in a language other than English. This competency is ordinarily achieved by successful completion of the three-course sequence: 115, 125 and 135. Because these courses are a college requirement, no courses in the sequence may be taken on a pass/fail, correspondence, or audit basis. Placement into other than the beginning course of the sequence is achieved by acceptable performance on the Modern Language Competency Examination. See the Modern Languages Department for details on the examination. International students educated to age 16 in an Asian language may request a waiver of the language requirement.

III. Major Requirements

60 credits in three areas of Asian Studies, including:

Area I: Foundation for Asian Studies

NOTE:

*International students educated to age 16 in an Asian language may request a waiver of the language requirement, substituting additional approved electives in Asian Studies areas.

Area II: Modern Themes of Asian Studies

Choose two of the following courses that focus on theoretical methodology of Asian Studies, emphasizing issues beyond state-nation boundaries to cover larger regional concerns:

Special Topic Courses:

Contemporary South Asian Literature and Culture

Area III: Major Electives

Choose six courses from the following, including courses from at least three different disciplines:

Special Topic Courses:

Cultural History of Asia
China’s Past and Present

A maximum of 10 credits may be selected as major electives from the following:

NOTE:

*Students interested in economics and business should seek special advising from the director of the program. 300 or 400 level ECON courses have prerequisites. Please consult with the Department of Economics.

IV. Additional Requirements

General electives to total 180 credits

No more than 15 credits from this major will be counted towards any minor.