Asian Studies Minor

Faculty: Professor Steven Geisz (Philosophy and Religion), Co-Coordinator; Associate Professor Elizabeth Littell-Lamb (History), Co-Coordinator; Associate Professor Liv Coleman (Political Science and International Studies); Associate Professor Daniel Dooghan (English).

The Department of Philosophy and Religion, the Department of Languages and Linguistics, and the Department of Government, History and Sociology each contribute key courses to the Asian studies minor.

The minor in Asian studies focuses on the history, culture and politics of East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It provides students with an understanding of the interdisciplinary field of Asian studies. Students take 24 credit hours of courses from lists of eligible electives. The minor helps prepare students for careers in business, government and nonprofit/non-governmental organizations, and is designed to enhance the marketability of those applying to law schools, MBA programs and graduate schools in various disciplines.

Degree Requirements

Requirements for a minor in Asian studies - 24 credit hours, distributed as follows from lists (A), (B) and (C), and possibly (D) and (E):

A. Asian History and Politics Foundation Requirement (at least 4 credit hours). Students must take one or more of the following courses:

HIS 217China's Modern Centuries

4

HIS 221Japan's Modern Centuries

4

PSC 365Politics of East Asia

4

Total Credit Hours:4

B. Asian Philosophy/Religion Foundation Requirement (at least 4 credit hours). Students must take one or more of the following courses:

PHL 237Indian and Asian Philosophy

4

PHL 320Chinese Philosophy

4

PHL 235Philosophy of Martial Arts

4

PHL 236Yoga and Philosophy

4

PHL 321Daoist Philosophy and Religion

4

PHL 330Asian Philosophy Special Topics

4

Total Credit Hours:4

PHL 330: may be taken and counted toward the minor more than once, if the particular topic varies

C. Asian Language Requirement (8 or more credit hours, unless proficiency is demonstrated in one of the other allowable ways):

Students must (i) successfully complete at least 8 credit hours of the following courses, or (ii) demonstrate proficiency in an approved Asian language by attaining the “novice advanced” level on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) administered by the American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL), or (iii) receive an official waiver for this requirement by being determined to be a native speaker of an approved Asian language by the chair of the Department of Languages and Linguistics. (Students who take options (ii) or (iii) must take the 8 or more credit hours they would otherwise have taken to meet the Asian language requirement by taking additional courses from lists A (above), B (above) or D (below)):

CHI 101Elementary Chinese I

4

CHI 102Elementary Chinese II

4

CHI 201Intermediate Chinese I

4

CHI 202Intermediate Chinese II

4

CHI 351Topics in Chinese

1-4

JPN 101Elementary Japanese I

4

JPN 102Elementary Japanese II

4

JPN 201Intermediate Japanese I

4

JPN 202Intermediate Japanese II

4

JPN 351Topics in Japanese:

1-4

Total Credit Hours:8

D. Asia-Focused Electives (OPTIONAL, up to 8 credits):

Students do not need to take any courses off of this list, but they may count up to 8 credit hours of coursework from the following list toward the 24 credit hours required for the Asian studies minor. (Those students who complete the Asian language requirement by demonstrating proficiency via an OPI interview or by receiving an official “native speaker” waiver may count up to 16 credit hours from the following list.)

PSC 341International Relations of East Asia

4

PSC 365Politics of East Asia

4

PSCH 272Contemporary Japan (Honors)

4

HIS 227Traditional China

4

HIS 228Traditional Japan

4

HIS 296America and Vietnam

4

LAN 100Language and Culture

2

LAN 105Language For Travel

2

REL 288Chinese Yoga and Meditation

4

THR 330Special Topics in Theatre

2-4

Total Credit Hours:8

THR 330-332: Should take THR 330, Special Topics in Theatre: Asian Theatre

LAN 100/LAN 105: (only if the language/culture is Chinese, Japanese, or some other language/culture of East Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent)

E. Asia-In-Comparison Electives (OPTIONAL, up to 4 credit hours):

Students do not need to take any courses off of this list, but they may count up to 4 credit hours of coursework from the following list of eligible electives toward the minor.

COM 261World Cinema

4

COM 401Intercultural Communication

4

COM 443Communication and Cultural Studies

4

LIT 312Contemporary World Literature

4

LIT 337Multiethnic U.S. Literature and Film

4

HIS 102World History to 1500

4

HIS 103World History from 1500 to the Present

4

HIS 402Natural and Unnatural Disasters in Modern World History

4

PHL 399Philosophy of Sex

4

REL 205World Religions

4

Total Credit Hours:4

Total Credit Hours: 24