Asian Studies
The interdisciplinary minor is designed to introduce students to the arts, cultures, economies, geography, history, languages, politics, and religions of East, Southeast, and South Asia. The program also emphasizes introductory knowledge of Asian languages as a necessary means to understanding the region’s traditional and contemporary cultures.
Overview
Students who minor in Asian Studies gain basic proficiencies in the traditions and languages of the region by acquiring fundamental historical, linguistic, and cultural knowledge, as well as learn how to use research and analytical tools to challenge and to suggest new avenues for exploration.
Enrolling in courses across different disciplines, minors in Asian Studies also learn to interpret and to appreciate cultural production in all its various forms, ranging from the political to the musical to the gastronomic. In this way, students emerge both with elementary proficiency in at least one Asian language and the cultural knowledge and sensitivity to pursue future work and research opportunities in Asia. Many of our students study abroad for a full semester in Bhutan, China, Japan, or Taiwan. Frequently, there are CentreTerm courses to countries such as India, Japan, and Thailand.
Curriculum
The program emphasizes introductory knowledge of Asian languages as a necessary means to understanding the region’s traditional and contemporary cultures. Courses include Age of the Samurai, Chinese Language, Japanese Language, Reading and Ritual in Hinduism, Modern Japan, Politics of East Asia, Asian Humanities, and World Buddhism.
