32 Asian Studies Course Programs in North America

The Asian American Studies Program at Williams is intellectually connected to the larger field of Asian American Studies (AAS), a vibrant interdisciplinary area of study fought for by student activists in the 1960s. AAS research and teaching are grounded in the histories, social relations, and cultural expressions related to Asian American, Asian immigrant, and/or Asian diasporic people. Yet Asian American Studies is not simply about people of Asian descent in America. Our field yields critical insights regarding race and racism, colonialism and empire, immigration and diaspora, war and militarism, labor and embodiment, citizenship and identity, and much more – all while understanding that the presumed Asian American subject at the imagined center of this field is a socially constructed term with ever-shifting meaning and boundaries.

The undergraduate Certificate in Asian Studies is designed for any student to explore a scholarly interest in Asian issues and to develop language proficiency. We encourage students to meet with the Asian Studies international advisor as early as possible to craft an effective plan of study incorporating Asian courses. Attain an in-depth grasp of an Asian region or theme through cultures, languages, histories, and economies.

Located on the Pacific Rim in a city with one of the largest and most diverse Asian populations in the US, Occidental’s Asian Studies Department offers three majors: Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, and Japanese Studies. With faculty who teach courses across nine departments, the Asian Studies Department is interdisciplinary, offering courses on Asian societies and cultures from various perspectives, including American studies, art history, history, international relations, language and literature, media and film studies, politics, and religious studies. All three majors require the study of language and encourage significant study abroad in Asia with strong programs in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The deep interdisciplinary dive into Asian societies and cultures that the majors offer embodies the essence of the liberal arts tradition at Oxy and provides students with a strong foundation to pursue international and multicultural careers in an increasingly connected, globalized world.

Asian American Studies is a rigorous, multidisciplinary intercollegiate program that emphasizes social justice, critical thinking and forward-looking analysis of the history, society, culture and experiences of Asians in the United States. You will take courses in anthropology, cultural studies, economics, ethnomusicology, gender and feminist studies, history, literature, psychology, sociology, media analysis, performance studies, queer studies, racial politics and transnationalism.

The program covers the development and life of Asian cultures from history, humanities, and the social sciences. It is interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, integrated, and seeks to combine knowledge and action.

A major focus of our Asian studies courses is to develop cultural awareness and deeper appreciation for the cultures one of the largest immigrant groups in the Greater Vancouver region. Instructors use a wide variety of active learning methods including film, class discussions and projects, multi-media presentations and exploring local Asian cultural/historical sites.

Carleton’s Program in Asian Studies promotes a wide variety of courses and programs aimed at appreciating and understanding the richness, variety and values of past and present Asian cultures. We concentrate on three regions: East Asia (China, Korea, and Japan), Inner Asia (Tibet, former Soviet Central Asia, and Mongolia), and South Asia (India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka).

The Asian Studies minor enables you to combine the study of an Asian language with selected courses in the humanities. You are encouraged to seek out internships and study abroad experiences to allow you to apply your cultural literacy to real-world situations—making it a minor that can have a major impact on your success.

Asian studies brings together an interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, and students devoted to the study of China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The major combines the study of an Asian language (Chinese or Japanese) and non-language courses in literature, history, philosophy, political science, sociology, and art history. Asian countries account for more than half the world’s population. This fact, combined with Asia’s strong economic growth trends, ensures that Asian people, culture, and business will become an increasingly important world influence during students’ lifetimes.

The Program in Asian Studies offers a multidisciplinary and global approach to studying the peoples and cultures of Asia: their art, literature, religion, and thought, as well as their systems of social, economic, and political organization. The program examines both the traditional societies of Asia and their transformations in recent times. Asian Studies majors and correlates work closely with advisors to design their program of study to follow their specific interests.

Asian studies is a cooperative program of The Claremont Colleges that provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to pursue an interdisciplinary program of study in the culture, language, history, and politics of China, Japan, India, or Southeast Asia. The program provides strong preparation for students seeking careers in government, foreign service, public administration, social work, journalism, or law, or for those planning to go on to graduate work in the area of Asian studies or a related field.

East Asian studies is a closely coordinated, interdepartmental program representing seven departments and eight disciplines. It offers some 50 courses, ranging from art to culminating in a minor that may be focused upon either China or Japan. Interested students are encouraged to study abroad in East Asia. Recognizing that Western culture exists in an ever-shrinking and globally connected world, the East Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Program is dedicated to expanding the intellectual horizons of its students to include the cultures of China and Japan. The increasing strategic, economic and social importance of Asia makes it imperative that our students be prepared both theoretically and practically to understand and deal with Asia on many levels.

The Department of Transnational Asian Studies houses the BA degree with a major in Asian Studies, which offers a comprehensive overview of the geography, history, people, movements, and cultures of Asia at the undergraduate level. The program is structured to train its students as strong researchers. Additionally, the department offers a minor in Asian Studies.

If you are a student in programs such as History, Anthropology, Geography, Philosophy, Language & Culture, Journalism, Sociology, Psychology, and Criminology, then a Minor in Asian Studies will be an ideal complement to your major field of study. With a Minor in Asian Studies you will be able to market yourself as a graduate who combines expertise in your chosen career field with a high level of understanding of Asian cultural norms, trends, and influences.

Goucher's Asian Studies minor gives students a complete perspective of Asia, spanning from Pakistan and India in the Southwest to Malaysia and Indonesia in the Indo-Pacific region. The curriculum in the Asian Studies minor is designed to provide an immersion into a variety of Asian topics from history to politics. Adding the breadth of the program, regions students will be studying include Southwest Asia, the Middle East, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Rim.