Asian Studies Major
Goal 1: Students will achieve Intermediate Low Oral Proficiency in an Asian language (by ACTFL standards).
Outcome 1: Students will be able to communicate effectively in an Asian language
Goal 2: Students will explore Asia's importance in the world through interdisciplinary investigation.
Outcome 2: Students will be able to apply a variety of tools, methods, and perspectives to understand Asian societies.
Goal 3: Students will conduct research about Asia and present their findings.
Outcome 3: Students will produce research using the methods and scholarly conventions of one or more Asian Studies disciplines to present their findings.
The traditional undergraduate programs includes a minimum of 120 credits distributed across three components: A General Education component divided into Signature Courses, Variable Courses, and an Integrative Learning requirement; a Major and Divisional component; and Free Electives. In addition to course requirements as specified in each area, students must complete one certified course in each of the following overlay areas1:
- Diversity, Globalization or Non-western Area Studies,
- Ethics Intensive
- Writing Intensive, and
- Diversity
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Overlay requirements are part of the 120 credit requirements
General Education Signature Courses
See this page about Signature courses.
General Education Variable Courses
See this page about Variable courses. Six to Nine courses
General Education Overlays
General Education Integrative Learning Component
See this page about Integrative Learning Component. Three courses:
Asian Studies majors
1. Are required to attain intermediate language competency in their area of concentration;1
2. Must take a Foundational Heritage Course;
3. Must complete a minimum of seven elective courses, with at least four courses focusing on one geographic Area of Concentration: East or South Asia, and two courses focusing on another;
a. Electives must be distributed across at least four different departments;
b. Electives must be distributed across three categories: Art/ Literature/ Language; Philosophy/ Theology and Religious Studies; Social Science
4. Must take three Integrated Learning Courses (ILC):
a. Two ILC courses must be Other Area Studies courses dealing with areas outside Asia.
b. One ILC course must focus on Methodology.
See below for accepted course offerings. Other courses, with at least 60% of the content focusing on Asia, may be accepted with the permission of the Program Director.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | 6-8 | |
| Beginning Chinese I | ||
| Beginning Chinese II | ||
| Intermediate Chinese I | ||
| Intermediate Chinese II | ||
| Chinese Conv and Comp I | ||
| Chinese Conv and Comp II | ||
| Advanced Chinese I | ||
| Advanced Chinese II | ||
| Selected Topics - Chinese | ||
| Beginning Japanese I | ||
| Beginning Japanese II | ||
| Intermediate Japanese I | ||
| Intermediate Japanese II | ||
| Japanese Conversation | ||
| Japanese Conversat & Compos II | ||
| Special Topics in Japanese | ||
| Foundational Heritage | ||
| This course provides a broad overview of Asia, and will emphasize the fundamental background on which students will build in their later courses, including the basic linguistic, geographic, cultural, religious, and historical trends that have shaped East and South Asia. | ||
| HIS 208 | Historical Intro to Asian Civs | 3 |
| Electives in Area of Concentration | 21 | |
| East Asian Art & Architecture | ||
| Art & Arch of Islamic World | ||
| Japanese Pottery & Tea Culture | ||
| Asian Economies | ||
| Women & Econ Dev in South Asia | ||
| Chinese Economics | ||
| Literature of South Asia | ||
| Postcolonial Studies | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Epic | ||
| The Mongol Empire | ||
| Exchng & Conq in Mod E. Asia | ||
| Gndr, Ideolgy & Rev in E. Asia | ||
| Late Imperial China | ||
| Modern China | ||
| Japan Since 1600 | ||
| Modern South Asia | ||
| History of Islam in Asia | ||
| Contemporary China | ||
| India & Pak: Colony to Nation | ||
| The Self: East and West | ||
| Asian Philosophies | ||
| Personhood in Islamic Phil | ||
| Intro to Comparative Politics | ||
or POL 115 | Intro to Global Politics | |
| Asian Democ at the Crossroads | ||
| Asian Dictators | ||
| Haunted by the Past | ||
| IR of East Asia: War and Peace | ||
| Islam | ||
| Hinduism | ||
| Modern Hinduism | ||
| Daoism | ||
| The Quran and Its Interpreters | ||
| Women in Muslim Tradition | ||
| Reason Science&Faith in Islam | ||
| Introduction to Buddhism | ||
| East Asian Buddhism | ||
| Death & Afterlife Chinese Rel | ||
| Religion & Art in East Asia | ||
| Other Area Studies (ILC) | 6 | |
| Two Other Area Studies courses are required to fulfill the ILC requirements of the GEP. These parallel the interdisciplinary nature of the major, and afford students the opportunity to explore other major Area Studies fields (Africana Studies, Irish Studies, Latin American Studies) taught at SJU. This component complements the major by exposing students to comparative perspectives on history, culture, politics and economics, broadening their understanding of the world and of the place of Asia within it. Note that some of these courses have pre-requisites. | ||
| Africana Studies includes but is not limited to the following courses: | ||
| Black Popular Culture | ||
| Global Shakespeares | ||
| Literature of South Africa | ||
| Black Women Writers | ||
| Black British Literature | ||
| The Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Media/Culture in South Africa | ||
| History of Modern Africa | ||
| African Ethnicities | ||
| African & Caribbean Religions | ||
| Irish Studies includes but is not limited to the following courses: | ||
| British/Irish Immigration Lit | ||
| 21st Century Irish Literature | ||
| Cont Irish Women's Writing | ||
| Irish Environmental Writing | ||
| Eng,Irish,Anglophone Authors | ||
| N. Ireland Conflict & Story | ||
| Latin American and Latinx Studies includes but is not limited to the following courses: | ||
| Historical Intro to Latin Am | ||
| Latin American-U.S. Migration | ||
| History of Modern Mexico | ||
| Social Protest in Latin Am His | ||
| Latin American Politics | ||
| Intro to Latin Amer Cultures | ||
| Iconic Women of Latin America | ||
| Methodology Course (ILC) | 3 | |
| Asian Studies majors must also take a methodology course to fulfill the ILC requirements of the GEP. Students will select from a menu of courses designed to introduce them to fundamentals of social science theory. The intent of this course will be to equip students with analytic tools that they may make use of in their Asian Studies courses. Note that some of these courses have pre-requisites. | ||
| Introductory Economics Micro | ||
| Introductory Economics Macro | ||
| International Trade | ||
| International Macroeconomics | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| The Environment | ||
| Intro to Political Thought | ||
| Politics, Ideology, & Film | ||
| Global Political Economy | ||
| Ethics inInternational Affairs | ||
| Sex & Power around the World | ||
| Comparative Religion | ||
| Classical Sociological Theory | ||
| Seminar in Asian Studies | 3 | |
| The senior experience is designed to enable students to synthesize what they have learned during their time at SJU, and will typically take the form of a research seminar and/or thesis. Students are strongly encouraged to present their work at the Greater Philadelphia Asian Studies Consortium conference each spring. | ||
| Seminar in Asian History | ||
| Seminar Global Comparative His | ||
| Readings in Asian Hist | ||
| Capstone: Nations&Nationalism | ||
| Capstone: Global Migration | ||
| Total Hours | 42-44 | |
Study Abroad
The Asian Studies program considers experience in Asia to be an essential means of understanding. All Asian Studies majors are expected to spend at least one term (fall, spring, or summer) in a study-abroad program in Asia. There are currently approved programs in China and Japan. This requirement can frequently be met through programs with existing ties to SJU, including The Beijing Center (operated by a consortium of Jesuit universities) and Sofia University in Tokyo, as well as summer programs.
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The language requirement may be satisfied in one of three ways.
- Two sequential intermediate classes (200-level) in the same Asian language (each course consisting of a minimum of three semester credit hours) at SJU or another US institution.
- Language examination confirming intermediate-level competency
- One semester language intensive study-abroad experience.
This requirement is seen as a minimum. The program encourages majors to attain fluency in an Asian language. Ideally, students will augment language study at SJU with an immersion experience of a semester or more. Part of the program’s endowment will be dedicated to funding student needs for study abroad.
For languages not offered at SJU (Hindi, Urdu, Korean, etc.), the program may help interested students find appropriate instruction at other institutions or abroad, unless and until SJU is able to offer these languages on campus.