Major in Asian Studies

The major in Asian studies requires a minimum of 40 credits of courses on Asia, including 16 credits of an appropriate language and 18 credits at the 300 level or above. Students must also include two (2) Writing in the Major [M] courses within their major course work.

Courses may be used to satisfy requirements in more than one category. For example, ASIA 306 may be used to fulfill both the Middle East course requirement and an Asia Social Science course. (The 3 credits earned would be counted only once toward the 40 total credits required for the major.)

Eighteen (18) of the 40 credits of the Asian studies major must be earned at WSU.

Please meet early and often with our Asian studies advisor, Lauri Sue Torkelson (torkelson@wsu.edu), for help in planning a course of study that satisfies your academic interests and allows you to graduate on time!

Course Requirements

Foreign Language (16 credits)

• Majors complete 16 credits of college-level study of a single Asian language: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. An example course sequence would be CHINESE 101, 102, 203, and 204.
• Languages not taught at WSU may be studied through distance learning, intensive summer courses, or similar academic programs. For the second year of languages not taught at WSU, students may substitute 8 hours of any Asian study abroad credit.
• Although native speakers of an Asian language may be exempt from the language requirement and take 16 additional credit hours of ASIA courses, they are encouraged to complete a minimum of one year of college-level study of a different Asian language.

Geographic Distribution (9 credits)

East Asia (3 credits) — Choose one from:

• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY 120: Traditional Chinese Culture
• ASIA/CHINESE 121: Modern Chinese Culture [HUM]
• ASIA 122/JAPANESE 120: Traditional Japanese Culture [DIVR]
• ASIA/JAPANESE 123: Modern Japanese Culture [HUM]
• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY/JAPANESE 131: Masterpieces of Asian Literature [DIVR]
• ASIA/HISTORY 275: Introduction to East Asian Culture [DIVR]
• ASIA/PHIL 315: Philosophies and Religions of China and Japan [HUM] [M]
• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY/JAPANESE 320: Issues in East Asian Ethics [DIVR] [M]
• ASIA/CHINESE/JAPANESE 321: Gender and Love in East Asian Culture [M]
• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY/JAPANESE 322: Ecology in East Asian Cultures [DIVR]
• ASIA/CHINESE 330: The Art of War [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 373: Chinese Civilization [HUM]
• ASIA/HISTORY 374: Japanese Civilization [HUM]
• ASIA/HISTORY/POL S 475: Mao to Deng: The People’s Republic of China, 1949–Present
• ASIA/HISTORY/POL S 476: Revolutionary China, 1800 to Present [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 477: Modern Japanese History [DIVR] [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 479: History of East Asian Economic Development Since 1945 [SSCI]

Middle East (3 credits) — Choose one from:

• ASIA/HISTORY 272: Introduction to Middle Eastern History [DIVR]
• ASIA/HISTORY 273: Foundations of Islamic Civilization [DIVR]
• ASIA/PHIL 280: Islam in Theory and Practice [HUM]
• ASIA/ANTH/HISTORY 306: Cultures and Peoples of the Middle East
• ASIA/HISTORY 472: The Middle East Since World War I [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 473: The Middle East and the West

South & Southeast Asia (3 credits) — Choose one from:

• ASIA/HISTORY 270: India: History and Culture [DIVR]
• ASIA/HISTORY 271: Southeast Asian History: Vietnam to Indonesia [DIVR]
• ASIA/PHIL 314: Philosophies and Religions of India [HUM] [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 370: History of Ancient and Medieval India
• ASIA/HISTORY 474: Modern South Asia: Community and Conflict [CAPS]

Disciplinary Distribution (12 credits)

Asia Humanities (6 credits) — Choose two from:

• ASIA/CHINESE/JAPANESE 111: Asian Film [DIVR]
• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY 120: Traditional Chinese Culture
• ASIA/CHINESE 121: Modern Chinese Culture [HUM]
• ASIA 122/JAPANESE 120: Traditional Japanese Culture [DIVR]
• ASIA/JAPANESE 123: Modern Japanese Culture [HUM]
• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY/JAPANESE 131: Masterpieces of Asian Literature [DIVR]
• ASIA/FOR LANG 220: Global Issues, Regional Realities [DIVR]
• ASIA/HISTORY 273: Foundations of Islamic Civilization [DIVR]
• ASIA/PHIL 280: Islam in Theory and Practice [HUM]
• ASIA/FINE ART 302: Arts of Asia [M]
• ASIA/PHIL 314: Philosophies and Religions of India [HUM] [M]
• ASIA/PHIL 315: Philosophies and Religions of China and Japan [HUM] [M]
• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY/JAPANESE 320: Issues in East Asian Ethics [DIVR] [M]
• ASIA/CHINESE/JAPANESE 321: Gender and Love in East Asian Culture [M]
• ASIA/CHINESE/HUMANITY/JAPANESE 322: Ecology in East Asian Cultures [DIVR]
• ASIA/CHINESE 330: The Art of War [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 370: History of Ancient and Medieval India
• ASIA/HISTORY 373: Chinese Civilization [HUM]
• ASIA/HISTORY 374: Japanese Civilization [HUM]
• FOR LANG/HUMANITY 130: Global Literature in Translation [HUM]

Asia Social Science (6 credits) — Choose two 3-credit courses from the following, or combine one 3-credit course with three offerings of ASIA 301:

• ASIA/HISTORY 270: India: History and Culture [DIVR]
• ASIA/HISTORY 271: Southeast Asian History: Vietnam to Indonesia [DIVR]
• ASIA/HISTORY 272: Introduction to Middle Eastern History [DIVR]
• ASIA/HISTORY 275: Introduction to East Asian Culture [DIVR]
• ASIA 301:  East Meets West [DIVR] (1-credit course; may be repeated for a cumulative maximum of 3 credits)
• ASIA/ANTH/HISTORY 306: Cultures and Peoples of the Middle East
• ASIA/HISTORY 472: The Middle East Since World War I [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 473: The Middle East and the West
• ASIA/HISTORY 474: Modern South Asia: Community and Conflict [CAPS]
• ASIA/HISTORY/POL S 475: Mao to Deng: The People’s Republic of China, 1949–Present
• ASIA/HISTORY/POL S 476: Revolutionary China, 1800 to Present [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 477: Modern Japanese History [DIVR] [M]
• ASIA/HISTORY 479: History of East Asian Economic Development Since 1945 [SSCI]

ASIA Electives

Owing to the flexibility of the major, students may take a varying number of elective credits. In general, students complete however many ASIA course electives are necessary, in combination with the foreign language and geographic/disciplinary distribution requirements above, to fulfill the 40 total hours required for the major, including 18 credits of upper-division ASIA courses and two (2) Writing in the Major [M] courses.

Geographic Distribution of Major Course Work (Optional)

Students who complete a minimum of 9 credits on a specific region or country will receive a certificate of concentration within Asian studies on that particular region or country (e.g., East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, China, Japan).

Notes

• Relevant 300/400-level courses not cross-listed with ASIA may be counted toward a major or minor if approved by the director of the Asia Program.
• Study abroad is very strongly encouraged!

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For more information about requirements and course offerings, see the links below.

• Complete catalog information for Asian studies
• ASIA course list
• Schedules of classes