This course is designed to provide a general introduction to the field of Asian Studies and to familiarize students with its primary regions: East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Each of these regions is complex, rich in history and diverse cultures, and important in the global community. Introduction to Asian Studies provides students with a framework with which they can understand each major area in terms of aesthetic expression, cultural and linguistic groups, economics, geography, history, politics, philosophy, and religion.

Transfer Coursework at the 1000 level. Departmental approval may be required.

Transfer Coursework at the 2000 level. Department approval may be required.

A survey of the peoples and cultures of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sikkim, and Sri Lanka. Emphasis is placed upon the social organization and cultural history of the diverse peoples who have inhabited the Indian Triangle.

Introduction to Chinese Linguistics is designed to help Chinese learners understand Chinese grammar in a systematic manner as well as gain a theoretical perspective on Chinese language structure, give linguistic students a sense of how Chinese languages, in particular, Mandarin Chinese works and help (future) Chinese instructors gain the meta-linguistic knowledge in teaching Mandarin language. This course will be conducted in the form of lectures and student-led discussions. At the end of this course, students are expected to build a schema on Chinese language structure, gain a better pragmatic knowledge of Chinese language and have a better understanding of Chinese socio-cultural conventions in its language usage.

Study of contemporary Japanese culture and society.

This course will engage the interdisciplinary field of anime, globalization, and cultural policy studies to better understand the broader relationship between popular media, culture and politics. We will engage with select anime texts and articles to better understand how anime has developed into a global medium, and further analyze these texts through readings that deal with Japan's postwar development. Students will develop a better understanding of the history of Japanese anime as well as the global market flows that influenced the current development of anime into a massive international phenomenon. 

Feudal Japan examines Japanese culture, history, and society from the dawn of the Samurai class until its demise in the last half of the nineteenth century. During this period, Japan evolved from a highly warlike society to one in which peace prevailed for more than 250 years. Topics to be covered include geography, prehistory, class/caste development, religion, warfare, urban development, theatre, fine arts, social control, and western contact. No prerequisites.

Critical survey of Chinese Cinema taught in English with historical coverage but focusing on contemporary (post-80s) cinema, covering a range of genres including art films, comedies. Melodramas, science fiction, and historical films from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. A key question we address is how cinema becomes "national," highlighting the geopolitical and historical issues that inhere in the global circulation of films and their interpretation. Students will learn skills in film analysis and criticism with a view of problems of cross cultural analysis and key themes in modem Chinese culture, including the meaning of revolution, shifting gender roles. and the relation between politics and art.

This course is a general introduction to the modern Chinese fiction, poetry, and prose from the early twentieth century to the present. 

Courses offered by visiting professors. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Special topics course as designed by visiting or permanent Asian Studies faculty or affiliates. For description, consult the academic program. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours under separate title.

Special topics in Asian studies. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Internship Studies in Asian Studies

This course, focusing the visual and material culture of China from the prehistoric to the medieval period, is to interrogate the dynamics between art, politics, and rituals. Students will investigate how ancient Chinese made use of a variety of mediums for different social and political purposes and how a myriad of motifs conveyed symbolic meanings.

Independent study in Asian studies. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Honors thesis.

For especially qualified seniors with approval of the faculty director and the Office of Academic Enrichment. Students must have a minimum of a 3.400 overall grade-point average and a 3.500 grade-point average in the major.

Semester abroad. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Junior year abroad. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Junior year abroad. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Transfer coursework at the 5000 level. Departmental approval required.

Special topics. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Designed for students to acquire a knowledge of the fundamentals of the Chinese language to be demonstrated in four areas of basic language skills: oral and listening comprehension, speaking, writing (Chinese characters), and some reading ability.

A continuation of the objectives presented in Beginning Chinese I. Attention is given to practical and topics-oriented conversational skills, moods of speech, and complex level of syntax.

Students complete a service activity in the community in conjunction with the content of a three-credit co-requisite course. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Transfer Coursework at the 1000 level. Departmental approval may be required.

An intensive study of communicative Chinese in both speaking and writing on daily topics. Continued emphasis on reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities.

A continuation of intensive study of communicative Chinese in both speaking and writing with greater length and more diverse topics. Continued emphasis on reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities.

Students complete a service activity in the community in conjunction with the content of a three-credit co-requisite course. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Foreign language exempt.

First semester advanced instruction in the Chinese language, including conversation, reading, and writing.

ASTC 3051 is tailored to accommodate students who grew up in an environment in which Chinese is spoken by parents or guardians at home and for those who are familiar with the language and possess intermediate-mid proficiency level in listening comprehension and speaking. Students will be listening to and read about topics about their surroundings, such as colors and shapes, forms of objects, types of products, materials and specifications, physical features of a person, apparels and attires, industry and professions, nature and disaster, geographical environment and natural resources, city and urban characteristics etc.

An advanced course with emphasis on language functions (making comparison, detailed description, reporting, etc.) This course aims to continue improving students’ Chinese communicative and presentational competence.

An advanced course aimed to develop students’ advanced language skills in both spoken and written forms as well as knowledge of contemporary Chinese culture and society. Students are expected to listen, watch and read multi-media materials in Chinese about modern Chinese society.

This course is for students who have achieved intermediate-low/mid Chinese language proficiency. The goal is for students to acquire the necessary linguistic competence and understand the business culture in China to function effectively in a business setting. At the end of the semester, students are expected to the proficiency level of intermediate-mid to advanced low in listening, speaking, reading and writing (based on ACTFL foreign language proficiency guidelines).

Service Learning

Special topics in Asian studies. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

The course aims to improve students' proficiency in Mandarin Chinese at advanced level as well as knowledge of Chinese culture and society.

An advanced course that focuses on developing students' skills in Mandarin Chinese as well as knowledge of contemporary Chinese culture and society. Students will be listening to, watching or reading multi-media materials from the media on modern Chinese society.

This course aims at improving students reading and writing proficiency in the language through the study of the writings of Chinese authors. Students will read, discuss, and write about essays written in the contemporary period.

Service Learning

Independent study in Asian studies.

Junior year abroad.

Junior year abroad.

Emphasizes conversational Japanese. Includes study of basic grammar and introduction of hiragana, and katakana.

Emphasizes conversational Japanese based on text in hiragana, katakana, kanji. Includes study of complex grammar and introduction of approximately 100 kanji.

Conversation, reading, and writing based on text in hiragana, katakana and kanji. Continuation of study of complex grammar and introduction of approximately 100 additional kanji.

Conversation, reading, and writing based on text in hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Continuation of study of complex grammar and introduction of approximately 150 additional kanji.

Development of conversational, reading and writing skills in Japanese.

ASTJ 3051 is a continuation of ASTJ 3050, reinforcing previously learned grammar points as well as deepening knowledge of Japanese culture and society through discussion and reading.

A continuation of objectives in ASTJ 2040, intended to provide an advanced level of skills in Japanese.

This is a fourth-year advanced Japanese composition and presentation course that will help students develop their vocabulary, writing, and oral presentation skills. The students will learn about effective communication strategies in different types of linguistic situations. The course will also expose students to various aspects of Japanese culture and society.

This class is a continuation of its prerequisite, ASTJ 4060. It is designed to equip the students with an ability to participate in Japanese conversation, exchange information and express feelings. The course also aims at deepening an understanding and developing appreciation for Japanese tradition as well as for the students' own culture.

Independent study in Japanese language. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.

Semester abroad in Asian studies. Course may be repeated up to unlimited credit hours.