Student and Academic Information

Major in East Asian Studies

The major in East Asian Studies is designed to provide the student with both a general familiarity with the history, literature and thought of East Asia and more specialized knowledge of China or Japan.

Requirements for a major in East Asian Studies:

Nine to 11 courses selected in consultation with the student's adviser including the following:

I. Two to four terms of Chinese or Japanese language beyond the 100 level, including:

JAPN 251 Intermediate Japanese I
JAPN 252  Intermediate Japanese II
JAPN 351  Advanced Japanese I
JAPN 352  Advanced Japanese II
JAPN 451  Advanced reading and projects in Japanese
CHIN 261 Intermediate Chinese I
CHIN 262 Intermediate Chinese II
CHIN 361 Advanced Chinese

II. Two of the following introductory courses:

HIST 107 Introduction to China and Japan
HIST 108 Modern China and Japan
REL 130E Introduction to Religion, a course that always includes sections on China and Japan

III. Four courses from the following, at least two of which should be at the 300-level or above:

ASIA 140 Introduction to Chinese Culture
ASIA 240 Popular Chinese Film and Culture
ASIA 250 China on Screen
ASIA 281 Traditional Japanese Literature
ASIA 282 Modern Japanese Novelists
ASIA 390 Topics in East Asian Studies
ASIA 470 Directed Readings in East Asian Studies
HIST 252 U.S.-East Asian Relations
HIST 350 Samurai in Feudal Japan
HIST 351 Women and the Family in Modern China
HIST 352 Reform and Revolution in Modern China
HIST 353 Industrial East Asia
HIST 490 Seminar: East Asia
HIST 491 Reading Course
PHIL 218 Chinese Philosophy
POLS 253 Government and Politics of China and India
REL 258 Buddhism
REL 261 Chinese Philosophical and Literary Classics
REL 262 Religion and Traditional Japanese Culture
REL 352 Religion in Modern Japanese Society
REL 491 Independent Study in Religion

 

IV. ASIA 480 East Asian Studies Senior Thesis

A student may take ASIA 480 in either term of the senior year; in it, the student will complete a substantial essay on a topic selected in consultation with his or her adviser. The student will also be orally examined on the senior essay by an interdisciplinary committee of three faculty members. A maximum of two non-language courses per term may be counted toward the major from off-campus programs.

Minor in Asian Studies

Requirements for a minor in Asian Studies:

Five courses chosen from at least two disciplines, including one course at the 300-400 level. Students are encouraged to study an Asian language, but no more than two courses in an Asian language, and no more than two courses from an off-campus program, may be included in the minor. The 300-400 level course must be taken on campus and may not be an independent study course.

In addition to the courses listed under the East Asian Studies major, the following courses may be applied toward the minor in Asian Studies:

JAPN 151 Elementary Japanese I
JAPN 152 Elementary Japanese II
CHIN 161 Elementary Chinese I
CHIN 162 Elementary Chinese II
ANTH 290 People and Cultures of India
ASIA 290 Modern Indian Writers
POLS 352 Politics of Developing Nations
REL 130 Introduction to Religion
REL 253 Religions of India
REL 257 Hinduism
REL 360 Goddess Traditions

The Asian Studies Committee may approve courses not listed above for inclusion in the East Asian studies major and the Asian Studies minor.

The Asian Studies Committee periodically reviews the list of courses that may be applied to both the East Asian Studies major and the Asian Studies minor.

Off-Campus Programs

Asian Studies students are encouraged to take advantage of the off-campus programs that DePauw has at universities in India, China and Japan.  Students may study for a term in India or for either a term or academic year in China and Japan.