East Asian Studies

With 12 separate language courses encompassing Japanese, Korean and Chinese and a host of accompanying cultural and historical topics to delve into, there is no one way to pursue an East Asian Studies degree. Across disciplines faculty that will support your efforts, using their knowledge and experience to guide you into areas of study that are most fascinating and relevant to you.

Foundation Courses (9 credits)

Choose from Chinese, Japanese, Korean and East Asian 100 & 200-level courses (except introductory language 101 and 102 courses)

Sample courses:

• China: Its Culture and Heritage
• Survey of Classical Chinese Literature in Translation I & II
• Japan: Its Culture and Heritage
• Modern Japanese Literature in Translation
• Japanese Pop Culture from Edo to the Present
• Korea: Its Culture and Heritage
• Sources of East Asian Civilizations I & II
• Introduction to East Asian Cinema
• Confucianism and the Samurai Ethic
• Chinese and Japanese Calligraphy

Language Requirements (10 credits)

• Intermediate Chinese I & II OR
• Intermediate Japanese I & II OR
• Intermediate Korean I & II

You will have the option to travel to East Asia for intensive study. Whether you go for a summer, a semester or a whole year, this immersive experience will be a valuable highlight of your collegiate education, taking your language learning to the next level and gaining firsthand knowledge.

In addition to taking courses while studying in East Asia, there are internships available at East Asian companies and the local branches of multinational firms. You will gain work experience and connections at these positions, as well as language and cultural immersion experience.

You can apply your East Asian Studies degree to a succeed in any career path that involves expertise about East Asia, including government and international business. With the multi-faceted curriculum opening opportunities across fields, you may also opt to combine your knowledge of East Asian language and culture with graduate studies in health care, education, information science or communication to seek specialized roles in those fields. 

Possible career paths include:

• Government work for the State Department, Central Intelligence Agency  (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Banking, accounting or marketing work with an international focus 
• Education, teaching English as a second language in East Asia
• Cultural commentary and analysis
• Interpreting or language expertise in the military
• East Asian language instruction
• Health, IT or Communications