Asia-Pacific Studies Minor

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Banner Code: APS

Web: Asia-Pacific Studies Minor

Phone: 703-993-2957

Faculty

Butler, Chang, Cuong, DeCaroli, Hinton, H. Nguyen (co-director), Lin, Paden, Platt (co-director), Ro, Wan, Zhang

The interdisciplinary minor in Asia-Pacific studies is for students whose interests focus on the humanities and social sciences and Asia’s role in global systems and the cultural mosaic of human experience.

Asia is the birthplace of many great religious and cultural traditions. It is a region in rapid and profound transformation. With half of the world’s population and half of its land mass, Asia is destined to play an increasingly important role in the global economy and world politics. A minor in Asia-Pacific studies will give you a better understanding of an important region of the world, broaden your perspective, and give you an edge in seeking jobs in various government agencies, international organizations, private businesses, law firms, and non-profit organizations that deal with Asia. It prepares you for graduate studies in the humanities or social sciences. This minor complements many majors including history, anthropology, communication, economics, and government and politics.

This program of study is an interdisciplinary minor offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences .

For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.

Course Work

9 of the 18 credits required for this minor must be at the 300 and 400 level. It is recommended that students interested in this minor take language courses in Chinese, Korean, or Japanese. 3 credits of one of these languages at the intermediate level (200-level) or above may be applied to the minor.

Two core courses (6 credits) chosen from:

One course (3 credits) in a language relevant to the area such as Chinese, Korean, or Japanese at the 200-level (or higher)

ARTH 203 - Survey of Asian Art Credits: 3
GOVT 333 - Government and Politics of Asia Credits: 3
HIST 251 - Survey of East Asian History Credits: 3
HIST 252 - Survey of East Asian History Credits: 3
RELI 212 - Religions of Asia Credits: 3

Four elective courses (12 credits):

Any course from the list of core course options not used to fulfill that requirement may be used as an elective course. Other electives are possible, including approved study abroad courses or internships, when relevant, with prior written approval of the director.

ANTH 306 - Peoples and Cultures of Island Asia Credits: 3
ANTH 311 - Peoples and Cultures of Mainland Southeast Asia Credits: 3
ANTH 382 - Urban Anthropology Credits: 3
ANTH 385 - Gender, Class, and Ethnicity in Latin America Credits: 3
GOVT 433 - Political Economy of East Asia Credits: 3
HIST 353 - History of Traditional China Credits: 3
HIST 354 - Modern China Credits: 3
HIST 356 - Modern Japan Credits: 3
HIST 357 - Postwar Japan Credits: 3
RELI 314 - Chinese Philosophies and Religious Traditions Credits: 3
RELI 315 - Buddhism Credits: 3
RELI 337 - Mysticism: East and West Credits: 3

Total: 18 credits