Effective Fall 2021
Exclusions:Asian Studies majors must declare a submajor; only one submajor is permitted upon declaration. The submajor will be notated on the student's official transcript. Students with an Asian Studies major may not also declare an Asian Studies minor.
Advising
Appointments are scheduled on the department's online advising calendar. Please go to www.lsa.umich.edu/asian for more information.
Students who have a formal or informal interest in Asian Studies are encouraged to consult a department advisor.
Grade Policies
No course will count toward the major unless the student receives a grade of C- or better.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Asian Studies Language Requirement
All majors must have fourth-term proficiency in an Asian language taught within the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. Majors are strongly encouraged to continue their language training beyond the second-year requirement. The Asian language used to meet this requirement will define the student’s regional specialization.
These credits do not count toward the credits needed for the major.
Required Courses
All courses used toward the major, except those courses used to acquire a second Asian language, must be at the 200-level or above.
Students must take 1) ASIAN 235: Introduction to Asian Studies; 2) ASIAN 381: Junior/Senior Seminar for Majors; and 3) eight or more elective courses. At least four 300-level or above elective ASIAN or ASIANLAN courses (excluding ASIAN 381), one of which must be an ASIAN course at the 400-level or above.
Sub-major requirement
In consultation with a department advisor majors must take at least 4 300-level or above elective ASIAN or ASIANLAN courses (excluding ASIAN 381) focused on or related to the sub-major: Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, South Asian Studies, and Southeast Asian Studies. The Asian language used to satisfy the language requirement will determine the individual student’s sub-major.
Optional cognate
Students have the option of electing one course (up to four credits) from outside of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
The plan for the major is designed in consultation with and approved by a department advisor.
Other Department Policies
Students interested in focusing their studies on multiple cultures and languages of Asia are permitted to declare both the Asian Studies major and the Asian Languages and Cultures minor. The focus of each declared program must be different and the coursework may not overlap.
Residency
At least 5 courses must be elected on the Ann Arbor campus or at off-campus sites directed by Ann Arbor faculty. This includes STDABRD, Camp Davis, Biological Station, Michigan-in-Washington.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ASIAN and ASIANLAN subject areas may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Candidates for Honors must complete all regular requirements for the major, and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 and at least 3.5 in courses elected as part of the major. They must also demonstrate the ability to do original work by writing an Honors thesis and must elect ASIAN 495: Writing an Honors Thesis. Recommendations for the designation of "Honors," "High Honors," and "Highest Honors" in Asian Studies are made on the basis of the student's performance in departmental Honors courses and the quality of the student's Honors thesis.
Asian Studies (Major) (Winter 2021 - Summer 2021)
Effective Winter 2021
Advising
Appointments are scheduled on the department's online advising calendar. Please go to www.lsa.umich.edu/asian for more information.
Students who have a formal or informal interest in Asian Studies are encouraged to consult a department advisor.
Grade Policies
No course will count toward the major unless the student receives a grade of C- or better.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Asian Studies Language Requirement
All majors must have fourth-term proficiency in an Asian language taught within the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. Majors are strongly encouraged to continue their language training beyond the second-year requirement. The Asian language used to meet this requirement will define the student’s regional specialization.
These credits do not count toward the credits needed for the major.
Required Courses
All courses used toward the major, except those courses used to acquire a second Asian language, must be at the 200-level or above.
Students must take 1) ASIAN 235: Introduction to Asian Studies; 2) ASIAN 381: Junior/Senior Seminar for Majors; and 3) eight or more elective courses. At least four 300-level or above elective ASIAN or ASIANLAN courses (excluding ASIAN 381), one of which must be an ASIAN course at the 400-level or above.
Sub-major requirement
In consultation with a department advisor majors must take at least 4 300-level or above elective ASIAN or ASIANLAN courses (excluding ASIAN 381) focused on or related to the sub-major: Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, South Asian Studies, and Southeast Asian Studies. The Asian language used to satisfy the language requirement will determine the individual student’s sub-major.
Optional cognate
Students have the option of electing one course (up to four credits) from outside of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
The plan for the major is designed in consultation with and approved by a department advisor.
Residency
At least 5 courses must be elected on the Ann Arbor campus, or an Ann Arbor campus extension that is taught by Ann Arbor faculty. This includes Camp Davis, Biological Station, Michigan-in-Washington, but NOT STDABRD.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ASIAN and ASIANLAN subject areas may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Candidates for Honors must complete all regular requirements for the major, and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 and at least 3.5 in courses elected as part of the major. They must also demonstrate the ability to do original work by writing an Honors thesis and must elect ASIAN 495: Writing an Honors Thesis. Recommendations for the designation of "Honors," "High Honors," and "Highest Honors" in Asian Studies are made on the basis of the student's performance in departmental Honors courses and the quality of the student's Honors thesis.
Asian Studies (Major) (Fall 2020)
Effective Fall 2020
Advising
Appointments are scheduled on the department's online advising calendar. Please go to www.lsa.umich.edu/asian for more information.
Students who have a formal or informal interest in Asian Studies are encouraged to consult a department advisor.
Grade Policies
No course will count toward the major unless the student receives a grade of C- or better.
Prerequisites
None
Requirements
Asian Studies Language Requirement
All majors must have fourth-term proficiency in an Asian language taught within the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. Majors are strongly encouraged to continue their language training beyond the second-year requirement. The Asian language used to meet this requirement will define the student’s regional specialization.
These credits do not count toward the credits needed for the major.
Required Courses
All courses used toward the major, except those courses used to acquire a second Asian language, must be at the 200-level or above.
Students must take 1) ASIAN 235: Introduction to Asian Studies; 2) ASIAN 381: Junior/Senior Seminar for Majors; and 3) eight or more elective courses. At least four elective courses in ASIAN or ASIANLAN must be at the 300-level or above (excluding ASIAN 381), one of which must be at the 400-level or above.
Sub-major requirement
In consultation with a department advisor majors must take at least 4 300-level or above elective ASIAN or ASIANLAN courses (excluding ASIAN 381) focused on or related to the sub-major: Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, South Asian Studies, and Southeast Asian Studies. The Asian language used to satisfy the language requirement will determine the individual student’s sub-major.
Optional cognate
Students have the option of electing one course (up to four credits) from outside of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
The plan for the major is designed in consultation with and approved by a department advisor.
Residency
At least 5 courses must be elected on the Ann Arbor campus, or an Ann Arbor campus extension that is taught by Ann Arbor faculty. This includes Camp Davis, Biological Station, Michigan-in-Washington, but NOT STDABRD.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ASIAN and ASIANLAN subject areas may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Candidates for Honors must complete all regular requirements for the major, and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 and at least 3.5 in courses elected as part of the major. They must also demonstrate the ability to do original work by writing an Honors thesis and must elect ASIAN 395: Writing an Honors Thesis. Recommendations for the designation of "Honors," "High Honors," and "Highest Honors" in Asian Studies are made on the basis of the student's performance in departmental Honors courses and the quality of the student's Honors thesis.
Asian Studies (Major) (Fall 2017 - Summer 2020)
Effective Fall 2017
Advising
Appointments are scheduled on the department's online advising calendar. Please go to www.lsa.umich.edu/asian for more information.
Students who have a formal or informal interest in Asian Studies are encouraged to consult a department advisor.
Grade Policies
No course will count toward the major unless the student receives a grade of C- or better.
Prerequisites
- One year (or first-year proficiency) of an Asian language taught in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
- ASIAN 235: Introduction to Asian Studies.*
*ASIAN 235 must be completed before declaring the major.
Requirements
Asian Studies Language Requirement
All majors must have fourth-term proficiency in an Asian language appropriate to their submajor. Majors are strongly encouraged to continue their language training beyond the second year requirement. This is particularly important, if not essential, for students contemplating a graduate program in an Asian field.
These credits do not count toward the credits needed for the major.
Required Courses
Course Requirements
30 credits at the 200-level and above, 15 of which must be at the 300-level or above. The plan for the major is designed in consultation with and approved by, a department advisor.
Submajor requirement
At least 15 credits in courses in the student’s submajor (e.g., South Asian Studies). Students are encouraged to plan their submajor courses in relation to a field of study, if one has been chosen. Up to 10 credits from language courses at the 300 level or above may be counted toward the submajor requirement. 5 credits or more must be taken in Asian Studies in the student’s submajor; classical languages (Sanskrit, Classical Japanese, Classical Chinese, Javanese, Old Tibetan) may be used to satisfy this portion of the requirement.
Breadth requirement [9 credits]
- ASIAN 381: Research Seminar for Majors.
- At least six credits from either or both of the following two categories:
- Courses exclusively focused on one of the submajors outside the student's chosen submajor, (e.g., a student in the Korean Studies submajor could elect ASIAN 210, The Philippines: Culture and History),
or - Trans-regional courses focused on more than one of the submajors (which could include the student's submajor) (e.g., ASIAN 220: Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions, or ASIAN 367: Languages of Asia).
Cognate requirement At least 6 credits elected outside the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures from either or both of the following categories:
- theory or methodology courses that are focused on either the student’s chosen field of study or on a discipline complementary to the study of Asia (e.g., Statistics, Linguistics, Social Theory), or
- courses in the student’s chosen submajor, but taken in a department other than Asian Languages and Cultures.
Residency
At least 15 credits of the 30 required credits must be taken in residence at the University of Michigan.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ASIAN and ASIANLAN subject areas may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Candidates for Honors must complete all regular requirements for the major, and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 and at least 3.5 in courses elected as part of the major. They must also demonstrate the ability to do original work by writing an Honors thesis and must elect the appropriate Honors course(s). Recommendations for the designation of "Honors," "High Honors," and "Highest Honors" in Asian Studies are made on the basis of the student's performance in departmental Honors courses and the quality of the student's Honors thesis.
Asian Studies (Major) (Fall 2015 - Summer 2017)
Effective Fall 2015
Advising
Appointments are scheduled on the department's online advising calendar. Please go to www.lsa.umich.edu/asian for more information.
Students who have a formal or informal interest in Asian Studies are encouraged to consult a department advisor.
Prerequisites
- One year (or first-year proficiency) of an Asian language taught in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
- ASIAN 235: Introduction to Asian Studies.*
*ASIAN 235 must be completed before declaring the major.
Requirements
Asian Studies Language Requirement
All majors must have fourth-term proficiency in an Asian language appropriate to their submajor. Majors are strongly encouraged to continue their language training beyond the second year requirement. This is particularly important, if not essential, for students contemplating a graduate program in an Asian field.
These credits do not count toward the credits needed for the major.
Required Courses
Course Requirements
30 credits at the 200-level and above, 15 of which must be at the 300-level or above. The plan for the major is designed in consultation with and approved by, a department advisor.
Submajor requirement
At least 15 credits in courses in the student’s submajor (e.g., South Asian Studies). Students are encouraged to plan their submajor courses in relation to a field of study, if one has been chosen. Up to 10 credits from language courses at the 300 level or above may be counted toward the submajor requirement. 5 credits or more must be taken in Asian Studies in the student’s submajor; classical languages (Sanskrit, Classical Japanese, Classical Chinese, Javanese, Old Tibetan) may be used to satisfy this portion of the requirement.
Breadth requirement [9 credits]
- ASIAN 381: Research Seminar for Majors.
- At least six credits from either or both of the following two categories:
- Courses exclusively focused on one of the submajors outside the student's chosen submajor, (e.g., a student in the Korean Studies submajor could elect ASIAN 210, The Philippines: Culture and History),
or - Trans-regional courses focused on more than one of the submajors (which could include the student's submajor) (e.g., ASIAN 220: Introduction to the Study of Asian Religions, or ASIAN 367: Languages of Asia).
Cognate requirement At least 6 credits elected outside the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures from either or both of the following categories:
- theory or methodology courses that are focused on either the student’s chosen field of study or on a discipline complementary to the study of Asia (e.g., Statistics, Linguistics, Social Theory), or
- courses in the student’s chosen submajor, but taken in a department other than Asian Languages and Cultures.
Constraints
Thirty required credits must be at the 200-level and above, 15 of which must be at the 300-level or above.
Residency
At least 15 credits of the 30 required credits must be taken in residence at the University of Michigan.
Distribution Policy
No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the ASIAN and ASIANLAN subject areas may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.
Honors
Candidates for Honors must complete all regular requirements for the major, and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.4 and at least 3.5 in courses elected as part of the major. They must also demonstrate the ability to do original work by writing an Honors thesis and must elect the appropriate Honors course(s). Recommendations for the designation of "Honors," "High Honors," and "Highest Honors" in Asian Studies are made on the basis of the student's performance in departmental Honors courses and the quality of the student's Honors thesis.
