East Asian Studies Minor

The East Asian studies minor provides students with a rigorous interdisciplinary overview of the history and culture of East Asia. The minor is designed for students who have a strong interest in East Asia but are not planning to learn an East Asian language.

This program benefits students whose intellectual interests or career paths require knowledge of East Asia’s history and culture but whose primary expertise lies elsewhere (e.g., humanities majors engaged in comparative research, science and engineering majors who plan to collaborate with East Asian colleagues, or business and finance majors interested in East Asian markets).

The minor consists of five courses. This minor can fulfill either the humanities (H) or social sciences (S) divisional requirement. The division is be determined by the one in which the student takes three or more courses (determined by the division in which the parent department is listed). 

Students must take East Asian studies courses from at least three different departments to satisfy the requirements for the minor. Cross-listed courses will be considered according to their original parent department.

Study Abroad

Students who major in East Asian studies are strongly encouraged to study abroad and should ideally do so prior to their senior year. East Asian studies faculty advisors will determine major requirements fulfilled by study abroad courses on a case-by-case basis.

Students may need to work with specific departments regarding course equivalencies, especially for any course being used to satisfy language requirements. Please secure course approvals prior to departure.

Requirements

This minor requires five courses and has no prerequisites.

Foundational Survey Courses (Three Courses)

Choose one course from each of the three groups.

Group A: Pre-Modern East Asia

  • CHIN 214: Dream of the Red Chamber
  • CHIN 216: Writing Discontentment
  • CHIN 219: Monsters, Ghosts, Fairies, and Gods
  • HIST 142: Traditional China
  • JPNS 210: Traditional Japanese Literature and Culture
  • JPNS 217: Traditional Japanese Literature
  • RELC 105: Asian Search for Self
  • RELC 106: From Confucius to Zen
  • RELC 174: Chinese Religions

Group B: Modern East Asia

  • CHIN 217: 20th-Century Literatures of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
  • HIST 143: Modern China
  • HIST 145: Modern Japan
  • HIST 342W: Rich China, Poor China
  • JPNS 211: Modern Japanese Literature in Translation
  • JPNS 214: Atomic Creatures
  • JPNS 219/219W: Tourist Japan
  • JPNS 254: The Rises and Falls of Modern Japanese Literature
  • JPNS 283: History of Japanese Film

Group C: Contemporary East Asia

  • ANTH 257: Chinese Society after Mao
  • CHIN 222: Gender, Sexuality, and Desire in 20th-Century Chinese Literature
  • CHIN 223: Memory, Meaning, and Forging New Futures in Post-Mao Literature
  • JPNS 293: Life and Anime
  • RELC 175: Religion and Chinese Society

Electives (Two Courses)

Students should choose two electives at the 200 level or higher from the list below. Language courses do not count toward fulfilling the elective requirement for the minor. The same course cannot be used both as a foundational core course and an elective course.

Sample list of available electives:

  • ANTH 257: Chinese Society after Mao*
  • CHIN 214: Dream of the Red Chamber*
  • CHIN 216: Writing Discontentment*
  • CHIN 217: Survey on 20th-Century Literatures of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan*
  • CHIN 219: Monsters, Ghosts, Fairies, and Gods*
  • CHIN 222: Gender, Sexuality, and Desire in 20th-Century Chinese Literature*
  • CHIN 223: Memory, Meaning, and Forging New Futures in Post-Mao Literature*
  • HIST 245: Tibet: History and Myth
  • HIST 247/247W: The Korean War
  • HIST 248/248W: The Samurai
  • HIST 340W/440: Modernity through East Asian Eyes
  • HIST 342W: Rich China, Poor China*
  • JPNS 210W: Traditional Japanese Literature and Culture*
  • JPNS 214: Atomic Creatures: Godzilla*
  • JPNS 219/219W: Tourist Japan*
  • JPNS 274: Modern Japanese Women Writers
  • JPNS 283: History of Japanese Cinema
  • JPNS 285: Akira Kurosawa
  • JPNS 294: Hayao Miyazaki and Planet Ghibli

*Courses that appear both as foundational core courses and elective courses