Center for Asian Studies
Dr. Lauren Collins, Asian Studies Faculty Advisor
CASE Building, Suite E330
1725 Euclid Ave.
Boulder, CO 80309
lauren.collins@colorado.edu
The study of Asia is critical in our global age. Throughout history and in the present day, communities and countries across Asia have had an enormous influence on the world's economics, politics, culture, international relations, social movements, music, arts, entertainment, religion and more. Regardless of one's profession or discipline, understanding the past and present of this diverse region will be a key advantage in any future career.
The asian studies major at CU Boulder offers students an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Asia, encompassing a wide variety of courses that reflect the region's astonishing diversity and complexity. Many students choose asian studies as a second major that complements their study of such subjects as history, anthropology, international affairs, asian languages, geography, and even business and economics. As part of the asian studies major requirements, students will receive a thorough grounding in the history of Asia and will study an asian language: Arabic, Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Sanskrit or Tibetan. Majors are also encouraged to take advantage of the numerous study abroad experiences and international internship opportunities offered through the Center for Asian Studies and CU Boulder Education Abroad. All majors complete their asian studies degree with the Senior Capstone in Asian Studies, a cumulative learning experience that guides students in producing an original research paper or creative project that deepens their knowledge of the field and gives them a unique opportunity to explore an asian studies-related topic of their own interest.
Upon completion of this course of study, students will have received a highly individualized and broad education in the region of Asia that equips them to better understand the region's complex history and diverse cultures, as well as its current dynamics.
Optional Program Tracks
Students have several options when majoring in asian studies. One is the general asian studies Bachelor of Arts degree. Alternately, if a student wishes to choose a particular area of sub-regional emphasis that will appear on their transcript, they may decide in their coursework to follow one of four available tracks:
- Korea track
- South Asia track
- Southeast Asia track
- West Asia/Middle East track
View the Program Tracks tab for more information.
Requirements
On This Page
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below: 42 credits minimum, 18 of which must be upper division (College of Arts and Sciences minimum). Other courses not listed here, including some study abroad courses and special topics courses, may be applicable toward the Asian studies major, but they must first be approved by the Asian studies faculty advisor.
All required major courses must be passed with a C- or better and cannot be taken pass/fail. Students must have a grade point average of at least 2.000 in the major in order to graduate.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ASIA 2000 | Gateway to Modern Asia: Exploring Regional Connections | 3 |
| ASIA 4830 | Senior Seminar in Asian Studies | 3 |
| Asian Language | ||
| Four semesters of a single Asian language: | 12-20 | |
Arabic 1 | ||
Chinese 2 | ||
Farsi 2 | ||
Hindi 1 | ||
Indonesian 4 | ||
Japanese 2 | ||
Korean 1 | ||
Nepali 4 | ||
Sanskrit 3 | ||
Tibetan 4 | ||
| Traditional Asian Civilizations | ||
| Choose two introductory courses in different areas from Traditional Asian Civilizations course list (see below). | 6 | |
| Modern Asian Civilizations | ||
| Choose one course from Modern Asian Civilizations course list (see below). | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| Upper-division courses from Electives list (see below). | 15-12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 42-47 | |
| 1 | Sequence of three years offered. |
| 2 | Sequence of four years offered. |
| 3 | Available through Continuing Education. |
| 4 | One year plus study abroad/transfer credit option offered. |
Traditional Asian Civilizations
Students take any two of the following introductory courses, focusing on two different civilizations: East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, or Southeast Asia (6 credits minimum, lower division).
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| East Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Civilization | ||
| Great Wall Exchange: China and the Nomadic Conquerors, 500 BC – 1500 AD | ||
| Japan from Clay Pots to Robots | ||
| Introduction to Japanese Civilization | ||
| Episodes in Korean History | ||
| Introduction to Korean Civilization | ||
| Religions of East Asia | ||
| South Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to South Asian Civilizations | ||
| The History of India from Aryans to Maratha Warriors, 2500 BCE-1757 CE | ||
| Happiness and Nirvana: Enlightenment in Indian Religions | ||
| Introduction to Tibetan Civilization | ||
| West Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Arab and Islamic Civilizations | ||
| Love, Loss and Longing in Classical Arabic Literature | ||
| The Muslim World, 600-1250 | ||
FRSI 1011 | ||
| Introduction to Middle Eastern History | ||
| Islam | ||
| The Muslim World, 600-1250 | ||
| Southeast Asian Civilization | ||
| Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia | ||
Modern Asian Civilizations
Students take one course (3 credits, lower division or upper division).
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH (all modern Asian anthropology courses) | ||
| Exploring a Non-Western Culture: The Tamils | ||
| Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Tibet | ||
| Exploring Culture and Media in Southeast Asia | ||
| Explorations in Anthropology (Ethnography of Southeast Asia; Global Islams) | ||
| Anthropological Perspectives: Contemporary Issues (Theory in Cultural Anthropology: Nepal and the Himalayas) | ||
| Globalization and Transnational Culture | ||
| Anthropology of Tibet | ||
| Culture and Society in South Asia | ||
| Ethnography of Southeast Asia and Indonesia | ||
| ARTH | ||
| Capstone Seminar: Topics in Art History (Contemporary Asian Art; China!; Contemporary Art in the Middle East; Contemporary Art of the Himalayas ) | ||
| ASIA | ||
| Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia | ||
| Sex and Gender in Asian Film and Literature | ||
| Discovering Urban China: Tradition, Modernity, Nostalgia | ||
| Politics of Memory in Asia | ||
| Open Topics in Asian Studies (Depending on topic) | ||
| Open Topics in Asian Studies | ||
| Urban Asia: Tradition, Modernity, Challenges | ||
| Independent Study (Depending on topic) | ||
| ECON | ||
| Chinese Economic History in Comparative Perspective | ||
| ENGL | ||
| Literature and Globalization (Israel/Palestine) | ||
| Special Topics in Queer Literature (Multicultural and Postcolonial Literature: Post-Orientalism) | ||
| ETHN | ||
| Asian Pacific American Communities | ||
| GEOG (all modern Asian geography courses) | ||
| China’s Diverse Geographies: Environment, Society, Politics | ||
| India and Its Neighbors: Societies, Economies, and Geopolitics | ||
| Geographies of Political Islam | ||
| Environment and Development in China | ||
| Geography of Tibet | ||
| HIST (all modern Asian history courses) | ||
| Introduction to South Asian History since 1757 | ||
| Introduction to Chinese History since 1644 | ||
| Living the Revolution (Early Modern China 960-1842) | ||
| The Vietnam Wars | ||
| Seminar in Recent Chinese History | ||
| Topics in Comparative History (British Empire India 1760-1947; Modernity in China and Japan ) | ||
| World War II in Asia and the Pacific | ||
| The Vietnam War in US Politics and Culture | ||
| The Modern Middle East, 1600 to the Present | ||
| Islam in the Modern World: Revivalism, Modernism, and Fundamentalism, 1800-2001 | ||
| History of Modern Israel/Palestine | ||
| History of Modern India | ||
| Women in Modern India | ||
| Buddha to Gandhi: A History of Indian Nonviolence | ||
| From Genghis Khan to the Opium War: Early Modern China | ||
| Modern China: Collapse of Imperial Brilliance, 1644-1949 | ||
| Contemporary China: Radicalism and Reform, 1949 to Present | ||
| Inventing Chinese Modernity, 1800 to Present | ||
| Between Beijing and Baghdad: China and Islam | ||
| Window on Modern China | ||
| Japan’s Empire: Birth and Death | ||
| Japan’s Great Peace, 1590-1868 | ||
| Japan after World War II | ||
| HUMN | ||
| Literature and Popular Culture in Modern China | ||
| Transforming Worlds: Japanese Literature in Modernity | ||
| IAFS | ||
| The Post-Cold War World (Contemporary China - International Views; Cultural Revolution - China 1966-79; China in the Global Economy; Afghanistan and Iraq; South Asia-Conflict/Resolution ) | ||
| JWST | ||
| History of Modern Israel/Palestine | ||
| MDST | ||
| Asian Media and Culture | ||
| PSCI (all modern Asian politics courses) | ||
| Government and Politics in Southeast Asia | ||
| South Asian Politics | ||
| Chinese Foreign Policy | ||
| Chinese Politics | ||
| Middle Eastern Politics | ||
| RLST (all modern Asian religion courses) | ||
| Topics in Religious Studies (Religion in Modern China) | ||
| Topics in Buddhism | ||
| Islam in the Modern World | ||
| WGST (all Asian Women's Studies courses) | ||
| Women in Islam | ||
| Gender, Sexuality and Culture in the Modern Middle East | ||
| All modern Asian literature courses | ||
| Islamic Culture and the Iberian Peninsula | ||
| The Arabic Novel | ||
| Narrating the City: Literary Mappings of the Urban Landscape | ||
| Gender, Sexuality and Culture in the Modern Middle East | ||
| Arabic Media | ||
| Film and the Dynamics of Chinese Culture | ||
| Urban Entertainment Culture in Early Modern China | ||
| Literature and Popular Culture in Modern China | ||
| Sinophone Literature in the Contemporary World | ||
| Topics in Chinese Film | ||
| Major Asian Filmmakers | ||
| Topics in International Cinema (Contemporary Asian Cinema) | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Screening India: A History of Bollywood Cinema | ||
| Living Indian Epics: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata in the Modern Political Imagination | ||
| South Asian Diasporas: Imagining Home Abroad | ||
| The Power of the Word: Subversive and Censored 20th Century Indo-Pakistani Literature | ||
| The Many Faces of Krishna in South Asia Literature and Culture | ||
| Japanese Culture through Film and Anime | ||
| Business Japanese | ||
| Paper Worlds, Screen Worlds: Contemporary Japanese Literature | ||
| The Floating World in the Literature of Early Modern Japan | ||
| Transforming Worlds: Japanese Literature in Modernity | ||
| Japanese Popular Culture | ||
| Japanese Sociolinguistics | ||
| Contemporary Japanese 1: Current Issues | ||
| Film and Korean Culture | ||
| Modern Korean Literature in English Translation | ||
| Studies in Korean Popular Culture | ||
Electives
After meeting the requirements for coursework in Traditional Asian Civilization and Modern Asian Civilization (listed above), additional courses from those categories may also be be taken as upper-division electives. Upper-division Asian language courses can act as electives, when approved by the Asian studies faculty advisor.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 1100 | Exploring a Non-Western Culture: The Tamils | 3 |
| ANTH 1105 | Exploring a Non-Western Culture: Tibet | 3 |
| ANTH 1170 | Exploring Culture and Gender through Film | 3 |
| ANTH 4020 | Explorations in Anthropology (Islam; Ethnography of Southeast Asia; Global Cultures: Islam; Global Islams) | 3-6 |
| ANTH/JWST 4050 | Anthropology of Jews and Judaism (Cultures of Israel and Palestine) | 3 |
| ANTH 4180 | Anthropological Perspectives: Contemporary Issues (Theory in Cultural Anthropology: Nepal and the Himalayas) | 3 |
| ANTH 4505 | Globalization and Transnational Culture | 3 |
| ANTH 4690 | Anthropology of Tibet | 3-6 |
| ANTH 4750 | Culture and Society in South Asia | 3 |
| ANTH 4760 | Ethnography of Southeast Asia and Indonesia | 3 |
| ARAB 1011 | Introduction to Arab and Islamic Civilizations | 3 |
| ARAB 2231 | Love, Loss and Longing in Classical Arabic Literature | 3 |
| ARAB 2320 | The Muslim World, 600-1250 | 3 |
| ARAB 3230 | Islamic Culture and the Iberian Peninsula | 3 |
| ARAB 3231 | In the Footsteps of Travelers: Travel Writing in Arabic Lit | 3 |
| ARAB 3241 | Art in Islamic Cultures | 3 |
| ARAB 3330 | The Arabic Novel | 3 |
| ARAB 3340 | Representing Islam | 3 |
| ARAB 3350 | Narrating the City: Literary Mappings of the Urban Landscape | 3 |
| ARAB 3410 | Gender, Sexuality and Culture in the Modern Middle East | 3 |
| ARAB 4200 | Advanced Readings in Arabic | 3 |
| ARAB 4250 | Arabic Media | 3 |
| ARAB 4840 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| ARTH 2409 | Intro to Asian Art | 3 |
| ARTH 3619 | The Arts of China | 3 |
| ARTH 3241 | Art in Islamic Cultures | 3 |
| ARTH 3629 | The Arts of Japan | 3 |
| ARTH 3929 | Special Topics in Art History (Asian Art: Gods, Kings and Power; Art in Asian Religions) | 1-3 |
| ARTH/CLAS 4169 | Topics in Ancient and Classical Art and Archaeology (Persian Empire) | 3 |
| ARTH/CLAS 4269 | Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | 3 |
| ARTH 4449 | Arts of India and Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ARTH 4919 | Capstone Seminar: Topics in Art History (Contemporary Asian Art; China!; Contemporary Art in the Middle East; Contemporary Art of the Himalayas) | 3 |
| ARTH 4929 | Special Topics in Art History (Art of Buddhism; Art of the Himalayas/Tibet; Politics/Propaganda Asian Art) | 1-3 |
| ASIA 1000 | Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ASIA 1700 | Introduction to Tibetan Civilization | 3 |
| ASIA 2852 | Contemporary Southeast Asia: Environmental Politics | 3 |
| ASIA 3300 | Sex and Gender in Asian Film and Literature | 3 |
| ASIA 3900 | Discovering Urban China: Tradition, Modernity, Nostalgia | 3 |
| ASIA 4001 | Advanced Language Co-Seminar Arts and Humanities | 1 |
| ASIA 4002 | Advanced Language Co-Seminar Social Sciences | 1 |
| ASIA 4200 | Politics of Memory in Asia | 3 |
| ASIA 4300 | Open Topics in Asian Studies | 3 |
| ASIA 4400 | Open Topics in Asian Studies | 3 |
| ASIA 4448 | Wars of Liberation in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ASIA 4500 | Urban Asia: Tradition, Modernity, Challenges | 3 |
| ASIA 4840 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| ASIA 4842 | Global Frontiers in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ASIA 4930 | Engage Asia: Internship in Asian Studies | 1-6 |
| CHIN 1012 | Introduction to Chinese Civilization | 4 |
| CHIN 1051 | Masterpieces of Chinese Literature in Translation | 3 |
| CHIN 2441 | Film and the Dynamics of Chinese Culture | 3 |
| CHIN/JPNS 3200 | Adv Wrtg Topics on Chinese & Japanese Literature and Civilization | 3 |
| CHIN 3311 | 3 | |
| CHIN/HUMN 3321 | Political Thought in Ancient China | 3 |
| CHIN 3331 | Urban Entertainment Culture in Early Modern China | 3 |
| CHIN 3334 | Chinese Narrative Tradition | 3 |
| CHIN 3341 | Literature and Popular Culture in Modern China | 3 |
| CHIN 3342 | Sinophone Literature in the Contemporary World | 3 |
| CHIN 3351 | Reality and Dream in Chinese Literature | 3 |
| CHIN 3361 | Women and the Supernatural in Chinese Literature | 3 |
| CHIN 3371 | Topics in Chinese Film | 3 |
| CHIN 4210 | 3 | |
| CHIN 4220 | 3 | |
| CHIN 4300 | Open Topics: Readings in Chinese Literature | 3 |
| CHIN 4750 | Daoism | 3 |
| CHIN 4900 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| CHIN 4980 | Practical Issues in Chinese Language Pedagogy | 1 |
| CINE 2513 | Major Asian Filmmakers | 3 |
| CINE 4023 | Topics in International Cinema (Contemporary Asian Cinema) | 3 |
| CLAS 4169 | Topics in Ancient and Classical Art and Archaeology (Persian Empire) | 3 |
| CLAS 4269 | Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | 3 |
| ECON 4534 | Chinese Economic History in Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| EDUC 4800 | Special Topics (Asia) | 1-9 |
| EMUS 1467 | World Music Ensemble (Japanese; Gamelan ) | 1 |
| EMUS 3467 | World Music Ensemble (Japanese; Gamelan ) | 1 |
| ENES 3750 | Xi'an, China: Self-Awareness and Images of the Other | 3 |
| ENES 3843 | Special Topics (China through the Eyes of the West) | 1-3 |
| ENGL 4018 | Literature and Globalization (Israel/Palestine) | 3 |
| ENGL 4287 | Special Topics in Queer Literature (Post-orientalism) | 3 |
| ENVD 4364 | Special Topics: History and Historiography of Environmental Design (Topic: Dushanbe Teahouse Restoration) | 1-6 |
| ETHN 3015 | Asian Pacific American Communities | 3 |
| ETHN 3105 | Selected Topics in Asian American Studies (Bruce Lee and Transpacific ) | 3 |
| FRSI 1011 | 3 | |
| FRSI 4900 | 1-4 | |
| GEOG 3822 | China’s Diverse Geographies: Environment, Society, Politics | 3 |
| GEOG 3832 | India and Its Neighbors: Societies, Economies, and Geopolitics | 3 |
| GEOG 4762 | Geographies of Political Islam | 3 |
| GEOG 4742 | Topics in Environment and Society (Depending on topic) | 3 |
| GEOG 4822 | Environment and Development in China | 3 |
| GEOG 4832 | Geography of Tibet | 3 |
| GEOG 4842 | Global Frontiers in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| HIND 1011 | Introduction to South Asian Civilizations | 3 |
| HIND 3400 | Special Topics | 3 |
| HIND 3441 | Screening India: A History of Bollywood Cinema | 3 |
| HIND 3651 | Living Indian Epics: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata in the Modern Political Imagination | 3 |
| HIND 3661 | South Asian Diasporas: Imagining Home Abroad | 3 |
| HIND 3811 | The Power of the Word: Subversive and Censored 20th Century Indo-Pakistani Literature | 3 |
| HIND 3831 | The Many Faces of Krishna in South Asia Literature and Culture | 3 |
| HIND 3851 | Devotional Literature in South Asia | 3 |
| HIND 4900 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| HIST 1308 | Introduction to Middle Eastern History | 3 |
| HIST 1438 | Episodes in Korean History | 3 |
| HIST 1518 | The History of India from Aryans to Maratha Warriors, 2500 BCE-1757 CE | 3 |
| HIST 1528 | Introduction to South Asian History since 1757 | 3 |
| HIST 1618 | Great Wall Exchange: China and the Nomadic Conquerors, 500 BC – 1500 AD | 3 |
| HIST 1628 | Introduction to Chinese History since 1644 | 3 |
| HIST 1708 | Japan from Clay Pots to Robots | 3 |
| HIST 1800 | Introduction to Global History (Maritime Asia 1500-1800) | 3 |
| HIST/JWST 1818 | Jewish History to 1492 | 3 |
| HIST 1828 | Jewish History Since 1492 | 3 |
| HIST 2110 | Living the Revolution (Early Modern China 960-1842) | 3 |
| HIST 2166 | The Vietnam Wars | 3 |
| HIST 2220 | History of War and Society (Warfare and Culture in South Asia; Militarism in Japense History; Korea through Wars ) | 3 |
| HIST 2629 | China in World History | 3 |
| HIST 3109 | Seminar in Asian History | 3 |
| HIST 3328 | Seminar in Middle Eastern History | 3 |
| HIST 3628 | Seminar in Recent Chinese History | 3 |
| HIST 3718 | Seminar in Japanese History | 3 |
| HIST 4020 | Topics in Comparative History (British Empire India 1760-1947; Modernity in China and Japan) | 3 |
| HIST 4109 | World War II in Asia and the Pacific | 3 |
| HIST 4166 | The Vietnam War in US Politics and Culture | 3 |
| HIST 4328 | The Modern Middle East, 1600 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 4329 | Islam in the Modern World: Revivalism, Modernism, and Fundamentalism, 1800-2001 | 3 |
| HIST 4338 | History of Modern Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| HIST 4339 | Borderlands of the British Empire | 3 |
| HIST/JWST 4348 | Topics in Jewish History (Tel Aviv—Urban History and Culture; Jews Under Islam) | 3 |
| HIST 4349 | Decolonization of the British Empire | 3 |
| HIST 4359 | The Global History of Modern Arabia | 3 |
| HIST/JWST 4378 | Jews in and of the Middle East | 3 |
| HIST 4528 | Islam in South and Southeast Asia (1000 to the Present) | 3 |
| HIST 4538 | History of Modern India | 3 |
| HIST 4548 | Women in Modern India | 3 |
| HIST 4558 | Buddha to Gandhi: A History of Indian Nonviolence | 3 |
| HIST 4618 | From Genghis Khan to the Opium War: Early Modern China | 3 |
| HIST/WGST 4619 | Women in East Asian History | 3 |
| HIST 4628 | Modern China: Collapse of Imperial Brilliance, 1644-1949 | 3 |
| HIST 4638 | Contemporary China: Radicalism and Reform, 1949 to Present | 3 |
| HIST 4648 | Inventing Chinese Modernity, 1800 to Present | 3 |
| HIST 4658 | Between Beijing and Baghdad: China and Islam | 3 |
| HIST 4688 | Window on Modern China | 3 |
| HIST 4718 | Ancient, Classical, and Medieval Japanese History | 3 |
| HIST 4728 | Japan’s Empire: Birth and Death | 3 |
| HIST 4738 | Japan’s Great Peace, 1590-1868 | 3 |
| HIST 4758 | Japan after World War II | 3 |
| HIST 4808 | Special Topics in World Areas History (Chinese and Japanese Modernity) | 3 |
| HUMN 3093 | Topics in Humanities (Representing Islam; The Arabic Novel; Narrating the City ) | 3 |
| HUMN 3321 | Political Thought in Ancient China | 3 |
| HUMN 3341 | Literature and Popular Culture in Modern China | 3 |
| HUMN 3811 | The World of the Shining Prince: The Tale of Genji and Heian Literature | 3 |
| HUMN 3841 | Transforming Worlds: Japanese Literature in Modernity | 3 |
| HUMN 3850 | The Mediterranean: Religion Before Modernity | 3 |
| HUMN 4100 | Writing the World in Traditional China | 3 |
| IAFS 3000 | Special Topics in International Affairs (Political Economy/Middle East; Turkey—Mediator/Arab Spring; Gender, Geopolitics and Islam ) | 3 |
| IAFS 3010 | Islam, Geopolitics and Society: Gender, Identity and Place | 3 |
| IAFS 3520/JWST 4302 | Global Seminar: Justice, Human Rights and Democracy in Israel | 6 |
| IAFS/JWST 3530 | Global Seminar: Jews and Muslims - The Multiethnic History of Istanbul | 3 |
| IAFS/JWST 3650 | History of Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
| IAFS 4500 | The Post-Cold War World (Contemporary China/International Views; Cultural Revolution/China 1966-79; China and the Global Economy; Afghanistan and Iraq; South Asia/Conflict/Resolution; Arab Awakening) | 3 |
| INBU 3300 | International Business and Management | 3 |
| INBU 3301 | Doing Business in China | 3 |
| INBU 4151 | International Operations in Hong Kong | 3 |
| INBU 4200 | International Financial Management | 3 |
| JPNS 1012 | Introduction to Japanese Civilization | 4 |
| JPNS 1051 | Portals to Japanese Literature | 3 |
| JPNS 2441 | Japanese Culture through Film and Anime | 3 |
| JPNS 2811 | Heroes and the Supernatural: Word and Image in Old Japan | 3 |
| JPNS 3200 | Adv Wrtg Topics on Chinese & Japanese Literature and Civilization | 3 |
| JPNS 3311 | Japanese Minority and Transnational Literature | 3 |
| JPNS 3321 | Japanese Sci-Fi and Speculative Fiction | 3 |
| JPNS 3331 | Business Japanese | 3 |
| JPNS 3511 | Paper Worlds, Screen Worlds: Contemporary Japanese Literature | 3 |
| JPNS/HUMN 3811 | The World of the Shining Prince: The Tale of Genji and Heian Literature | 3 |
| JPNS 3821 | Monsters, Monks, and Mayhem: Medieval Japanese Literature in Translation | 3 |
| JPNS 3831 | The Floating World in the Literature of Early Modern Japan | 3 |
| JPNS 3841 | Transforming Worlds: Japanese Literature in Modernity | 3 |
| JPNS 3851 | Japanese Popular Culture | 3 |
| JPNS 3861 | Imagining the Samurai in Japanese Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JPNS 3871 | Horror and the Macabre in Japanese Literature, Film, Culture | 3 |
| JPNS 3881 | Environment, Nature and Disaster in Japanese Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JPNS 3891 | Travel/Travel Writing in Japanese Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JPNS 4050 | Japanese Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| JPNS 4070 | Second Language Acquisition of Japanese | 3 |
| JPNS 4080 | Kanji in Japanese Orthography | 3 |
| JPNS 4150 | Japanese to English Translation: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| JPNS 4210 | Contemporary Japanese 1: Current Issues | 3 |
| JPNS 4300 | Open Topics: Readings in Japanese | 3 |
| JPNS 4310 | Classical Japanese 1 | 3 |
| JPNS 4320 | Classical Japanese 2 | 3 |
| JPNS 4400 | Critical Theory and Japanese Literature and Culture | 3 |
| JPNS 4900 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| JPNS 4980 | Practical Issues in Japanese Language Pedagogy | 1 |
| JWST 1818 | Jewish History to 1492 | 3 |
| JWST/RLST 2600 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Abrahamic Religions | 3 |
| JWST/RLST 3100 | Judaism | 3 |
| JWST 3530 | Global Seminar: Jews and Muslims - The Multiethnic History of Istanbul | 3 |
| JWST 4050 | Anthropology of Jews and Judaism (Cultures of Israel and Palestine) | 3 |
| JWST 4302 | Global Seminar: Justice, Human Rights and Democracy in Israel | 6 |
| JWST 4338 | History of Modern Israel/Palestine | 3 |
| JWST 4378 | Jews in and of the Middle East | 3 |
| KREN 1011 | Introduction to Korean Civilization | 3 |
| KREN 2441 | Film and Korean Culture | 3 |
| KREN 3841 | Modern Korean Literature in English Translation | 3 |
| KREN 4900 | Independent Study | 1-6 |
| MDST 4211 | Asian Media and Culture | 3 |
| MDST 4341 | International Media and Global Crises | 3 |
| MUEL 2772 | World Musics: Asia and Oceania | 3 |
| MUSC 2772 | World Musics: Asia and Oceania | 3 |
| MUSC 4152 | East Asian Music | 3 |
| PHIL 1600 | Philosophy and Religion | 3 |
| PHIL 3800 | Open Topics in Philosophy (Buddhism as Philosophy) | 3 |
| PSCI 3072 | Government and Politics in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| PSCI 3102 | South Asian Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 4022 | Chinese Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PSCI 4028 | Special Topics (Politics of Southeast Asia) | 3 |
| PSCI 4028 | Special Topics (Middle East Politics) | 3 |
| PSCI 4052 | Chinese Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 4242 | Middle Eastern Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 4243 | Modern Warfare: Terrorism, Ideology, Identity | 3 |
| RLST 2202 | Islam | 3 |
| RLST 2320 | The Muslim World, 600-1250 | 3 |
| RLST 2600 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Abrahamic Religions | 3 |
| RLST 2610 | Happiness and Nirvana: Enlightenment in Indian Religions | 3 |
| RLST 2612 | Yoga: Ancient and Modern | 3 |
| RLST 2620 | Religions of East Asia | 3 |
| RLST 3040 | The Quran | 3 |
| RLST 3060 | Fundamentalism and Islam | 3 |
| RLST 3070 | Islamic Mysticism: Ibn Arabi, Rumi, and the Sufi Tradition | 3 |
| RLST 3100 | Judaism | 3 |
| RLST 3200 | Yoga, Castes and Magic: Hindu Society and Spirituality | 3 |
| RLST 3300 | Foundations of Buddhism | 3 |
| RLST 3530 | Global Seminar: Jews and Muslims - The Multiethnic History of Istanbul | 3 |
| RLST 3550 | Tibetan Buddhism | 3 |
| RLST/WGST 3750 | Women in Buddhism | 3 |
| RLST 3800 | Chinese Religions | 3 |
| RLST 3820 | Topics in Religious Studies (Tibetan Buddhism; Religion in Modern China; Islam, Politics and Militancy; Art in Asian Religions) | 3 |
| RLST 4200 | Topics in Hinduism | 3 |
| RLST 4250 | Topics in Buddhism (Buddhist Literature in Tibet; Transnational Buddhism; Buddhist Ethics; Buddhist Ethics; Buddhist Philosophy; Buddhism and Society; Buddhist Esotericism) | 3 |
| RLST 4260 | Topics in Judaism (Bible in Judaism/Christianity) | 3 |
| RLST 4280 | Body and Magic in India | 3 |
| RLST 4650 | Islam in the Modern World | 3 |
| RLST 4750 | Daoism | 3 |
| RLST 4780 | New Religions of East Asia | 3 |
| SOCY 3046 | Topics in Sex and Gender (Sex, Gender, and Social Change in Southeast Asia ) | 3 |
| WGST 2600 | Introduction to Global Gender, Race and Sexuality Studies | 3 |
| WGST 3012 | Gender and Development | 3 |
| WGST 3201 | Women, Gender & Sexuality in Jewish Texts & Traditions | 3 |
| WGST 3220 | Women in Islam | 3 |
| WGST 3410 | Gender, Sexuality and Culture in the Modern Middle East | 3 |
| WGST 3500 | Global Gender Issues | 3 |
| WGST 3750 | Women in Buddhism | 3 |
| WGST 4619 | Women in East Asian History | 3 |
Program Tracks
Korea Track
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required major courses listed below: 42 credit hours minimum, 18 of which must be upper-division (College of Arts and Sciences minimum). Other courses not listed here, including some study abroad courses and special topics courses, may be applicable toward the Asian Studies major, but must first be approved by the Asian Studies Faculty Advisor.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ASIA 2000 | Gateway to Modern Asia: Exploring Regional Connections | 3 |
| ASIA 4830 | Senior Seminar in Asian Studies (The Senior Thesis/Project should focus on a Korean topic.) | 3 |
| Asian Language | ||
| 4 semesters of Korean language (20 credit hours). Additional semesters can count as Asian Studies Electives. | 20 | |
| Traditional Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take two introductory courses, one on Korea and one on South, West, or Southeast Asia; 6 credits minimum, lower division. | 6 | |
| Korean Civilization | ||
| Episodes in Korean History | ||
| Introduction to Korean Civilization | ||
| West, South, or Southeast Asian Civilization | ||
West Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Arab and Islamic Civilizations | ||
| Love, Loss and Longing in Classical Arabic Literature | ||
FRSI 1011 | ||
| Introduction to Middle Eastern History | ||
| Islam | ||
South Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to South Asian Civilizations | ||
| Introduction to Tibetan Civilization | ||
| The History of India from Aryans to Maratha Warriors, 2500 BCE-1757 CE | ||
| Happiness and Nirvana: Enlightenment in Indian Religions | ||
Southeast Asian Civilization | ||
| Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia | ||
| Modern Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take one course; 3 credit hours, lower division or upper division. | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| Students take 12-15 upper-division credit hours, 6 credit hours of which focus on Korea. | 15-12 | |
| Courses with a Korean focus | ||
| Advanced Korean 1 | ||
| Advanced Korean 2 | ||
| Modern Korean Literature in English Translation | ||
| Studies in Korean Popular Culture | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 50-47 | |
South Asia Track
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below: 42 credit hours minimum, 18 of which must be upper-division (College of Arts and Sciences minimum). Other courses not listed here, including some study abroad courses and special topics courses, may be applicable toward the Asian Studies major, but must first be approved by the Asian Studies Faculty Advisor.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ASIA 2000 | Gateway to Modern Asia: Exploring Regional Connections | 3 |
| ASIA 4830 | Senior Seminar in Asian Studies (The Senior Thesis/Project should focus on a South Asian topic.) | 3 |
| Asian Language | ||
| 4 semesters of a single South Asian language (12-20 credit hours). Additional semesters can count as Asian Studies Electives. | 12-20 | |
Hindi (sequence of three years offered) | ||
Sanskrit (available through Continuing Education) | ||
Tibetan and Nepali (offered for one year, plus study abroad and transfer credit options) | ||
| Traditional Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take two introductory courses, one on South Asia and one on West, East, or Southeast Asia; 6 credits minimum, lower division. | 6 | |
| South Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to South Asian Civilizations | ||
| Introduction to Tibetan Civilization | ||
| The History of India from Aryans to Maratha Warriors, 2500 BCE-1757 CE | ||
| Happiness and Nirvana: Enlightenment in Indian Religions | ||
| East, West, or Southeast Asian Civilization | ||
West Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Arab and Islamic Civilizations | ||
| Love, Loss and Longing in Classical Arabic Literature | ||
FRSI 1011 | ||
| Introduction to Middle Eastern History | ||
| Islam | ||
East Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Civilization | ||
| Episodes in Korean History | ||
| Great Wall Exchange: China and the Nomadic Conquerors, 500 BC – 1500 AD | ||
| Japan from Clay Pots to Robots | ||
| Introduction to Japanese Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Korean Civilization | ||
| Religions of East Asia | ||
Southeast Asian Civilization | ||
| Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia | ||
| Modern Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take one course; 3 credit hours, lower division or upper division. | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| Students take 12-15 upper-division credit hours, 6 credit hours of which must focus on South Asia. | 15-12 | |
Courses with a South Asian Focus | ||
| Anthropology of Tibet | ||
| Culture and Society in South Asia | ||
| India and Its Neighbors: Societies, Economies, and Geopolitics | ||
| Geography of Tibet | ||
| Borderlands of the British Empire | ||
| Decolonization of the British Empire | ||
| Islam in South and Southeast Asia (1000 to the Present) | ||
| History of Modern India | ||
| Women in Modern India | ||
| Buddha to Gandhi: A History of Indian Nonviolence | ||
| The Post-Cold War World (South Asia) | ||
| South Asian Politics | ||
| Yoga, Castes and Magic: Hindu Society and Spirituality | ||
| Advanced Hindi 1 | ||
| Advanced Hindi 2 | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Screening India: A History of Bollywood Cinema | ||
| Living Indian Epics: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata in the Modern Political Imagination | ||
| South Asian Diasporas: Imagining Home Abroad | ||
| The Power of the Word: Subversive and Censored 20th Century Indo-Pakistani Literature | ||
| The Many Faces of Krishna in South Asia Literature and Culture | ||
| Devotional Literature in South Asia | ||
| Foundations of Buddhism | ||
| Topics in Religious Studies (Tibetan Buddhism) | ||
| Topics in Hinduism | ||
| Women in Buddhism | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 42-47 | |
Southeast Asia Track
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below: 42 credit hours minimum, 18 of which must be upper-division (College of Arts and Sciences minimum). Other courses not listed here, including some study abroad courses and special topics courses, may be applicable toward the Asian Studies major, but must first be approved by the Asian Studies Faculty Advisor.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ASIA 2000 | Gateway to Modern Asia: Exploring Regional Connections | 3 |
| ASIA 4830 | Senior Seminar in Asian Studies (The Senior Thesis/Project should focus on a South Asian topic.) | 3 |
| Asian Language | ||
| 4 semesters of Indonesian language (12 credit hours) | 12 | |
| Traditional Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take two introductory courses, one on Southeast Asia and one on South, West, or East Asia.; 6 credits minimum, lower division. | 6 | |
| Southeast Asian Civilization (required) | ||
| Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia | ||
| West Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Arab and Islamic Civilizations | ||
| Love, Loss and Longing in Classical Arabic Literature | ||
FRSI 1011 | ||
| Introduction to Middle Eastern History | ||
| Islam | ||
| South Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to South Asian Civilizations | ||
| Introduction to Tibetan Civilization | ||
| The History of India from Aryans to Maratha Warriors, 2500 BCE-1757 CE | ||
| Happiness and Nirvana: Enlightenment in Indian Religions | ||
| East Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Civilization | ||
| Episodes in Korean History | ||
| Great Wall Exchange: China and the Nomadic Conquerors, 500 BC – 1500 AD | ||
| Japan from Clay Pots to Robots | ||
| Introduction to Japanese Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Korean Civilization | ||
| Religions of East Asia | ||
| Modern Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take one of the following courses on Southeast Asia. | 3 | |
| Exploring Culture and Media in Southeast Asia | ||
| Ethnography of Southeast Asia and Indonesia | ||
| Capstone Seminar: Topics in Art History (Southeast Asia) | ||
| Contemporary Southeast Asia: Environmental Politics | ||
| Politics of Memory in Asia | ||
| Wars of Liberation in Southeast Asia | ||
| Urban Asia: Tradition, Modernity, Challenges | ||
| Special Topics in Environmental Studies (Env Gov Mekong Delta, Vietnam) | ||
| Global Frontiers in Southeast Asia | ||
| The Vietnam Wars | ||
| Islam in South and Southeast Asia (1000 to the Present) | ||
| Government and Politics in Southeast Asia | ||
| Topics in Sex and Gender (Sex, Gender, and Social Change in Southeast Asia) | ||
| Major Electives | ||
| Students take 15 additional upper-division credit hours, 3 credit hours of which focus on Southeast Asia (3 credit hours can be lower-division if Modern Asian Civilization filled by an upper-division course) | 15 | |
| See main catalog entry for the Asian Studies major for a full list of Asian Studies Major Electives. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 42 | |
West Asia/Middle East Track
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below: 42 credit hours minimum, 18 of which must be upper-division (College of Arts and Sciences minimum). Other courses not listed here, including some study abroad courses and special topics courses, may be applicable toward the Asian Studies major, but must first be approved by the Asian Studies Faculty Advisor.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ASIA 2000 | Gateway to Modern Asia: Exploring Regional Connections | 3 |
| ASIA 4830 | Senior Seminar in Asian Studies (The Senior Thesis/Project should focus on a West Asian topic.) | 3 |
| Asian Language | ||
| 4 semesters of a single West Asian language (14-20 credit hours). Additional semesters can count as Asian Studies Electives. | 14-20 | |
Arabic (sequence of three years offered) | ||
Farsi (sequence of three years offered) | ||
| Traditional Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take two introductory courses, one on West Asia and one on South, East, or Southeast Asia; 6 credits minimum, lower division. | 6 | |
| West Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Arab and Islamic Civilizations | ||
| Love, Loss and Longing in Classical Arabic Literature | ||
FRSI 1011 | ||
| Introduction to Middle Eastern History | ||
| Islam | ||
| East, South, or Southeast Asian Civilization | ||
East Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Chinese Civilization | ||
| Episodes in Korean History | ||
| Great Wall Exchange: China and the Nomadic Conquerors, 500 BC – 1500 AD | ||
| Japan from Clay Pots to Robots | ||
| Introduction to Japanese Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Korean Civilization | ||
| Religions of East Asia | ||
South Asian Civilization | ||
| Introduction to South Asian Civilizations | ||
| Introduction to Tibetan Civilization | ||
| The History of India from Aryans to Maratha Warriors, 2500 BCE-1757 CE | ||
| Happiness and Nirvana: Enlightenment in Indian Religions | ||
Southeast Asian Civilization | ||
| Origins of Contemporary Southeast Asia | ||
| Modern Asian Civilizations | ||
| Students take one course; 3 credit hours, lower division or upper division. | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| Students take 15-12 upper-division credit hours, 6 credit hours of which must focus on West Asia. | 15-12 | |
| Courses with a West Asian Focus | ||
| Advanced Arabic 1 | ||
| Advanced Arabic 2 | ||
| Arabian Nights, Arabian Days: Popular Literature in the Arab World and Beyond | ||
| The Making of Middle Eastern Identities: Arabs and Their “Others” | ||
| Islamic Culture and the Iberian Peninsula | ||
| In the Footsteps of Travelers: Travel Writing in Arabic Lit | ||
| Art in Islamic Cultures | ||
| The Arabic Novel | ||
| Arabic Poetry | ||
| Representing Islam | ||
| Narrating the City: Literary Mappings of the Urban Landscape | ||
| Tradition, Authenticity, and Reform in Islam | ||
| Gender, Sexuality and Culture in the Modern Middle East | ||
| Advanced Readings in Arabic | ||
| Arabic Media | ||
| Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | ||
| Topics in Environment and Society (Geographies of Contemporary Muslim Societies: Islam, Biopolitics, and the Postcolonial) | ||
| Geographies of Political Islam | ||
| Seminar in Middle Eastern History | ||
| The Modern Middle East, 1600 to the Present | ||
| Islam in the Modern World: Revivalism, Modernism, and Fundamentalism, 1800-2001 | ||
| History of Modern Israel/Palestine | ||
| Jews in and of the Middle East | ||
| The Mediterranean: Religion Before Modernity | ||
| History of Arab-Israeli Conflict | ||
| The Post-Cold War World (Afghanistan and Iraq) | ||
| Global Seminar: Jews and Muslims - The Multiethnic History of Istanbul | ||
| Global Seminar: Justice, Human Rights and Democracy in Israel | ||
| Middle Eastern Politics | ||
| Islam | ||
| Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Abrahamic Religions | ||
| Judaism | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 44-47 | |
Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study
Through the required coursework for the major, students will complete all 12 credits of the Arts & Humanities area and some of the credits in the Social Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement and the Global Perspective component of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement. Depending on elective courses selected within the major, students can potentially also complete the Social Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| Traditional Asian Civilization - Major course | 3 | |
| 1st Semester Single Asian Language (example: 1010) | 5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Traditional Asian Civilization - Major course | 3 | |
| 2nd Semester Single Asian Language (example: 1020) | 5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: QRMS) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ASIA 2000 | Gateway to Modern Asia: Exploring Regional Connections | 3 |
| 3rd Semester Single Asian Language (ex: 2110) | 5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Modern Asian Civilization - Major course (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| 4th Semester Single Asian Language (ex: 2120) | 5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with lab) | 4 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ASIA Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ASIA Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| Gen Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-Division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ASIA Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ASIA 4830 | Senior Seminar in Asian Studies | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
With an undergraduate degree in Asian Studies, students will:
- Develop a rich understanding of Asia as a complex and diverse region of critical importance in historical and contemporary geopolitics.
- Learn from Asia through self-critical and respectful, curiosity-based intellectual inquiry (rather than treating it as an object of knowledge), thus gaining a broader, more nuanced understanding of the region and its communities in both the past and present.
- Comprehend the diverse challenges and opportunities facing various Asian countries today, as well as the complexities of the historical factors and events that contributed to these current dynamics.
- Acquire an interdisciplinary approach to a range key issues by learning how these would be viewed, studied and discussed differently by historians, sociologists, anthropologists, geographers, artists and others.
- Gain practical knowledge through hands-on, student-driven research projects, internships in Asia and in Boulder, and study abroad programs in Asia.
- Become skilled critical readers and thinkers, as well as better communicators with the skills to analyze and to communicate complex ideas in a clear, coherent manner.
- Have a basic level of familiarity with an Asian language.
- Grasp the pivotal importance Asia has to life in the U.S. in the 21st century.
- Appreciate the vast diversity within Asia and connections across countries and regions within Asia.
- Have the necessary skill sets and cultural competency to be able to work in Asia and in Asia-related careers such as media, journalism, technology, foreign service, the military, development and education.