B.A. in Asian Studies

The Committee of Asian Studies offers a major and a minor to provide students with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the world’s largest, most populous, and most diverse continent.

The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach and requires students to complement their Asian Studies degree with a minor or second major, preferably in such fields as Anthropology, Economics, Fine Arts, Geography, History, International Business, International Studies, Journalism, Political Science, or Religious Studies. Students enrolled in the Asian Studies major or minor will find that the course offerings furnish excellent preparation for careers in business, government, journalism, and teaching.

To complete the Asian Studies major, a student must take a minimum of 33 credits in courses dealing with Asia and 15-21 credits in a minor of the student’s choice (with a second major also fulfilling the latter requirement). All Asian Studies majors must take ASIA 200 and must demonstrate at least an intermediate level proficiency of an Asian Language, doing so either by passing the intermediate sequence of one of the Asian languages offered at IUP or by demonstrating that they have acquired the equivalent proficiency level elsewhere. The remaining courses to be taken fall into two groups: “Category A: Exclusively Asia-Focused” and “Category B: Substantially Asia-Focused.” At least 21 credits must come from Category A; no more than three credits may come from Category B.

To minor in Asian Studies, students must complete a minimum of 18 credits, no more than six of which may have the prefix of their major. ASIA 200 is required of all Asian Studies minors. At least 12 credits must come from Category A (Exclusively Asia-Focused). Three credits of an Asian language course may apply to the Category A requirement. No more than three credits from Category B (Substantially Asia-Focused) may be applied to the minor.

Bachelor of Arts—Asian Studies

Liberal Studies: 48 credits

As outlined in Liberal Studies section with the following specifications:

Mathematics: 3 credits

Liberal Studies Electives: 3 credits

Major: 33 credits

Required Course: 3 credits

ASIA 200 Introduction to Asian Studies

Controlled Electives: 30 credits (1) 

Intermediate language sequence: 0-6 credits (2)

One of the following sets: CHIN 201/202; CRLG 201/251; CRLG 205/255; CRLG 208/258; CRLG 209/259; CRLG 214/264

Category A: Exclusively Asia-Focused, 21-30 credits (3) (4)

At least 21 credits earned through the following courses: ANTH/SOC 272; ANTH/SOC 273; ARHI 224; ARHI 423; ARHI 425; GEOG 256; GEOG 257; HIST 206; HIST 330; HIST 331; HIST 332; HIST 334; HIST 337; PLSC 383; PLSC 384; RLST 220; RLST 311; RLST 370; RLST 373; RLST 375; RLST 380 

Category B: Substantially Asia-Focused, 0-3 credits (3) (4) (5)

No more than 3 credits earned through the following courses: BTST 342, ECON 339, ECON 350, ENGL 396/FNLG 396, GEOG 104, GEOG 254, MGMT 459, PLSC 101, PLSC 285, RLST 110

Minor: 15-21 credits

Free Electives (first-year Asian language would count toward this): 18-24

Total Degree Requirements: 120

1. At least 12 credits must be at the 300 level or higher.
2. A student who has acquired an intermediate level of proficiency in an Asian language, but not through an accredited college program, may apply to the Asian Studies Committee to be exempt from three or six credits in intermediate language instruction. Such credits in these cases are to be replaced by taking additional Category A classes. Students who take advanced-level Asian language courses at IUP or another university may apply to the Asian Studies Committee to have such credits partially fulfill the Category A requirements.
3. No more than nine credits of courses with the same departmental prefix may count toward Categories A and B.
4. The subject matter varies in: rotating topic courses (e.g. ENGL 344, ENGL 397, ENGL 398, ENGL 399, HIST 403, and RLST 485); courses that utilize the case study approach (e.g. ECON 345, ECON 346, MGMT350/MKTG350, MGMT 452, MGMT 454, MKTG 430, MKTG 441, and SOC 362); and special topics courses (i.e. classes numbered 281 and 481). When concerned with Asian Studies, these courses may be applied to either Category A or Category B with approval of the Asian Studies Committee.
5. Certain courses may require additional pre-requisites.

Required Course: ASIA 200 Introduction to Asian Studies

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Focuses on the significance of interactions between Asian cultures. It does so in such a way that students will be able to appreciate both the continuities that allow one to speak of Asia as a coherent region (not only geographically, but also politically, economically, and culturally) and the very real differences that give the region its great variety. Also stresses an in-depth understanding of subtle transformations in meaning as goods, ideas, and practices migrate from one area within Asia to another.

Controlled Electives—Intermediate Asian Language Sequence

CHIN 201 Intermediate Chinese III

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At this first intermediate level, students begin to develop a degree of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

CHIN 202 Intermediate Chinese IV

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By the end of this course, the student is able to communicate in simple terms with an educated native speaker on a topic with which the student is familiar.

CRLG 201-214 Critical Languages III

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Prerequisite: Level II or acceptable equivalent

At this first intermediate level, students begin to develop a degree of oral proficiency that varies with the language studied. Reading and writing are studied in all languages by this level.

CRLG 201 Arabic III

CRLG 205 Hindi III

CRLG 208 Japanese III

CRLG 209 Korean III

CRLG 214 Hebrew III

CRLG 251-264 Critical Languages IV

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Prerequisite: Level II or acceptable equivalent

At this first intermediate level, students begin to develop a degree of oral proficiency that varies with the language studied. Reading and writing are studied in all languages by this level.

CRLG 251 Arabic IV

CRLG 255 Hindi IV

CRLG 258 Japanese IV

CRLG 259 Korean IV

CRLG 264 Hebrew IV

Controlled Electives—Category A: Exclusively Asia-Focused Courses

These courses are devoted to a combination or subset of the following topics: the continent of Asia (as defined by International Geographical Union convention), its physical environments, and the social systems and cultures indigenous to the region. At least 21 credits must come from Category A.

Controlled Electives—Category B: Substantially Asia-Focused Courses

These classes have significant material specifically about the continent of Asia, its physical environments, and the social systems and cultures indigenous to the region. The remainder of the course material establishes relevant comparisons and contexts for Asian themes. No more than three credits may come from Category B.

Asian Studies Major

Credits: 33

Required Course

Credits: 3

Intermediate Language Sequence

Credits: 0-6

Category A: Exclusively Asia-Focused

Credits: 21-30

Category B: Substantially Asia-Focused

Credits: 0-3

• Asian Studies Program
• Keith Hall, Room 216
  390 Pratt Drive
  Indiana, PA 15705
• Phone: 724-357-4066

• Office Hours
• Monday through Friday
• 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
• 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.