Asian Studies

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Combined major and minor offered 

Visit the Asian studies webpage at https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/asian-studies. 

Combined Major 

Combined majors are offered in Asian studies with history, government and religious studies. These departments have agreed that their courses listed for Asian studies credit may also count for the departmental major. 

In addition to fulfilling requirements for the disciplinary major, students must complete seven Asian studies courses distributed as follows: 

  1. At least one multi-regional course. 

  1. One semester-long course in an Asian language. 

  1. Five electives, including at least one course at the 300 or 400 level. No more than three of these courses can be selected from a single department or focus on a single region (East Asia/South Asia/Southeast Asia). 

Asian Studies–Government 

Government majors pursuing a combined major in Asian studies must take a minimum of seven government courses distributed as follows: 

  1. Core Courses (3): Government majors must complete GOVT 103 Introduction to American Politics and GOVT 105 Introduction to Comparative Politics. Additionally, students must take either GOVT 108 Introduction to International Politics or GOVT 206 Political Theory. One of these three introductory courses must be designated writing-intensive and should be completed before the end of the sophomore year. These three introductory courses must be taken in residence on the St. Lawrence campus.  

  1. Research Seminar (1): During the sophomore or junior year, ideally after completion of the writing-intensive course, students must take one of the government Research Seminars (290, 291, 292, 293). Students may take only one research seminar.  

  1. Asian Politics Course (1): Majors will take either GOVT 322 Chinese Politics, GOVT 324 Asia: Beyond the Great Wall, or a special topics course on Asia within the government department.  

  1. Elective Courses (2): These may be upper division elective courses. Students may count up to one unit of internship coursework or one unit of independent study toward the elective requirements. No more than one of the elective courses may be taken off campus. Two of the five required Asian Studies electives must be outside the government department. One of the electives must include a research component. 

Asian Studies–History 

History majors pursuing a combined major with Asian studies must fulfill the regular history major requirements, though they must take a minimum of nine history courses rather than the standard ten. The nine required history courses must include a research seminar and at least one course each in European history, North American history and Asian history. 

Two of the five required Asian Studies electives must be outside the history department. One of the electives must include a research component. 

Asian Studies–Religious Studies 

Religious studies majors pursuing a combined major with Asian studies must fulfill the regular religious studies major requirements, though they must take a minimum of nine courses rather than the standard ten. 

Two of the five required Asian Studies electives must be outside the religious studies department. One of the electives must include a research component. 

Minor 

For the minor, students must take six Asian studies courses as follows: 

  1. At least one multi-regional course. 

  1. One semester-long course in an Asian language. 

  1. Four electives, including at least one course at the 300 or 400 level. These courses must be selected from more than one department and must focus on more than one region (East Asia/South Asia/Southeast Asia). 

Courses should be selected in consultation with the minor advisor. Electives must be courses taken at St. Lawrence University and/or full-credit courses offered in China, India, Japan or Thailand. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in courses submitted for the minor. 

Multi-Regional Courses  

Departmental Offerings  

Anthropology 

208. Ancient Civilizations. 

Art and Art History 

217. Buddhist Art and Ritual. 

Economics 

236. Globalization Issues. 

Film and Representation Studies 

271. World Cinema.** 

Global Studies 

225. Asian Political Economy in the Global Age. 

Government 

324. Asia: Beyond the Great Wall 

History 

125. Early Asian Civilizations. Also offered as HIST 105. 

126. Modern Asia. (also offered as HIST 106) 

Philosophy 

103. Philosophy East and West: An Introduction. 

223. Asian Philosophy. 

Religious Studies 

222. Buddhist Religious Traditions. 

Elective Courses 

Departmental Offerings 

Anthropology 

208. Ancient Civilizations. 

Art and Art History 

212. Icons of Islamic Architecture. (South Asia) 

217. Buddhist Art and Ritual. (East/South Asia) 

218. Arts of South Asia. (South Asia) 

319. Gender Issues in Asian Art. (South Asia) 

Biology 

258. Ethnobotany. (South/Southeast Asia) 

380. Tropical Ecology.** (South/Southeast Asia) 

Digital Media and Film  

271. World Cinema.**  

Global Studies 

225. Asian Political Economy in the Global Age.  

Government 

105. Comparative Politics.** (East Asia) 

291. Research Seminar: China’s Rise. (East Asia) 

322. Chinese Politics. (East Asia) 

324. Asia: Beyond the Great Wall 

History 

106. Modern Asia.  

282. Modern Japan. (East Asia) 

292. Revolutionary China. (East Asia) 

377. Colloquium in Asian History (topics vary)  

475-476. SYE: Seminar in Asian History. (East Asia) 

World Languages, Cultures, and Media 

Chinese 101,102. Elementary Chinese.  

Chinese 103, 104. Intermediate Chinese. 

Chinese 201, 202, Advanced Chinese. 

232. Cultures of China through Fiction and Film* (East Asia) Also offered as DMF and HIST 232. 

234. Chinese Literature and Film.* (East Asia) Also offered as DMF 234. 

489, 490. SYE: Independent Study. (East Asia) 

Music 

210. Musics of the World.** 

244. Musics of South Asia. (South Asia) 

Philosophy 

103. Philosophy East and West: An Introduction. 

223. Asian Philosophy.  

Religious Studies 

221. Religious Life of South Asia/ Also offered as ASIA 261. 

222. Buddhist Religious Traditions.  

226. The Religious Life of Japan. (East Asia) 

227. The Religious Life of China. (East Asia) 

228. Fantasy Religion. (East Asia). Also offered as REL 218. 

282. Love and War in Hindu Myth: Ramayana. Also offered as ASIA 282 and GS 282. 

283 Love and War in Hindu Myth: Mahabharata. Also offered as ASIA 283 and GS 283. 

331. Pilgrimage as a Spiritual Journey. 

334. The Ways of the Gods: Shinto in Modern Japan. (East Asia) 

337. Postcolonial India: Film & Literature. Also offered as REL 337, DMF 337, and GS 337. 

450, 451. Directed Studies in Religion.**  

*Literature in Translation courses 

**These courses receive Asian studies credit at the discretion of the instructor and the Asian studies program. 

Special Topics courses with Asian content may be counted toward the minor and combined majors at the program coordinator’s discretion. 

Off-Campus Study 

Students majoring or minoring in Asian studies are strongly encouraged to study in Asia for a semester or more. They should consult early with the Coordinator of the Asian Studies program, coordinators of the individual study abroad programs, and with advisors at the Center for International and Intercultural Studies in Carnegie Hall. See the CIIS website for more information: http://www.stlawu.edu/ciis/programs. 

See Asian Studies courses