Asian Studies
Minor offered
Visit the Asian studies webpage at https://www.stlawu.edu/offices/asian-studies.
Minor Requirements
For the minor, students must take five Asian studies courses as follows:
- One multi-regional course (its content covers at least two countries).
- Four electives, in which a one semester-long course in an Asian language is required.
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.
If a student minors in both Chinese and Asian Studies, only two courses may overlap between the two minors.
Multi-Regional Courses
Departmental Offerings
108. Introduction to Asian Studies
234. East Asian Literature and Film
235. Buddhism and Taoism through Fiction and Film
3089. Fantasy Asian Fiction and Film
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.
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.
Political Science
324. Asia: Beyond the Great Wall.
Religious Studies
222. Buddhist Religious Traditions.
Elective Courses
Departmental Offerings
Anthropology
208. Ancient Civilizations.
Art and Art History
212. Sacred Spaces Reimagined: Cultural Memory, Appropriation & Identity. (South Asia)
217. Buddhist Art and Ritual. (East/South Asia)
218. Arts of South Asia. (South Asia)
245. Mokuhanga (East 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.
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. Chinese Culture through Fiction and Film.* (East Asia) Also offered as DMF and HIST 232.
234. East Asian 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.
Political Science
105. Comparative Politics.** (East Asia)
291. Research Seminar: China’s Rise. (East Asia)
322. Chinese Politics. (East Asia)
324. Asia: Beyond the Great Wall.
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.**
Gender and Sexuality
4048. Gender & Sexuality in China.
*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 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.
Updated 7/1/26