Degree Requirements for Asian Studies

In this section

General Requirements for the Minor

General university degree requirements stipulate that 1) three units of the minor be taken in residence at the University of Puget Sound; 2) students earn a GPA of 2.0 in courses taken for the minor; and 3) all courses taken for the minor must be taken for graded credit. Any exceptions to these stipulations are indicated in the minor degree requirements listed below.

Requirements for the Minor

Asian Studies courses are represented in the First-Year Seminar program (see list of courses, below), although these do not count toward the Asian Studies Minor. Several courses in the Asian Studies program are options in the core curriculum (in Artistic and Humanistic Approaches, as well as Connections), and Chinese and Japanese language courses meet the university's foreign-language requirement. In general, any student may take any course offered in the program without related prior study (although some upper level courses have prerequisites, as indicated in departmental listings).

To qualify for the Asian Studies Minor, a student must meet the requirements specified below. While students self-select their participation in the Asian Studies Program through declaration of the Minor with the Academic Advising office, each student seeking the Minor should coordinate her or his program with the Director of the Asian Studies Program and is encouraged to select a primary or secondary advisor from among the faculty members in the program.

Requirements for the Minor in Asian Studies

The Asian Studies minor consists of five units, of which four are elective courses. Of the four electives two must be from the Humanities and two from the Social Sciences. One of the four elective courses must also be a foundation course chosen from a designated list. Detailed requirements are:

A total of four elective Asian Studies courses, two of which must be in the Social Sciences, and two in the Humanities.
Among these four electives, one must be a foundation course chosen from those listed below:
1. ALC 205 Great Books of China and Japan (Humanities)
2. ARTH 278 Survey of Asian Art (Humanities)
3. PG 323 Asian Political Systems (Social Science)
4. IPE 333 Political Economy of Southeast Asia (Social Science)
Asia 344.
No more than two electives can be used to fulfill the requirements of a major or another minor.
At least two of the four elective courses must be taken at the 300 or 400 level.
Good academic standing upon entering the program, overall GPA in the program of 2.5 or above, and grades of C- or better in all program courses (no Pass/Fail)
Upon approval of the Asian Studies Program Director, students may complete up to two of the required units of study for the minor when enrolled in a study abroad program in Asia.

Students pursuing the Asian Studies minor are encouraged, but not required, to participate in experiences such as internships, international work and study, or field research in Asia.

Variation of requirements is possible, as arranged with the Asian Studies Committee by way of the Director of the program. Courses applicable to the Asian Studies minor have no time limit.

Humanities Elective Courses in Asian Studies

ALC 205 Introduction to Asian Literature (foundation course)

ALC 225 Visualized Fiction: Cinematic Adaptations of Traditional Chinese Literature

ALC 310 Death and Desire in Pre-modern Japanese Literature

ALC 320 Self and Society in Modern Japanese Literature

ALC 325 Chinese Cinema: Ideology and the Box Office

ALC 330 Writing the Margins in Contemporary Japanese Literature

ALC 345 Revenge and Retribution

ARTH 278 Survey of Asian Art (foundation course)

ARTH 367 Chinese Art

ARTH 368 Japanese Art

ARTH 369 Twentieth Century Chinese Art

ARTH 370 Buddhist Art

ARTH/ARTS 371 East Asian Calligraphy

ASIA 305 Heroes and Rebels: Martial Arts Culture in China and Beyond

ENGL 356 Bollywood Film

ENGL 361 South Asian Fiction

HIST 245 Chinese Civilization

HIST 248 History of Japan: 1600 to Present

HIST 343 Law, Society and Justice in China

HIST 344 Resistance, Rebellion, and Revolution in China: 1800 to the Present

HIST 349 Women of East Asia

HUM 330 Tao and Landscape Art

JAPN 385 Not Lost in Translation: English to Japanese Translation

MUS 321 Music of South Asia

MUS 323 Performing Asian America

PHIL 215 Classical Chinese Philosophy

REL 208 Yoga, Psychedelics, and Mind Science

REL 231 Korean Religions and Culture

REL 233 Japanese Religious Traditions

REL 234 Chinese Religious Traditions

REL 300 Japanimals: Power, Knowledge, and Spirituality at the Intersection of Species

REL 328 Religion, the State, and Nationalism in Japan

REL 332 Buddhism

REL 334 Vedic Religion and Brahmanism

REL 335 Classical Hinduism

Social Science Elective Courses in Asian Studies

BUS 471 Business in Asia

BUS 474 Business in India and South Asia

CONN 395 China and Latin America: A New Era of Transpacific Relations

IPE/SOAN 323 The Political, Economic, and Social Context of International Tourism

IPE 333 Political Economy of Southeast Asia (foundation course)

IPE 388 Exploring the Chinese Economy

PG 323 Asian Political Systems (foundation course)

PG 372 Japanese Political Economy

PG 378 Chinese Political Economy

PG 379 The Politics of National Identity in Greater China

SOAN 222 Culture and Society of Southeast Asia

SOAN 304 Gender and Sexuality in Japan

SOAN 309 Anthropology of China: Contemporary Cultural and Social Issues

SOAN 380 Muslim Cultures and Communities

Robert Trimble Distinguished Asia Scholar

To qualify as a Robert Trimble Distinguished Asia Scholar, a student must meet the following requirements:

All requirements, as listed below, for the Asian Studies minor;
One-semester senior thesis: ASIA 489, or approved research seminar course in a department participating in the program (Art, Business and Leadership, Sociology and Anthropology, Economics, English, History, International Political Economy, Politics and Government, or Religious Studies);
Overall GPA in Asian Studies courses of 3.5 or above, grades of Cor better in all program courses (no Pass/Fail), and a grade of B- or above in ASIA 489 (or equivalent).