College: College of Letters and Science
Designation: Department
Major: Languages and Cultures of Asia
Degrees Offered: M.A., Ph.D.
Other: Ph.D. Minor
Tracks: M.A. degree subplans (languages and literatures, or South Asian studies); Ph.D. degree subplans (Buddhist studies, civilizations and cultures, languages and literatures, or religious studies)
Faculty: Professors Bickner (chair), Atis, Buhnemann, V. Dharwadker, Elder, Memon, Narayana Rao, Rafferty, Schamiloglu; Associate Professor Hallisey; Assistant Professors Chopra, Davis
The department focuses on research and teaching in the languages, literatures, religions, and cultures of Southwest Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It also works closely with UW-Madison's Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia; Center for South Asia; Center for Southeast Asian Studies, and Middle East Studies Program. In addition, the department coordinates its activities with the Division of International Studies and the International Institute. The department's graduate students have recently won important Fulbright-Hays, Foreign Language and Area Studies, Social Science Research Council, and American Institute of Indian Studies fellowship awards. Opportunities to study East Asia are offered by the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature, described separately in this catalog.
The M.A. program offers a wide exposure to areas of Asia while developing skills in one or more Asian languages. The degree can lead to a Ph.D. program, or to a career in government agencies, educational foundations, or to work in non-government organizations. Ph.D. students in other departments may enroll in this M.A. program to provide for comprehensive Asian languages and area training.
The department offers the Ph.D. in languages and cultures of Asia, with concentration in civilizations and cultures, languages and literatures, or religions of Asia.
Students in other departments who wish to minor in languages and cultures of Asia must complete 12 credits above the 300 level with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the department. Such students are required to take one course in linguistics or literature and one course in religion or philosophy. Any other courses to fulfill the minor requirement are selected in prior consultation with the department's minor advisor, who is designated as such by the Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia and is authorized to sign the Ph.D. minor agreement form.
Courses crosslisted in a student's major department and in languages and cultures of Asia do not count toward the minor requirement. Elementary and intermediate language courses or "directed study" courses are not accepted toward the fulfillment of the minor requirement in languages and cultures of Asia.
For more information: Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia, 1238 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706; 608/262-3012; ctkoerber@wisc.edu; lca.wisc.edu.