Concentration in East Asian Studies
Major with East Asian Concentration
Requirements for the Major
Honors in the Major
Certificate in East Asian Studies
Requirements for the Certificate
Courses—East Asian Area Studies
Concentration in Southeast Asian Studies
Declaring the Major
Required Course Work
Core Introductory Courses for the Concentration in Southeast Asian Studies
Honors in the Major
Thesis of Distinction
Asian Studies is divided into two concentrations: East Asian Studies and Southeast Asian Studies. Students interested in more specialized study of the languages and literature of East Asia should see East Asian Languages and Literature; those interested in more specialized study of languages and culture of other areas of Asia should see Languages and Cultures of Asia, REECAS (Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies), and South Asian Studies.
333 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706; 608/262-3643; eas@intl-institute.wisc.edu; http://eastasia.wisc.edu
China Core Faculty: Professors Csikszentmihalyi, Curtin, Dong, Eichenseher, Friedman, Irish, Manion, Murray, Nienhauser, Pan; Associate Professors Huang, Merli, Sheehan (on leave), Zhang, Zhou; Assistant Professor Zhu; Lecturers Tan, Wen, Wu; Librarian Xu
Japan Core Faculty: Professors Davis, McGloin, Ohnuki-Tierney, Phillips, Young (director 06-07); Associate Professors D'Etcheverry, Furumoto, Leheny, Mori, Raymo, Thal; Assistant Professors Geyer, Ridgeley; Librarian Xu
Korea Core Faculty: Professor Sutton; Assistant Professors Kim (visiting), Ohnesorge; Faculty Associates Lim, Miller; Lecturers Cho, Choi, Choy, Kim
Undergraduate advisors: Dreux Montgomery (student programs coordinator), Hope Rennie (assistant director)
East Asian studies encompasses China, Japan, and Korea—Pacific Rim nations characterized by rich cultural heritages, critical geopolitical positions and rapidly expanding economies. East Asia plays a central role in world politics and the global economy, and the importance of this region will increase in the 21st century. The Center for East Asian Studies acts as a clearinghouse and coordinating center bringing together an interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, and students interested in the study of China, Japan, Korea, and, in association with South Asian Studies, Tibet. Courses related to East Asia are taught by core and affiliated faculty across the university.
The Center for East Asian Studies administers two options for undergraduates within the East Asian studies concentration: an undergraduate major and an undergraduate certificate. Each semester, the center posts on the Web site (eastasia.wisc.edu) a list of courses offered throughout the university related to East Asia that may count toward the major and certificate. Students should consult the undergraduate advisor for guidance on whether a particular course counts toward the major. Prospective majors are urged to consult the EAS undergraduate advisor at the first possible opportunity, and majors planning to graduate should see the advisor at least one semester before the semester in which they plan to graduate to ensure that they fulfill the requirements for the major in a timely manner.
The official name of the major is Asian Studies: East Asian Concentration. This major is for undergraduates who are interested in a wide range of careers (business, law, public service, research, teaching, etc.) and who seek a focused yet multidisciplinary education to provide a solid grounding not only in East Asian language but also in the humanities and social sciences beyond languages and literature. Students who choose this major are strongly encouraged to participate in study abroad programs in East Asia administered by the University of Wisconsin or other institutions.
A minimum of 30 credits in courses related to East Asia selected according to the guidelines below is required for the major. To assure familiarity with language, general breadth of knowledge about East Asia, and rigor in a single discipline, the following are required:
Language: At least two years of an East Asian Language—Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Tibetan. East Asian studies majors are required to take at least two semesters of work beyond first-year or elementary-level courses. The first- and second-semester courses in one of these languages do not count toward the 30-credit minimum for the major, but additional East Asian language credits do count.
Humanities: At least 8 credits are required in East Asian civilization and the humanities (not including language credits): art history, communication arts, history, linguistics, literature, music, philosophy, religious studies, theatre, etc.
Social Science: At least 8 credits are required in East Asian social sciences: anthropology, business, economics, geography, history, law, political science, sociology, etc.
Concentration: At least 8 credits (not including language credits) must be concentrated in a single discipline (for example, in history, or in political science, or in art history, etc.). Courses counted toward humanities, social science and upper-level course requirements may also count toward the concentration.
Upper-Level Courses: All students are required to fulfill the L&S requirement of at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major completed in residence. Courses numbered 300 or above count toward this requirement, as long as they are eligible to count toward the 30 credits required for the major. Courses counted toward the other requirements for the major may be counted toward the upper-level course requirement.
Senior Thesis: Recommended, but not required for the major. By the end of the junior year, a student choosing to do a two-semester senior thesis should have a faculty member agree in writing to supervise the thesis work. Students writing a senior thesis enroll for two semesters of credit (EAS 691-692), under the supervision of their chosen faculty advisor. Please consult with the EAS undergraduate advisor for more details.
Students who wish to graduate with Honors in the Major may do so by fulfilling the following requirements:
Students should check with the undergraduate advisor in East Asian studies at least once a year to make sure that requirements have not been modified, as well as to seek guidance about planning the best possible Honors in the Major curriculum that reflects their special interests.
The undergraduate certificate in East Asian studies is available to students working toward a baccalaureate degree in any of the University of Wisconsin-Madison schools and colleges, and to Special students. This certificate meets the needs of students choosing to focus on the East Asian region (China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet) within their primary major, but not wishing to commit to the rigorous language study required for the East Asian studies major. Students select course work reflecting their interests from myriad classes offered through many university departments, and can work toward a variety of undergraduate majors. Upon earning the certificate, this emphasis is noted on the student's transcript. The certificate is of value to students wishing to demonstrate their knowledge of the East Asian region either to potential employers or to graduate schools.
A minimum of 21 credits in courses related to East Asia, selected according to the following guidelines, is required for the certificate.
To ensure a well-rounded knowledge of East Asia, students must complete:
Study of an East Asian language is strongly encouraged, but not required. Courses in elementary Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan are available, providing an introduction to the fundamentals of the languages, without necessarily requiring additional advanced language course work.
222 Introduction to East Asian Civilization. (Crosslisted with Poli Sci) I; 3 cr (Z-E). Multidisciplinary and historical perspectives on the East Asian civilizations of China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Mongolia from prehistory to the present, including developments in philosophy, economy, governance, social structure, kinship, geography, etc. P: Open to Fr.
299 Directed Study. I, II, SS; 1-3 cr (I). P: Open to Fr. Graded on a lettered basis; requires cons inst.
300 Humanities Topics in East Asian Studies. (Crosslisted with E Asian) I, II, SS; 1-3 cr (H-I). Interdisciplinary approaches to specific humanities topics in East Asian studies. Topics may include comparative analysis of a theme across the countries in the East Asian region or focus on a theme within a single country. P: Open to Fr with cons inst.
301 Social Studies Topics in East Asian Studies. I or II; 1-3 cr (S-I). Interdisciplinary approaches to specific social sciences topics in East Asian studies. Topics may include comparative analysis of a theme across the countries in the East Asian region or focus on a theme within a single country. P: Open to Fr with cons inst.
681 Senior Honors Thesis. I; 3 cr (A). Senior honors thesis in East Asian area studies. P: Consent of faculty adviser.
682 Senior Honors Thesis. II; 3 cr (A). Senior honors thesis in East Asian area studies. P: E A Stds 681, consent of faculty adviser.
691 Senior Thesis. I; 3 cr (A). Individual research guided by a faculty mentor. A requirement for honors credit. P: Sr st. E A Stds major.
692 Senior Thesis. II; 3 cr (A). Individual research guided by a faculty mentor. A requirement for honors credit. P: Sr st. E A Stds major.
698 Directed Study. I, II, SS; 1-3 cr (A). P: Jr or Sr st & cons inst. Graded on a Cr/N basis.
699 Directed Study. I, II, SS; 2-3 cr (A). P: Jr or St st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires cons inst.
207 Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1397; 608/263-1755; seasia@intl-institute.wisc.edu
Professors L. Anderson, W. Anderson, Bickner, Bowie (director), Compton, Eichenseher, George, Gunther, McCoy, Rafferty, Sutton, Winichakul; Associate Professors Cowell, Coxhead, Hallisey, Hutchcroft, Ladinsky, Macken, Olds; Assistant Professor Barnard, Beard, Johnson, Merli, Parreñas; Lecturers Choy, Cullinane, Manalo, Sangthanoo
Undergraduate advisor: Michael Cullinane, 207 Ingraham Hall, 263-1755, mmcullin@wisc.edu
Southeast Asia is one of the world's most diverse and rapidly developing regions. It includes: Burma (Myanmar), Brunei, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Southeast Asia concentration permits students with a wide range of career goals (among them academic, business, law, public service, teaching, journalism) to focus their multidisciplinary study on this dynamic region. The program is based on a solid grounding in language and content courses. Juniors and seniors are encouraged to participate in study-abroad programs in Southeast Asia (in particular Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam).
The Southeast Asian Studies Concentration is administered by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (R. A. Sutton, director), in cooperation with faculty who teach and do research on Southeast Asia.
The major should be declared no later than the beginning of the junior year. Students with no previous language training or proficiency should consider beginning language study during their sophomore year, since language course sequences begin only once per year during the fall semester. Students interested in Southeast Asia are encouraged to consult with center administrators (M. Cullinane, associate director and advisor; Mary Jo Studenberg, administrative advisor, mjstuden@wisc.edu) at any time from the freshman year onward to discuss the program. Undergraduate advisors are selected in consultation with center administrators, who will serve as temporary advisors in matters of administrative procedures and course selection.
Southeast Asia content courses: Concentrators are required to take 30 credits of content courses on Southeast Asia. These courses must include:
Students should consult with center administrators to discuss concentrations and course selection at the beginning of each semester.
Language study: Concentrators are required to take at least four semesters of a Southeast Asian language, but only the 200-level or above courses will count toward the 30-credit minimum for the major. Instruction is available at four levels in Indonesian and Thai and at two levels in Filipino and Vietnamese. Intensive summer instruction is available through the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI), and advanced training abroad is available in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Concentrators are encouraged to pursue language study into the third and fourth levels.
All students are required to fulfill the L&S requirement of at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major completed in residence. Courses numbered 300 or above count toward this requirement.
Courses at the 300 level or above also count toward the 15 credits of upper-level work in the major. Please check with each of the department offices for information on specific courses and frequency of department offerings. For graduate courses and programs, see the Graduate School Catalog.
473 Economic Growth and Development in Southeast Asia, 3 cr
330 Topics in Ethnology: Peoples and Cultures of Mainland Southeast Asia, 3 cr
270 Survey of Asian American Literature, 3 cr
615 Business in Emerging Markets, 3 cr
001 Special Topics: Javanese Dance Performance, 2 cr
244 Introduction to Southeast Asia, 4 cr (also Geog, LCA, Poli Sci, and Soc)
319 The Vietnam Wars, 4 cr
438 Buddhism and Society in Southeast Asian History, 4 cr
457 Southeast Asia to 1800, 4 cr
458 Southeast Asia since 1800, 4 cr
273 Religion in History and Culture: The East, 3 cr (also Relig St 441 Language and Society in Southeast Asia, 3 cr
460 History of Buddhism and Buddhist Institutions, 3 cr (also Relig St)
620 Theravada Buddhism, 3 cr (also Relig St)
357 Southeast Asian Literature in Translation: Mainland, 3 cr
358 Southeast Asian Literature in Translation: Maritime, 3 cr
379 Modern Indonesian Literature in Translation, 3 cr
361 Beginning Javanese Gamelan, 1 cr
402 Musical Cultures of the World: East and Southeast Asia, 3 cr
339 Southeast Asian International Relations, 4 cr
639 Politics of Southeast Asia, 4 cr
LCA Lang 309/310 First/Second Semester Indonesian, 4 cr
LCA Lang 409/410 Third/Fourth Semester Indonesian, 4 cr
First and Third Semester are offered only in the fall.
LCA Lang 305/306 First/Second Semester Filipino, 4 cr
LCA Lang 405/406 Third/Fourth Semester Filipino, 4 cr
First and Third Semester are offered only in the fall.
LCA Lang 317/318 First/Second Semester Thai, 4 cr
LCA Lang 417/418 Third/Fourth Semester Thai, 4 cr
First and Third Semester are offered only in the fall.
LCA Lang 319/320 First/Second Semester Vietnamese, 4 cr
LCA Lang 419/420 Third/Fourth Semester Vietnamese, 4 cr
First and Third Semester are offered only in the fall.
Students interested in earning Honors in the Major should consult with the department honors advisor. Students should ordinarily declare to the department their intention to graduate with Honors in the Major at the end of their sophomore year or the start of their junior year, and must receive permission from the department honors advisor before being admitted to the department honors track.
A student choosing to write a senior thesis must, by the end of the junior year, have a faculty member agree in writing to supervise the thesis work.