Majoring and Minoring

For complete information about majoring and minoring, see the online catalog.


The Major Program

Students considering a major in Asian studies should begin by completing AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies, an interdisciplinary course that examines current events and contemporary social/political/economic concerns in Asia. Students should declare the major by the end of the sophomore year, at which time, in consultation with their advisors, they will choose a primary area of concentration and establish an intellectually coherent schedule of study. The major requires one semester on an approved overseas study program in Asia. Students should work with their advisors to ensure their concentration and overseas study program build a strong foundation for AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium.

The core of the Asian studies curriculum consists of the Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies course, a humanities foundation course, and the Asian Studies Colloquium. Upon declaring a major, students will choose a concentration and design a program of study around a conceptual or theoretical problem. The major is divided into three concentrations: China, Japan, and Asia. The China and Japan concentrations require two years of either Japanese or Chinese language. Core courses are designed to provide the historical, economic, political, and cultural background necessary to commence further investigation into the Asian region. Electives are intended to allow the student to further specialize by region, theory, and/or concept. One out-of-AS curriculum course is allowed, with the approval of the advisor and the program director, to further theoretical and/or conceptual integration. The major culminates in AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium.

The minor in Asian studies enables students to combine a major in the arts, humanities, social sciences, or sciences with a focus on Asian studies.

A major in Asian studies is appropriate for students who desire future employment in diplomacy, consultancy, education, international organizations, public service, international finance, law, academics, translation, and interpretation, among other fields, or who seek a broad, systematic liberal arts background to support further scholarly study in related social science and humanities fields.

Finding Asian studies courses on WebAdvisor

Major Requirements

A minimum of 40 semester credits (28 credits must be exclusive to the major).

All concentrations must complete the following requirements:

  • AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies

  • One historical foundation course, chosen from the following:

    HIST 110 Early East Asian History
    RELS 242 Religions and Cultures of East Asia
    MUS 236 Music Of Asia
    or a course at Lewis & Clark or abroad that has been approved by the program director.
  • AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium

  • Seven courses (28 semester credits) determined by the concentration (see below). At least two of these courses must be from advanced Asian-studies-approved courses at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. Students may apply a maximum of 4 semester credit hours of internship or directed reading toward the elective requirement (approval required).

  • At least one semester overseas on an approved program in Asia: China, India, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, or Thailand. (See the Office of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs for specific program and application information.) Two courses taken on an overseas program may be applied to the major, depending upon the number and level of courses, and pending advisor and program director approval. The limit on overseas courses does not apply to IS 249.

    China Concentration (28 additional credits)

    • CHIN 202 or higher language course

    • 20 additional credits of which at least 8 must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. The credits must include at least:

      • 16 credits chosen from the China concentration
      • 4 credits chosen from the Asian studies curriculum outside the China concentration
    • 4 additional credits from the Asian studies curriculum. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

    Japan Concentration (28 additional credits)

    • JAPN 202 or higher language course

    • 20 additional credits of which at least 8 must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. The credits must include at least:

      • 16 credits chosen from the Japan concentration
      • 4 credits from the Asian studies curriculum outside the Japan concentration
    • 4 additional credits from the Asian studies curriculum. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

    General Asia Concentration (28 additional credits)

    • 28 credits chosen from Asian studies curriculum (excluding language courses). At least 8 credits must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

    Language courses will not be applied to the general Asia concentration.

    Minor Requirements

    A minimum of 20 credits. 12 credits must be exclusive to the minor.

    • AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies

    • One historical foundation course, chosen from the following:

      HIST 110 Early East Asian History
      RELS 242 Religions and Cultures of East Asia
      MUS 236 Music Of Asia
      or a course at Lewis & Clark or abroad that has been approved by the program director.
    • 12 credits from the approved Asian studies curriculum. At least four credits must be at the 300 level or above. One course may be an Asian language class. Two courses from an overseas studies program may be applied to the minor, pending approval of advisor and program director. The limit on overseas courses does not apply to IS 249.

    Asian Studies Curriculum

    China Concentration Courses
    ART 150 Chinese Art
    ART 361 Modern China
    AS 297 Special Topics in Asian Studies (when China-focused)
    AS 397 Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when China-focused)
    CHIN 202 Intermediate Chinese II (when China-focused)
    CHIN 230 Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation
    CHIN 231 Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation
    CHIN 251 Chinese Conversation
    CHIN 252 Chinese Conversation
    CHIN 290 Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation
    CHIN 291 Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation
    CHIN 310 Readings and Composition in Chinese
    CHIN 320 Advanced Readings in Chinese
    CHIN 410 Advanced Readings in Chinese: Society and Culture
    HIST 111 Making Modern China
    HIST 213 Personal Narratives in Chinese History
    HIST 288 China in the News: Socio-Anthropological and Historical Perspective on Modern China
    HIST 310 China in the World
    HIST 311 History of Family, Gender, and Sexuality in China
    SOAN 284 Anthropology of Print Media
    SOAN 342 Power and Resistance
    Japan Concentration Courses
    AS 156 The Art of Tea in Japanese Culture I
    AS 297 Special Topics in Asian Studies (when Japan-focused)
    AS 397 Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when Japan-focused)
    HIST 112 Making Modern Japan
    HIST 209 Japan at War
    HIST 313 Religion, Society, and the State in Japanese History
    HIST 316 Popular Culture and Everyday Life in Japanese History
    IS 249 Japan Past and Present (The limit on overseas courses does not apply to this course
    JAPN 202 Intermediate Japanese II
    JAPN 230 Introduction to Japanese Literature in Translation
    JAPN 231 Introduction to Japanese Literature in Translation
    JAPN 251 Japanese Conversation
    JAPN 252 Japanese Conversation
    JAPN 290 Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation
    JAPN 291 Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation
    JAPN 310 Readings and Composition in Japanese
    JAPN 320 Readings and Composition in Japanese II
    JAPN 410 Advanced Readings in Japanese: Society and Culture
    JAPN 420 Advanced Readings in Japanese: Fiction and Nonfiction
    General Asian Studies Courses
    ART 401 Art After 1945 (when Asia-focused)
    ART 451 Theory in Practice (when Asia-focused)
    AS 251 Contemporary Korean Culture
    AS 297 Special Topics in Asian Studies (when general AS-focused)
    AS 397 Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when general AS-focused)
    HIST 110 Early East Asian History
    HIST 113 Introduction to Korea: Origins of the 21st Century
    HIST 217 The Emergence of Modern South Asia
    HIST 259 India in the Age of Empire
    HIST 400 Reading Colloquium (when Asia-focused)
    MUP 121 Gamelan Ensemble
    MUP 153 Hindustani Voice Private Lessons
    MUP 155 Sitar Private Lessons
    MUP 157 Tabla Private Lessons
    MUS 106 Workshops in World Music (when Asia-focused)
    MUS 236 Music of Asia
    MUS 307 Topics in Music (when Asia-focused)
    PHIL 207 Indian Philosophy
    RELS 241 Religion and Culture of Hindu India
    RELS 242 Religions and Cultures of East Asia
    RELS 243 Buddhism: Theory, Culture, and Practice
    RELS 357 Family, Gender, and Religion: Ethnographic Approaches
    RELS 362 Zen Buddhism
    RELS 452 Seminar in Asian Religions
    SOAN 250 Southeast Asia: Development, Resistance, and Social Change
    SOAN 281 South Asian Cultures
    SOAN 282 Pacific Rim Cities
    SOAN 321 Theory Through Ethnography
    SOAN 347 Borderlands: Tibet and the Himalaya
    SOAN 367 Anthropology of Tourism: Travel in Asia