Interdisciplinary Minor

Over half of the world’s population lives in Asia, a region of remarkable cultural, ethnic, political, and economic diversity. Asian Studies at Washington College provides an excellent complement to multiple majors, providing an interdisciplinary focus on the study of Asia through language and additional academic fields. Minors may complete up to half of their required coursework at one of Washington College's four exchange partnerships in Asia—Hong Kong, China; Seoul, South Korea; and/or Tokyo, Japan. At least half of the required coursework must be taken either through a Washington College faculty-led short-term abroad program in Asia or on campus with Washington College faculty.

The Asian Studies minor at Washington College is an interdisciplinary minor designed to foster a multidisciplinary understanding of Asia. In accordance with the larger College-wide mission to develop in students “habits of analytic thought and clear communication,” students choosing this minor will develop capacities for critical analysis, clear writing, and effective communication in a global and cross-cultural setting. Minors will acquire basic knowledge about Asian nations, past and present—including important historical and cultural events and study of an Asian language and are encouraged to travel abroad to Asia for a short-term summer or semester-long program.

All students intending to pursue the minor must meet with the director to design a program of study within the minor requirements. It is also expected that the student will continue to consult with the director in determining the best available courses to fulfill the minor requirements any given semester.

Asian Studies Minor Requirements

No more than 16 credits from one subject may count toward the minor. 12 of these credits must be from WC or a Washington College faculty-led short-term study abroad program. Additionally, one 4-credit course that is not solely devoted to Asia but with substantial Asian content may be included toward the minor, with permission of the minor Director.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 1 Asian Language Course from Below (or seek permission for another language 1		4
CHN 101	Elementary Chinese I 1
CHN 102	Elementary Chinese II 1
CHN 201	Intermediate Chinese I 1
CHN 202	Intermediate Chinese II 1
Select 5 Courses From Below (limit of 5 courses from one subject)		20
CHN 351	Chinese Cinema: Ideology & Box Office
HIS 381	History of Modern China
HIS 383	History of Modern Japan
MUS 104	Intro to World Music & Ethnomusicology
MUS 279	Japanese Music Ensemble (May be repeated up to 8 times)
MUS 314	Music of Asia
MUS 394	Special Topics
PHL 112	Intro Comparative Religion: Eastern
PHL 237	Global Wisdom and Literature
POL 345	Democracy in Asia: Past and Future
POL 351	Politics, Religion, Ethnicity in S. Asia
POL 384	International Relations of East Asia
With approval of the Program Director, other courses such as special topics courses and transfer courses.
Total Credits		24

¹

One 4 credit course in an Asian language; for students whose native language is an Asian language, an appropriate 4 credit course may be  substituted with permission of the minor Director.  Students can take all four Chinese language classes (101,102,201,202) to count for the minor; in this case, they only need 2 more classes from the list to complete the minor.

David N.C. Hull, Director
T. Clayton Black
Jonathan McCollum
Andrew Oros
Bin Song