Asian Studies

The Academic Program

The Asian Studies Program offers a major and a minor in course and honors. Students who declare a major in Asian studies construct individualized programs of study, with a focus on a comparative theme or on a particular country or region. Some examples of comparative themes are classical traditions in Asian literature and art, Buddhist studies, Asian nationalisms and the emergence of nation-states, and the political economy of Asian development. In all cases, the core of the major involves exposure to multiple regions and multiple disciplines.

Students interested in Asian studies are urged to consult the Asian studies website for up-to-date information on courses and campus events. Students should meet with the program chair in advance of preparing a Sophomore Plan. Advance planning is especially important for students contemplating the Honors Program and those planning to study abroad.

Learning Goals

1. Interdisciplinary breadth. The student must have mastered more than one academic discipline, to be able to speak to issues/ themes of their research on topics rooted in Asian traditions/regions from more than one disciplinary perspective;
2. Comparative Scope. The student must know in some depth more than one region in Asia; though they may focus, for instance, primarily on studies in Chinese traditions, pre-modern or modern, the student must also be able to think comparatively, and engage with more than one Asian tradition in regard to the topics/ themes that are central to their main region-specific research;
3. Depth of Knowledge in One Tradition. If the student’s research project is fundamentally trans-national or trans-regional, they should know at least one Asian tradition with depth and detail, including knowledge of language (see below);
4. The Past, the Present, and the Future. The student should be aware of modern/contemporary or pre-modern formations (depending upon the student’s scholarly focus) within the Asian traditions they study, with the idea that one cannot never really understand the present without more than cursory knowledge of the past, and also that one cannot study the past without a scholarly awareness of the present forms of political, economic, social, environmental, or religious formations at the center of a student’s project in Asian Studies;
5. Languages and Language Study. The student majoring in Asian Studies should demonstrate advanced knowledge of at least one Asian language central to the region/tradition that is the focus of their academic work.

Course Major

Asian studies invites students to make connections among courses that differ widely in content and method. When considering applicants to the major, the Asian Studies Committee looks for evidence of intellectual flexibility and independence. Students must have completed at least two Asia-related courses in different departments with grades of B or better to be accepted into the major.

The major in Asian studies consists of a minimum of ten (10) credits, with requirements and distribution as follows:

1. Geographic breadth. Coursework must include more than one of the following regions of Asia: (East, South, Central, Northeast, Southeast, and study of Asian diasporas). This requirement can be fulfilled by taking at least two courses that are pan-Asian or comparative in scope or by taking at least one course on a country or region that is not the principal focus of a student’s program.

2. Disciplinary breadth. Courses must be taken in at least three different departments.

3. Temporal breadth. At least one course focusing on the Premodern or Early Modern (before 1900) Eras, and at least one course on the Modern (after 1900) Era must be completed. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking at least two courses that examine substantial material on both the Premodern/Early Modern and Modern Eras.

4. Intermediate and advanced work. A minimum of 5 credits must be completed at the intermediate or advanced level in at least two departments.

5. Asian language study. At least one year of college-level study of an Asian language or its equivalent in intensive summer coursework is required of all majors. Up to four credits of Asian language study may be applied to the major. Advanced topical courses taught in the original language are not subject to the four credit limit. Students wishing to study an Asian language not offered at Swarthmore are encouraged to fulfill this requirement through study abroad, intensive summer study, approved coursework at neighboring institutions (tri-co, University of Pennsylvania), etc. The language requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Asian Studies coordinator in cases of advanced oral and written proficiency in an Asian language relevant to a student’s area of geographic focus.

Course Minor

Students will be admitted to the minor after having completed at least two Asian studies courses in different departments with grades of B or better. The Asian studies minor in course consists of five courses, distributed as follows:

1. Geographic breadth. Coursework must cover more than one region of Asia. This can be accomplished by taking at least two courses that are pan-Asian or comparative in scope or by taking at least one full course on a country that is not the principal focus of a student’s program.

2. Disciplinary breadth. Asia-related courses must be taken in at least two departments outside of the disciplinary major. Only one course may overlap the Asian studies minor and the disciplinary major.

3. Temporal breadth. At least one course focusing on the Premodern or Early Modern (before 1900) Eras, and at least one course on the Modern (after 1900) Era must be completed. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking at least two courses that examine substantial material on both the Premodern/Early Modern and Modern Eras.

4. Intermediate or advanced work. At least 2 credits of work must be completed at the intermediate or advanced level.

5. Asian language study. Asian-language study is not required but is strongly recommended. Up to two credits in Asian language study may be applied toward the course minor. For languages offered at Swarthmore (Chinese and Japanese), courses above the first-year level may count toward the minor. For Asian languages not offered at Swarthmore, courses at the entry level may count toward the minor if at least the equivalent of 1.5 credits is earned in an approved program.

Honors Major

To be admitted to the honors major, students should have completed at least two Asian studies courses in different departments with grades of B+ or better.

The honors major in Asian studies consists of a minimum of ten (10) credits (including four honors preparations). The four preparations in an Honors Program must be drawn from at least two different disciplines.

1.  Geographic, disciplinary, and temporal breadth requirements. These are the same as those for the course major (see above)

2. Asian language study. This requirement is the same as for the course major (see above).

3. Asian studies as an interdisciplinary major. All four fields for external examination must be Asian studies subjects. One of the fields may also count toward an honors minor in a department. The four preparations must be drawn from at least two different disciplines.

4. Grade-point average requirement. A student must earn at least a B+ in all courses applied to the honors major.

Honors Minor

To be admitted to the honors minor, students should have completed at least two Asian studies courses in different departments with a grade of B+ or above.

An honors minor in Asian studies consists of a minimum of 5 credits, distributed as follows:

1. Geographic breadth. There are two tracks within the minor:
   1. Comparative Asian cultures: The selection of courses and the honors preparation should offer a comparative perspective on the traditional or modern cultures of Asia. Individual programs should be worked out in close consultation with the Asian studies coordinator. (Language study does not count toward this track.)
   2. Focus on a single country or region: All courses in the program should focus on the same region or country. One or 2 credits of language study may be included.
2. Disciplinary breadth. Asia-related courses must be taken in at least two departments outside of the disciplinary honors major. Only one course may overlap the honors minor and the disciplinary honors major
3. Temporal breadth. At least one course focusing on the Premodern or Early Modern (before 1900) Eras, and at least one course on the Modern (after 1900) Era must be completed. This requirement can be fulfilled by taking at least two courses that examine substantial material on both the Premodern/Early Modern and Modern Eras.
4. Asian language study. Asian language study is not required, but courses in Asian languages may count toward the honors minor. Up to 2 credits of Asian language study may be applied to the honors minor. For languages offered at Swarthmore (Chinese and Japanese), courses above the second-year level count toward the minor. For Asian languages not offered at Swarthmore, courses at the entry level may be counted if the equivalent of 1.5 credits is earned in an approved program.
5. Honors preparation. One preparation, normally a two-credit seminar, will be submitted for external examination.
6. Senior Honors Seminar for minors. The student will fulfill the requirements set for honors minors by the department offering the honors preparation.

7. Grade-point average requirement. A student must earn at least a B+ in all courses applied to the honors major.

Fellowship and Grant Opportunities for Students

The Alice L. Crossley Prize in Asian Studies is awarded annually to the student or students who submit the best essay(s) on any topic in Asian or Asian American Studies.

The Genevieve Ching-wen Lee ‘96 Memorial Fund supports a lecture each year in Asian American studies. This fund also supports an annual competition for summer research support for projects related to Asian studies or Asian American studies.

The Penelope Mason ‘57 Memorial Fund for Asian Studies is available to support Asian studies related projects proposed by students, faculty members, or both.

Off-Campus Study

Students with majors in Asian studies are strongly encouraged to undertake a period of study in Asia. The Asian studies faculty can recommend academically rigorous programs in several Asian countries. Study abroad is the ideal arena for intensive language study. Courses taken abroad may be applied toward the major, subject to the approval of the Asian studies coordinator. However, at least half of the credits in a student’s Asian studies major or minor should be earned at Swarthmore.

Life After Swarthmore

Students with a background in Asian studies have pursued a number of paths after graduation. Some have gone abroad to continue their studies, do research, or work in humanitarian or social service organizations. Others have gone directly to graduate school. Many eventually become teachers or professors. Others work in the arts, journalism, international law, business, finance, in the diplomatic corps, or in non-governmental organizations. Other Asian studies graduates pursue careers not directly related to Asia, in medicine or law, for example. All consider Asian studies to have been an important part of their liberal arts education.

Asian Studies Courses

Courses in the Asian Studies Program are listed below.  Courses of independent study, special attachments on subjects relevant to Asian Studies, and courses offered by visiting faculty that are not regularly listed in the catalog may also qualify for credit in the program, subject to the approval of the Asian Studies Committee.  Students who wish to pursue these possibilities should consult with the Asian Studies chair.

(See descriptions in individual departments to determine offerings for each semester.)