Asian Studies: Bachelor of Arts Major and Minor
Description
The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Asian Studies focuses on the diverse cultures of Asia, our country and our community. The degree allows students to develop the knowledge and skills characteristic of a traditional BA program while preparing them to respond creatively to the challenges they will encounter in an increasingly interconnected world. In this four-year interdisciplinary program, students will not only acquire practical skills that they can employ in their multicultural communities locally, they will also develop the intellectual and cultural skills required to operate successfully in a world where the nations of East and South Asia are increasingly influential.
A Minor in Asian Studies will allow students in other programs such as History, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, and Criminology to complement their main field of study with courses from the Asian Studies curriculum. The main focus of the Minor in Asian Studies is to produce graduates who combine expertise in their chosen career field with a high level of understanding of Asian cultural norms. Students in the Asian Studies program will benefit from our faculty’s commitment to teaching excellence, and from the small class sizes at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Arts degrees enjoy high rates of participant satisfaction, and the literacy and analytical skills developed in such programs create constructive members of society who fit well into the workplace.
Career Opportunities
In our increasingly globalized economy, a graduate who combines Asian language skills with an awareness of the region’s cultural and historical heritage will automatically have a number of advantages over someone who does not. The versatility of the BA in Asian Studies will allow students to design programs of study that will prepare them for careers or further study in areas such as public history, primary and secondary education, professional writing, graduate studies, business or self-employment, community service, law or policing, military, non-governmental organizations, public administration, religious studies, and social work.
Program Admission Requirements
In addition to KPU's General university admission requirements, including the undergraduate-level English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply:
Year One Admission:
- English 12 with a 'B' (or equivalent)
- Mathematics:
- Minimum grade of 'C' in Pre-Calculus 11, Principles of Mathematics 11, or Applications of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C+' in Foundations of Mathematics 11 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C-' in Pre-Calculus 12 or Foundations of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent)
Year Three Admission:
- 60 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (including all 1100- and 2000-level major/minor program requirements).
- Grade of 'C' in all required 1000-and 2000-level courses, including the English writing requirement (ENGL 1100 and one of either ENGL 1202 or 1204, or equivalent).
- Two Quantitative courses (total of six or more credits).
- 12 credits of breadth courses
- Mathematics:
- Minimum grade of 'C' in Pre-Calculus 11, Principles of Mathematics 11, or Applications of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C+' in Foundations of Mathematics 11 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C-' in Pre-Calculus 12 or Foundations of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent); or
- Minimum grade of 'C+' in the above Two Quantitative courses (three credits of which must be from the Faculty of Science & Horticulture)
- Second language at the Grade 11 level or 6 credits of post-secondary language courses in the same language. Note: Students need only achieve a passing grade to fulfill this requirement. Beginner's or Introductory Language 11 courses are ineligible to meet this requirement. Students who can demonstrate competency in a second language may request an assessment to have this requirement waived.
Qualifying Year
Students who do not qualify upon initial application to KPU may be eligible for entry to the Qualifying Year. Students who possess at least a 'C' in English 12 (or equivalent) and a passing grade in either Pre-Calculus 11, Principles of Math 11, Foundations of Mathematics 11, Applications of Math 12 (or equivalents) will be able to apply for entry to the BA Qualifying Year. Students will be admitted to the BA program in the second year provided they have successfully completed appropriate qualifying courses. Other applicants who do not qualify are encouraged to consult an Educational Advisor for the appropriate qualifying courses that satisfy the application criteria.
Program Continuance Requirements
Current BA students must meet the following requirements to continue into their 3rd year of study. Registration access to third or fourth year courses is first awarded to students who have completed the following:
- 60 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (including all 1100- and 2000-level major/minor program requirements).
- Grade of 'C' in all required 1000-and 2000-level courses, including the English writing requirement (ENGL 1100 and one of either ENGL 1202 or 1204, or equivalent).
- Two Quantitative courses (total of six or more credits).
- 12 credits of breadth courses
- Second language at the Grade 11 level or 6 credits of post-secondary language courses in the same language. Note: Students need only achieve a passing grade to fulfill this requirement. Beginner's or Introductory Language 11 courses are ineligible to meet this requirement. Students who can demonstrate competency in a second language may request an assessment to have this requirement waived.
Program Requirements
Asian Studies students begin their first year of studies with courses that broadly introduce the countries and cultures of East and South Asia, as well as some of the social science methodologies required in upper level courses. As they progress to more narrowly defined regional courses, students will examine in greater depth the societies, cultures, political systems, economies and histories of the peoples and nations of South and East Asia, as well as their interactions with Canada and the rest of the world.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts Framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.
Asian Studies Major
The following requirements are to be completed for the Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies Major program.
Lower Level
Students are required to complete 18 credits of lower level Asian Studies designated core courses with at least 12 of these credits at the 2000 level. Language courses cannot be applied to this requirement. Note that many 2000 level courses require specific course prerequisites at the 1000 level.
Courses with a primary focus on Asian Studies content and/or issues but which are not included in this list may be considered as credits for the Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies upon request for course substitution by students declared in the program. Students must consult with a Arts Degree Advisor or the Asian Studies Degree Coordinator to confirm eligibility.
1000 Level |
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| ASIA 1111 | The Religions of India (formerly HUMN 1111) | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 1311 | Religions of East Asia | 3 credits | |
|
CUST 1200 / JAPN 1200 |
Introduction to Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture | 3 credits | |
| HIST 1150 | Introduction to Traditional East Asia | 3 credits | |
| HIST 1160 | Introduction to South Asian History | 3 credits | |
2000 Level |
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| ASIA 2120 | Introduction to Chinese and Japanese Cinema | 3 credits | |
|
ASIA 2150 / HIST 2150 |
Tea in China and Japan | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 2151 | Folklore of China and Japan | 3 credits | |
|
ASIA 2156 / HIST 2156 |
Martial Arts of China and Japan | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 2250 | South Asians Around the Globe | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 2252 | Indian Society Through Popular Film | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 2255 | Women in Modern India | 3 credits | |
|
ASIA 2355 / HIST 2355 |
The Chinese Overseas: A Global History of Chinese Migration | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 2399 | Readings in Asian Studies | 3 credits | |
| GEOG 2185 | Regional Geography of East Asia | 3 credits | |
| GEOG 2190 | Regional Geography of South Asia | 3 credits | |
| HIST 2350 | Late Imperial China | 3 credits | |
| HIST 2375 | Japan under the Shoguns | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2115 | Asian Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| POLI 2140 | Comparative Politics of Asia | 3 credits | |
| SOCI 2230 | Racialization and Ethnicity in Canada | 3 credits | |
| SOCI 2285 | Gods in the Global Village | 3 credits | |
Upper Level
Students are required to take 30 credits of upper level courses from the list of core courses approved for the Asian Studies Major, with at least 12 credits at the 4000. Language courses cannot be applied to this requirement. Note that many 3000 and 4000 level courses require specific course prerequisites at the 1000 and 2000 levels.
Courses with a primary focus on Asian Studies content and/or issues but which are not included in this list may be considered as credits for the Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies upon request for course substitution by students declared in the program. Students must consult with a Arts Degree Advisor or the Asian Studies Degree Coordinator to confirm eligibility.
The 30 credits of upper level courses must include at least one of the following courses:
| ASIA 4350 | Canadian East and South Asian Communities | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 4900 | Directed Research Project in Asian Studies | 3 credits |
The remaining upper level credits are to be completed from the following list of core courses approved for the Asian Studies Major:
3000 Level |
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| ANTH 3130 | Sikh Culture, Religion and Society | 3 credits | |
| ANTH 3330 | East Asian Archeology | 3 credits | |
|
ASIA 3140 / HIST 3140 |
Environment and Society in East Asia | 3 credits | |
|
ASIA 3149 / HIST 3149 |
Hong Kong: Past, Present, and Future | 3 credits | |
|
ASIA 3150 / HIST 3150 |
East Asian Immigrants to North America | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 3151 | Gender in East Asia | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 3152 | Ethnicity in China and Japan | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 3154 | Chinese Cinema and Society | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 3230 | Islam in South Asia | 3 credits | |
| ENGL 3345 | Diasporic Literatures | 3 credits | |
| HIST 3350 | China in the Twentieth Century | 3 credits | |
| HIST 3360 | British India, 1857–1947 | 3 credits | |
| HIST 3361 | The Indian Subcontinent since 1947 | 3 credits | |
| HIST 3370 | Modern Japan | 3 credits | |
| HIST 3380 | World War II in the Pacific | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 3310 / CUST 3310 | Japanese Culture and Business | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 3320 / CUST 3320 | Japanese Culture Through Film | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 3350 / CUST 3350 | Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture: Field School | 6 credits | |
| LBED 3120 | Study of Cultures (discontinued) | 3 credits | |
| POLI 3146 | Government and Politics of India | 3 credits | |
| POLI 3240 | Chinese Government and Politics | 3 credits | |
| SOCI 3230 | International Migration and Ethnic Communities | 3 credits | |
4000 Level |
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| ASIA 4350 | Canadian East and South Asian Communities | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 4351 | Advanced Topics in Asian Cinema | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 4499 | Selected Topics in Asian Studies | 3 credits | |
| ASIA 4900 | Directed Research Project in Asian Studies | 3 credits | |
| HIST 4450 | China and the West | 3 credits | |
| HIST 4455 | Sages and Statecraft in China | 3 credits | |
| HIST 4460 | Gandhi in History | 3 credits | |
| HIST 4470 | The Samurai | 3 credits | |
| HIST 4480 | The American Experience in Vietnam | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 4320 / CUST 4320 | Understanding Japanese Culture through Literature | 3 credits | |
| POLI 4125 | The Politics of Multiculturalism in Canada | 3 credits | |
| SOCI 4275 | Diversity and the Media | 3 credits | |
Language Requirement (Major only)
Students in the Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies Major program must complete at least 12 credits in a single approved Asian language. It is strongly recommended that these courses be completed in years one and two. The Asian Studies language requirement satisfies the language requirement of the BA Framework. Students who can demonstrate oral and written competency in an approved East or South Asian language may request an assessment to have the BA Asian Studies language requirement waived in part or in full. Students requesting an assessment must contact the Asian Studies Degree Coordinator for further details.
Students may choose from the following Asian language courses: |
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| JAPN 1100 | Basic Japanese I | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 1101 | Basic Japanese II | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 2200 | Intermediate Japanese I | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 2201 | Intermediate Japanese II | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 3300 | Upper Intermediate Level Japanese I | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 3301 | Upper Intermediate Level Japanese II | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 4400 | Advanced Japanese I: Conversation | 3 credits | |
| JAPN 4410 | Advanced Japanese for Business | 3 credits | |
| MAND 1100 | Beginner’s Mandarin I | 3 credits | |
| MAND 1101 | Beginner’s Mandarin II | 3 credits | |
| MAND 2200 | Intermediate Mandarin I | 3 credits | |
| MAND 2201 | Intermediate Mandarin II | 3 credits | |
| MAND 3300 | Mandarin for Dialect Speakers I | 3 credits | |
| MAND 3301 | Mandarin for Dialect Speakers II | 3 credits | |
| MAND 3310 | Upper Intermediate Mandarin I | 3 credits | |
| MAND 3311 | Upper Intermediate Mandarin II | 3 credits | |
| MAND 3312 | Chinese Language and Culture | 3 credits | |
| MAND 4321 | Business Chinese I | 3 credits | |
| MAND 4323 | Business Chinese II | 3 credits | |
| MAND 4481 | Modern Chinese Literature I | 3 credits | |
| MAND 4483 | Modern Chinese Literature II | 3 credits | |
| PUNJ 1100 | Introductory Punjabi I | 3 credits | |
| PUNJ 1101 | Introductory Punjabi II | 3 credits | |
| PUNJ 2200 | Intermediate Punjabi I | 3 credits | |
| PUNJ 2201 | Intermediate Punjabi II | 3 credits | |
| PUNJ 3300 | Canadian-Punjabi Literature | 3 credits | |
Asian Studies Minor
The following minor requirements are to be completed for the Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies Minor program.
There is no language requirement for the Asian Studies minor beyond the language requirement of the BA Framework.
Lower Level
Students are required to complete 12 credits of lower level Asian Studies approved core courses (as listed under the requirements for the Major in Asian Studies) with at least 6 of these credits at the 2000 level. Language courses cannot be applied to this requirement. Note that many 2000 level courses require specific course prerequisites at the 1000 level.
Upper Level
Students are required to take at least 15 credits of approved Asian Studies courses (as listed under the requirements for the Major in Asian Studies), with a minimum of 9 credits at the 3000 level and 6 credits at the 4000 level. Language courses cannot be applied to this requirement. Note that many 3000 and 4000 level courses require specific course prerequisites at the 1000 and 2000 levels.
Credential Awarded
Upon successful completion of the major program students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts. Transcripts will indicate a Major in Asian Studies.
Upon successful completion of the minor as part of a Bachelor of Arts program, transcripts will indicate a Minor in Asian Studies.
