2012-13 University Calendar
 Kwantlen Polytechnic University  Calendar  2012-13  Faculty of Arts  Asian Studies: Bachelor of Arts Major and Minor

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 i 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 Nursing, Business, 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 Kwantlen's General university admission requirements, including the undergraduate-level English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply:

Year One Admission:

Year Three Admission:

Qualifying Year

Students who do not qualify upon initial application to Kwantlen 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:

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 BA Advisor or the Asian Studies Degree Coordinator to confirm eligibility.

1000 Level
  ASIA 1111 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
  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 The Chinese Overseas 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
  HIST 2355 The Chinese Overseas 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 BA 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
  ANTH 3130 Sikh Culture, Religion and Society 3 credits
  ANTH 3330 East Asian Archeology 3 credits
  ASIA 3149 Hong Kong: Past, Present, Future 3 credits
  ASIA 3150 East Asian Immigrants to North America 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
  LBED 3120 Study of Cultures 3 credits
  POLI 3146 Government and Politics of India 3 credits
  POLI 3240 Chinese Government and Politics 3 credits
  PSYC 3343 The Psychology of Prejudice 3 credits
  SOCI 3230 International Migration and Ethnic Communities 3 credits
4000 Level
  ASIA 4499 Selected Topics 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
  PSYC 4700 Culture and Psychology 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 of 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:
  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
  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
  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, Major in Asian Studies.

Upon successful completion of the minor program, students are eligible to receive a Minor in Asian Studies as part of a Bachelor of Arts program.

Last Updated: Aug 9, 2012

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