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Asian Studies: Bachelor of Arts Major

Description

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Asian Studies degree will allow you to develop the knowledge and skills characteristic of a traditional BA program while preparing you to respond creatively to the challenges you will encounter in an increasingly interconnected world. In this four-year interdisciplinary program, you will not only acquire practical skills that you can employ in your multicultural communities locally, you 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.

As an Asian Studies student you will begin your first year of studies with courses that broadly introduce the countries and cultures of East and South Asia, as well as building the skills that will allow you to succeed in more advanced courses. As you progress to more narrowly defined regional and thematic courses, you 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.

Courses in the Asian Studies program tend to be reading and writing intensive. Therefore, we recommend that you complete the English requirements for the BA degree within your first two years at KPU.

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in Asian Studies must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

Students intending to graduate with this Faculty of Arts Bachelor’s degree must declare the credential by the time they complete 60 credits of undergraduate coursework. At the time of declaration, the student must satisfy all of the following requirements:

  • In good academic standing with the University
  • Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
    • 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
    • 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

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
  ASIA 1111 The Religions of India (formerly HUMN 1111) 3 credits
  ASIA 1311 Religions of East Asia 3 credits
  LANC 1200 /
JAPN 1200
Introduction to Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture 3 credits
  HIST 1150 Beyond the Middle Kingdom: Introduction to East Asian History 3 credits
  HIST 1160 A Passage to South Asia: Introduction to South Asian History 3 credits
2000 Level
  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 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 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.

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 an 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 capstone 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 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
  ASIA 3240 Sikh Gurus and their Teachings 3 credits
  ASIA 3255 Gender 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 /
LANC 3310
Japanese Culture and Business 3 credits
  JAPN 3320/
LANC 3320
Japanese Culture Through Film 3 credits
  JAPN 3350/
LANC 3350
Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture: Field School 6 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
  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 4460 Gandhi in History 3 credits
  HIST 4470 The Samurai 3 credits
  HIST 4480 The American Experience in Vietnam 3 credits
  JAPN 4320/
LANC 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:
  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

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

At a Glance

Faculty of Arts

kpu.ca/arts

Asian Studies

kpu.ca/arts/asian-studies

Program Type:

  • Undergraduate

Credential Granted:

  • Baccalaureate Degree

Offered At:

  • KPU Langley  Langley
  • KPU Richmond  Richmond
  • KPU Surrey  Surrey

Start Date(s):

  • Fall Intake (September)  September
  • Spring Intake (January)  January
  • Summer Intake (May)  May

Intake Type:

  • Open Intake  Open intake

Format:

  • Full-time  Full-time
  • Part-time  Part-time

Minimum Credits Required:

  • 120

Instructional Cycle:

  • Semester-based

Curriculum Effective Date:

  • 01-Sep-2011

How to Declare:

Applying to KPU:

Last Updated: 14-Mar-2017

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