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 |
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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 |
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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 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 |
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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 | |
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 |
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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 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: |
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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 |
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
Asian Studies
Program Type:
- Undergraduate
Credential Granted:
- Baccalaureate Degree
Offered At:
- Langley
- Richmond
- Surrey
Start Date(s):
- September
- January
- May
Intake Type:
- Open intake
Format:
- Full-time
- Part-time
Minimum Credits Required:
- 120
Instructional Cycle:
- Semester-based
Curriculum Effective Date:
- 01-Sep-2011