Asian Studies: Bachelor of Arts Major

Description

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Asian Studies degree will allow you to develop the competencies 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 competencies 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 introduce you to Asian Studies as a discipline and to the countries and cultures of East and South Asia. These courses will begin to build the critical thinking, communication, and intercultural competencies 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.

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 Requirement

Students are required to complete 18 credits of lower-level ASIA courses, with at least 12 of these credits at the 2000 level.

Upper Level Requirement

Students are required to complete 30 credits of upper-level ASIA courses, with at least 6 credits at the 4000 level, including the following capstone course:

ASIA 4350

Canadian East and South Asian Communities

3 credits

Language Requirement

Students are required to complete at least 12 credits in a single approved Asian language: JAPN, MAND, or PUNJ.

The Asian Studies language requirement satisfies the language requirement of the BA Framework.

Students who can demonstrate oral and written competency to a level equivalent to KPU Intermediate Level II language courses in an East or South Asian language offered at KPU (currently JAPN, MAND, and PUNJ) may request an assessment to have the Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies language requirement waived. Students requesting an assessment should visit the department website for details. Approved waivers will be formally noted on the student’s academic record and the credit requirement will be fulfilled with electives.

Additional Asian Studies Courses

Students may select from the following approved list of courses to satisfy the Lower Level or Upper Level requirements in lieu of ASIA courses:

1100 Level
	LANC 1150	Introduction to Intercultural Competencies: Thinking, Speaking, Acting Globally	3 credits
	JAPN/LANC 1200	Introduction to Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture	3 credits
	HIST 1150	A Passage to South Asia: Introduction to South Asian History	3 credits
	HIST 1160	Beyond the Middle Kingdom: Introduction to East Asian History	3 credits
2000 Level
	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, 1600-1868	3 credits
	PHIL 2115	Asian Philosophy	3 credits
	POLI 2140	Comparative Politics of Asia	3 credits
3000 Level
	ANTH 3130	Sikh Culture, Religion and Society	3 credits
	ANTH 3330	East Asian Archeology	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/LANC 3310	Japanese Culture and Business	3 credits
	JAPN/LANC 3320	Japanese Culture Through Film	3 credits
	JAPN/LANC 3350	Contemporary Japanese Society and Culture: Field School	6 credits
	LANC 3150	Advanced Intercultural Competencies	3 credits
	POLI 3146	Government and Politics of India	3 credits
	POLI 3240	Chinese Government and Politics	3 credits
4000 Level
	HIST 4450	China and the West	3 credits
	HIST 4460	Gandhi in History	3 credits
	HIST 4470	Warriors of Japan: The Samurai	3 credits
	HIST 4480	The American Experience in Vietnam	3 credits
	JAPN/LANC 4320	Understanding Japanese Culture through 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.