ASIAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES

AAAS Major | AAAS Minor

Major in Asian and Asian American Studies

The department offers a major in Asian and Asian American Studies organized along four different tracks. Students wishing to major in Asian and Asian American Studies must choose from one of the following:

1. Asian American and Diaspora Studies, with particular focus on the social, cultural, and historical aspects of Asians in the U.S. and, more broadly, Asians in the Americas.
2. Asian Comparative, with particular focus on comparative studies of Asia that encompass two or more Asian countries.
3. Asian Specialization, with particular focus on the language, culture, and historical aspects of one of the following East Asian areas: Chinese, Japanese or Korean. 
4. South Asian, with particular focus on the study of the diverse cultures, peoples and regions of South Asia.

All four tracks of the major consists of 11 courses including the two common core course requirements, and the 9 courses required by each individual track.

1. One of the following core Asian American and Diaspora Studies courses:
    
   AAAS 220 Asian American Cultural Representations
   AAAS 267 Asian American History
   AAAS 371 Asian Americas or new courses as they become available.
   
   
2. One of the following core Asian Studies Regional/Continental courses:
   
   AAAS 104 Introduction to Asian Art and Architecture
   AAAS 105 Introduction to Asian Philosophy
   AAAS 106 Introduction to Asian Civilizations
   AAAS 135 Introduction to the Cultures of China, Japan, and Korea
   
   
3. Students must also complete five courses required by the particular track they choose, as well as four Asian and Asian American Studies elective courses.

In addition:

• Two 400 level courses, at least one of which must be in the major/major track.  The courses must: 1) be taught by DAAAS faculty members; 2) be non-language   courses; and 3) be chosen in consultation with the major advisor
• At least six courses must be upper level and at least two must be at the 400 level
• At least six courses must be taken at Binghamton University.
• No more than one course may be an independent study
• No more than one course may be taken Pass/Fail.
• Although the department considers D a passing grade, a grade of C or better is necessary for a course to count toward the major.

Asian American and Diaspora Studies Track

In addition to the two common core courses, students must complete five courses designated as Asian American and Diaspora Studies, meaning courses on the Asian diaspora, including Asians in the United States and the Americas. The list of these courses changes semester to semester and may include the following examples:

• AAAS 220 Asian American Cultural Representation
• AAAS 221 Korea Beyond the Peninsula
• AAAS 267 Asian American History
• AAAS 320 Asian Food, Culture, Politics
• AAAS 371 Asian Americas

Students must also complete four additional elective courses. These courses may be from either Asian Studies or Asian American and Diaspora Studies, and may include language courses.

Asian Comparative Track

In addition to the two common core courses, students must complete five courses designated as Asian Comparative, meaning courses that examine more than one Asian country. The list of these courses changes semester to semester and may include the following examples:

• AAAS 238 Science and Technology in the Modern World
• AAAS 259 Eastern Asia: Land and People
• AAAS 341 China and the West
• AAAS 375 Negotiating Contemporary Asia
• AAAS 414 Economic Development: East Asia
• AAAS 430 War Crime Trials & Justice
• AAAS 473 Imperialism in East Asia

Students must also complete four additional elective courses. These courses may be from either Asian Studies or Asian American and Diaspora Studies, and may include language courses.

Asian Specialization Track

In addition to the two common core courses, students must complete two intermediate Chinese, Japanese or Korean language courses (203 and 204) or demonstrate language proficiency at the 204 level. If the language proficiency requirement is met without taking the intermediate language courses, additional electives must be taken to reach the 11-course requirement for the major.

Students must also complete five courses designated as Asian Specialization, meaning courses relating to the culture or society of their choice, specifically Chinese, Japanese or Korean. The list of these courses changes semester to semester and may include the following examples:

• AAAS 210 Introduction to Japanese Culture
• AAAS 211 Korean Civilization
• AAAS 218 Structure of Korean
• AAAS 219 Structure of Japanese
• AAAS 240 Korean Literature and Culture, Pre 20th C
• AAAS 241 Classical Chinese Literature in Translation
• AAAS 250 Japanese Cinema
• AAAS 251 Classical Japanese Literature and Culture
• AAAS 252 Medieval/Early Modern Japanese Literature and Culture
• AAAS 271 Japan to 1600
• AAAS 272 Island Culture: Taiwan Film and Fiction
• AAAS 273 Chinese Civilization
• AAAS 274 Modern China
• AAAS 310 Language, Culture, Society in Korea
• AAAS 313 Religions and Cultures of Korea
• AAAS 317 Economy of China
• AAAS 340 Readings in Korean Literature
• AAAS 341 China and the West
• AAAS 350 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation
• AAAS 351 Pacific War Experience in Japanese Literature and Film
• AAAS 352 20th Century Chinese Literature in Translation
• AAAS 360 Korean History (Ancient-19th Century)
• AAAS 361 Korea in the Age of Empire
• AAAS 362 Divided Korea
• AAAS 363 Gender, Culture and Korean Society
• AAAS 372 20th Century Japan
• AAAS 373 Tokugawa Japan, 1600-1868|
• AAAS 431 Confucianism and Korea
• AAAS 432 Women and Korean History
• AAAS 449 Pedagogy of East Asian Languages: Korean
• AAAS 450 Women in Premodern Japanese Literature and Culture
• AAAS 451 Fictions of the Samurai
• AAAS 452 Natsume Soseki and the Modernization of Japan
• AAAS 461 Li Bai and Du Fu
• AAAS 462 Confucius' Analects
• AAAS 472 Chinese Women and the Family

Students must also complete two additional elective courses. These courses may be from either Asian Studies or Asian American and Diaspora Studies, and may include language courses.

South Asian Track

In addition to the two common core courses, students must complete five courses designated as South Asia, meaning courses on (but not limited to) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tibet. The list of these courses changes semester to semester and may include the following examples:
 

• AAAS 111 Music Cultures of Asia
• AAAS 277 Modern South Asian History
• AAAS 344 Buddhist Ethics
• AAAS 445 Buddhist Metaphysics

Students must complete four additional elective courses. These courses may be from either Asian Studies or Asian American and Diaspora Studies, and may include language courses.

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Minor in Asian and Asian American Studies

The minor in Asian and Asian American Studies allows students to supplement their major through participation in a cross-disciplinary program. The requirements include a total of six courses in Asian and Asian American Studies, from which:

• At least two courses must at the 100 or 200 level.
• At least two courses must be at the 300 or 400 level.
• At least one course must be at the 400 level.
• At least one course must be considered Asian Studies.
• At least one course must be considered Asian American and Diaspora Studies.
• Up to two Asian language courses may be applied toward the minor.

In addition:

• Only one course may be taken as an independent study.
• Only one course may be taken Pass/Fail.
• At least four courses must be taken at Binghamton University.
• Although the department considers D as a passing grade, a grade of C or better is necessary for a course to count toward the minor.

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