Korean Studies Major | Korean Studies Minor | Faculty
The Korean Studies program provides students with a solid foundation in Korean language skills and knowledge of Korea’s history, literature, culture and religions. The program is based on the premise that both contemporary and historic understanding of Korea, its interrelations with larger East Asia and its global importance today cannot not be fully grasped without a deep understanding of its language, history, social systems and culture. Hence, the program aims to provide students with not only language training, but also a solid understanding of how Korean societies and people actually functioned and interacted with other cultures in both the premodern and contemporary periods. The wide range of courses is designed to introduce various aspects of Korean Studies and provide students with the knowledge necessary for business, professional or academic endeavors. In addition, the major in Asian and Asian American Studies offers a Korean Studies track (Note: This track will no longer be available beginning in the fall of 2011).
Students are required to successfully complete the following four language courses: KOR 203 Intermediate Korean I; KOR 204 Intermediate Korean II; KOR 305 Advanced Reading and Comprehension I; KOR 306 Advanced Reading and Comprehension II. (Note: KOR 101 Elementary Korean I and KOR 102 Elementary Korean II provide the basic linguistic knowledge and skills required to begin the major, but do not count towards the major.) After consultation and proficiency test assessment administered by Korean Program faculty, students who already demonstrate competence at any of the required levels of the Korean language may waive part or all of the language requirements. Waived Korean language courses will not count toward the major and must be replaced with other Korean Studies courses to bring the total number of courses (excluding the Majors Seminar), up to ten.
Students choose five of the courses listed below (or other approved courses as they become available). Students are also required to successful complete one course designted as Asian American and Diasporic studies.
AAAS 211 Korean Civilization
AAAS 218 Structure of Korean
AAAS 221 Korea Beyond the Peninsula
AAAS 240 Korean Literature and Culture (pre-20th cent.)
AAAS 242 20th Century Korean Literature in Translation
AAAS 311 Language, Culture and Society in Korea
AAAS 313 Religions and Culture of Korea
AAAS 340 Readings in Korean Literature
AAAS 360 Korean History (Ancient-19th Century)
AAAS 361 Korea in the Age of Empire, 1876-1945
AAAS 363 Gender, Culture and Korean Society
AAAS 385 Korean Politics through Cinema
AAAS 414 Economic Development in East Asia
AAAS 439 East Asian Linguistics
AAAS 449 Pedagogy for East Asian Languages—Korean
AAAS 431 Confucianism and Korea
AAAS 432 Women in Korean History
DAAAS Majors Seminar
In addition:
The minor in Korean Studies consists of six courses beyond the level of KOR 102. (The first-year 100-level language sequence is composed of introductory language courses that provide students with the basic linguistic skills necessary to begin the minor.) In addition:
Students who already have competence at any of the required levels of the Korean language may, after assessment by Korean Studies faculty, waive part or all of the language requirement based on the results of their proficiency testing. They may then enroll in higher-level language courses and/or other Korea-focused courses to bring the total up to six courses. Waived language courses will not count toward the minor.
In addition:
