Minoring

For complete information about majoring and minoring, see the online catalog.

Note: Asian studies was approved to be a minor-only program in spring 2025. More information will be added soon!

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The Major Program

Students considering a major in Asian studies should begin by completing AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies, an interdisciplinary course that examines current events and contemporary social/political/economic concerns in Asia. Students should declare the major by the end of the sophomore year, at which time, in consultation with their advisors, they will choose a primary area of concentration and establish an intellectually coherent schedule of study. The major requires one semester on an approved overseas study program in Asia. Students should work with their advisors to ensure their concentration and overseas study program build a strong foundation for AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium.

The core of the Asian studies curriculum consists of the Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies course, a humanities foundation course, and the Asian Studies Colloquium. Upon declaring a major, students will choose a concentration and design a program of study around a conceptual or theoretical problem. The major is divided into three concentrations: China, Japan, and Asia. The China and Japan concentrations require two years of either Japanese or Chinese language. Core courses are designed to provide the historical, economic, political, and cultural background necessary to commence further investigation into the Asian region. Electives are intended to allow the student to further specialize by region, theory, and/or concept. One out-of-AS curriculum course is allowed, with the approval of the advisor and the program director, to further theoretical and/or conceptual integration. The major culminates in AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium.

The minor in Asian studies enables students to combine a major in the arts, humanities, social sciences, or sciences with a focus on Asian studies.

A major in Asian studies is appropriate for students who desire future employment in diplomacy, consultancy, education, international organizations, public service, international finance, law, academics, translation, and interpretation, among other fields, or who seek a broad, systematic liberal arts background to support further scholarly study in related social science and humanities fields.

Finding Asian studies courses on WebAdvisor

Major Requirements

A minimum of 40 semester credits (28 credits must be exclusive to the major).

All concentrations must complete the following requirements:

• AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies

• One historical foundation course, chosen from the following:

  HIST 110	Early East Asian History
  RELS 242	Religions and Cultures of East Asia
  MUS 236	Music Of Asia
  or a course at Lewis & Clark or abroad that has been approved by the program director.

• AS 410 Asian Studies Colloquium

• Seven courses (28 semester credits) determined by the concentration (see below). At least two of these courses must be from advanced Asian-studies-approved courses at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. Students may apply a maximum of 4 semester credit hours of internship or directed reading toward the elective requirement (approval required).

• At least one semester overseas on an approved program in Asia: China, India, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, or Thailand. (See the Office of Overseas and Off-Campus Programs for specific program and application information.) Two courses taken on an overseas program may be applied to the major, depending upon the number and level of courses, and pending advisor and program director approval. The limit on overseas courses does not apply to IS 249.

  China Concentration (28 additional credits)

  • CHIN 202 or higher language course

  • 20 additional credits of which at least 8 must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. The credits must include at least:

    • 16 credits chosen from the China concentration
    • 4 credits chosen from the Asian studies curriculum outside the China concentration

  • 4 additional credits from the Asian studies curriculum. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

  Japan Concentration (28 additional credits)

  • JAPN 202 or higher language course

  • 20 additional credits of which at least 8 must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. The credits must include at least:

    • 16 credits chosen from the Japan concentration
    • 4 credits from the Asian studies curriculum outside the Japan concentration

  • 4 additional credits from the Asian studies curriculum. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

  General Asia Concentration (28 additional credits)

  • 28 credits chosen from Asian studies curriculum (excluding language courses). At least 8 credits must be at the 300 level or higher. At least one elective must be taken in the humanities and at least one must be taken in the social sciences. (The AS program director may approve the use of one course from outside the approved AS curriculum when it contributes to preparation for the colloquium.)

  Language courses will not be applied to the general Asia concentration.

  Minor Requirements

  A minimum of 20 credits. 12 credits must be exclusive to the minor.

  • AS 100 Introduction to Contemporary Asian Studies

  • One historical foundation course, chosen from the following:

    HIST 110	Early East Asian History
    RELS 242	Religions and Cultures of East Asia
    MUS 236	Music Of Asia
    or a course at Lewis & Clark or abroad that has been approved by the program director.

  • 12 credits from the approved Asian studies curriculum. At least four credits must be at the 300 level or above. One course may be an Asian language class. Two courses from an overseas studies program may be applied to the minor, pending approval of advisor and program director. The limit on overseas courses does not apply to IS 249.

  Asian Studies Curriculum

  China Concentration Courses

  ART 150	Chinese Art
  ART 361	Modern China
  AS 297	Special Topics in Asian Studies (when China-focused)
  AS 397	Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when China-focused)
  CHIN 202	Intermediate Chinese II (when China-focused)
  CHIN 230	Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation
  CHIN 231	Introduction to Chinese Literature in Translation
  CHIN 251	Chinese Conversation
  CHIN 252	Chinese Conversation
  CHIN 290	Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation
  CHIN 291	Topics in Chinese Literature in Translation
  CHIN 310	Readings and Composition in Chinese
  CHIN 320	Advanced Readings in Chinese
  CHIN 410	Advanced Readings in Chinese: Society and Culture
  HIST 111	Making Modern China
  HIST 213	Personal Narratives in Chinese History
  HIST 288	China in the News: Socio-Anthropological and Historical Perspective on Modern China
  HIST 310	China in the World
  HIST 311	History of Family, Gender, and Sexuality in China
  SOAN 284	Anthropology of Print Media
  SOAN 342	Power and Resistance

  Japan Concentration Courses

  AS 156	The Art of Tea in Japanese Culture I
  AS 297	Special Topics in Asian Studies (when Japan-focused)
  AS 397	Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when Japan-focused)
  HIST 112	Making Modern Japan
  HIST 209	Japan at War
  HIST 313	Religion, Society, and the State in Japanese History
  HIST 316	Popular Culture and Everyday Life in Japanese History
  IS 249	Japan Past and Present (The limit on overseas courses does not apply to this course
  JAPN 202	Intermediate Japanese II
  JAPN 230	Introduction to Japanese Literature in Translation
  JAPN 231	Introduction to Japanese Literature in Translation
  JAPN 251	Japanese Conversation
  JAPN 252	Japanese Conversation
  JAPN 290	Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation
  JAPN 291	Topics in Japanese Literature in Translation
  JAPN 310	Readings and Composition in Japanese
  JAPN 320	Readings and Composition in Japanese II
  JAPN 410	Advanced Readings in Japanese: Society and Culture
  JAPN 420	Advanced Readings in Japanese: Fiction and Nonfiction

  General Asian Studies Courses

  ART 401	Art After 1945 (when Asia-focused)
  ART 451	Theory in Practice (when Asia-focused)
  AS 251	Contemporary Korean Culture
  AS 297	Special Topics in Asian Studies (when general AS-focused)
  AS 397	Advanced Topics in Asian Studies (when general AS-focused)
  HIST 110	Early East Asian History
  HIST 113	Introduction to Korea: Origins of the 21st Century
  HIST 217	The Emergence of Modern South Asia
  HIST 259	India in the Age of Empire
  HIST 400	Reading Colloquium (when Asia-focused)
  MUP 121	Gamelan Ensemble
  MUP 153	Hindustani Voice Private Lessons
  MUP 155	Sitar Private Lessons
  MUP 157	Tabla Private Lessons
  MUS 106	Workshops in World Music (when Asia-focused)
  MUS 236	Music of Asia
  MUS 307	Topics in Music (when Asia-focused)
  PHIL 207	Indian Philosophy
  RELS 241	Religion and Culture of Hindu India
  RELS 242	Religions and Cultures of East Asia
  RELS 243	Buddhism: Theory, Culture, and Practice
  RELS 357	Family, Gender, and Religion: Ethnographic Approaches
  RELS 362	Zen Buddhism
  RELS 452	Seminar in Asian Religions
  SOAN 250	Southeast Asia: Development, Resistance, and Social Change
  SOAN 281	South Asian Cultures
  SOAN 282	Pacific Rim Cities
  SOAN 321	Theory Through Ethnography
  SOAN 347	Borderlands: Tibet and the Himalaya
  SOAN 367	Anthropology of Tourism: Travel in Asia