Where We Go
Degree Requirements
East Asian Studies Major
Majors will choose courses in consultation with a faculty advisor. In their senior year students will apply the methodologies of East Asian Studies to a research topic normally focusing on China, Japan, Korea or their interaction. The major requires:
- two semesters of intermediate Chinese or Japanese,
- two core survey courses, one from 2.i. and one from 2.ii,
- five area studies courses with a maximum of two from 3.ii and 3.iii combined, and
- a senior research project, that in conjunction with the other requirements, will total forty credit hours.
Advisors can help the student select which courses in approved study-abroad programs will meet the requirements below:
- Language requirement: two semesters of intermediate Chinese or Japanese course work, or the equivalent. Majors are encouraged to begin their language work at Denison during their first year.
- Two Core Courses surveying both:
- Traditional East Asia
Course List Code Title EAST/HIST 141 Traditional East Asian Civilization EAST/CHIN 206 Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature EAST/AHVC 231 Art of Japan and EAST/AHVC 232Art of China - 1
Students who take both "Art of Japan" and "Art of China" will fulfill their traditional core course requirement and satisfy one of the five Area Studies (3.i.) requirements. Note that students choosing this option must take both EAST 231 - Art of Japan/AHVC 231 - Art of Japan and EAST 232 - Art of China/AHVC 232 - Art of China to meet the traditional core requirement.
- Modern East Asia
Course List Code Title EAST/HIST 142 Modern East Asian Civilization EAST/JAPN 219 Voices from the Dark Valley: East Asians Under Japanese Fascism (1910-1945) EAST/JAPN 235 Introduction to Modern Chinese and Japanese Literature
- Traditional East Asia
- Five East Asian area studies courses, which may include the following:
- East Asian Area Studies
Course List Code Title EAST/AHVC 131 Asian Art and Visual Culture EAST/CHIN 206 Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature EAST/HIST 211 Modern East Asia at War EAST/ANSO 221 Contemporary Japan: In Search of the “Real” Japan EAST/AHVC 231 Art of Japan EAST/AHVC 232 Art of China EAST/JAPN 235 Introduction to Modern Chinese and Japanese Literature EAST/JAPN 239 Introduction to Japanese Genre Fiction EAST/AHVC 263 World Views: Spatial Imagination in East Asia EAST/JAPN 273 Modern Japan in Film and Literature EAST/PHIL 288 Ancient Chinese Philosophy EAST/CHIN 305 Spontaneity: Taoism and Chinese Literature EAST/JAPN 309 Japan's Modern Canon EAST/AHVC 333 Art and Revolution in 20th Century China EAST 342/HIST 312 China's Golden Age: The Tang Dynasty - Independent and Directed Study (maximum of two from ii and iii combined) - Examples:
Course List Code Title CHIN 361 Directed Study CHIN 362 Directed Study JAPN 361 Directed Study JAPN 362 Directed Study EAST 361 Directed Study EAST 362 Directed Study EAST 363 Independent Study EAST 364 Independent Study - Comparative Courses (Maximum of two from ii and iii combined):
Course List Code Title East Asia in comparison with another region of the world EAST/AHVC 131 Asian Art and Visual Culture ECON 412 Economics of the Developing World ECON 423 International Trade EAST/REL 105 Buddhism Various special topics courses (typically numbered as EAST 264 or EAST 345) may also be counted as either area studies or comparative courses, depending on their content.
- East Asian Area Studies
- Senior Research Project
EAST 451 - Senior Research or EAST 452 - Senior Research: Working closely with the project advisor of the student’s own choice, the student chooses a topic in East Asian Studies and analyzes that topic in a major research paper. The student is allowed, but not required, to choose a secondary advisor from the East Asian Studies faculty, or outside experts from the topic-related disciplines. This research project culminates the major and can be proposed for either semester of the senior year. The student signing up must get signatures from the project advisor in the course registration period preceding the semester when the project will be written.
East Asian Studies Minor
The twenty-eight credits to fulfill the East Asian Studies minor include: two semesters of intermediate Chinese or Japanese, the two core courses, and three additional courses chosen from East Asian area studies courses chosen from category 3 (see above). Only one independent study course, or one comparative course will count towards the minor.
Additional Points of Interest
Study Abroad
Approved programs of study in the People’s Republic of China include programs in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Xian. In Japan, students may study in programs in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagasaki. The availability of semester-long, year-long or summer courses depends on the respective program.
Summer Research Through Denison's Young Scholar Awards
No separate East Asian awards exist. Guidelines are on the Lisska Center's homepage under student research. The research must culminate in a written or artistic project and a presentation to other summer scholars. Student scholars will live on Denison's campus and receive a student stipend. Dormitory housing is provided. Meals are excluded. Applications: Submit by late January for the coming summer.
Summer Internships
There are no special grants for East Asian Studies internships. However, the Center for Career Exploration can be a resource for students interested in searching and applying for internships. There are also internship stipend programs meant to support students in their respective internship experiences. Contact the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration by phone (740-587-6656) or email (career@denison.edu) to learn more about Denison internship resources and how stipend funding works.
