Degree Requirements
2018 - 2019
Departmental Guidelines and Goals
To graduate with a degree in East Asian Studies requires a balance of courses in Chinese or Japanese language study with courses selected from a variety of departments, focusing on the East Asian region (normally defined as China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam). Study in China or Japan for a semester or a year on an approved program is encouraged. Every senior major will research a topic chosen by the student in consultation with professors from two disciplines.
East Asian Studies Major
Majors will choose courses in consultation with a faculty advisor. In their senior year students will apply the methodologies of two disciplines to a research topic normally focusing on China, Japan, or their interaction. The major requires:
- two semesters of intermediate Chinese or Japanese,
- two core survey courses, one from II.a. and one from II.b.,
- five area studies courses with a maximum of two from III.b and c 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
Course List Code Title EAST/HIST 141 Traditional East Asian Civilization (normally offered in the spring) EAST/CHIN 206 Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature (normally offered in the fall) EAST/JAPN 219 Voices from the Dark Valley: East Asians Under Japanese Fascism (1910-1945) EAST/AHVC 231 Art of Japan or EAST/AHVC 232 Art 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 (III.A.) 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 Asian Civilization
Course List Code Title EAST/HIST 142 Modern East Asian Civilization (normally offered in the fall) EAST/JAPN 235 Introduction to Modern Chinese and Japanese Literature (normally offered in the spring)
- Traditional
- 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/AHVC 232 Art of China EAST/AHVC 231 Art of Japan EAST/AHVC 333 Art and Revolution in 20th Century China EAST/CHIN 206 Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature EAST/JAPN 239 Introduction to Japanese Genre Fiction EAST/CHIN 305 Spontaneity: Taoism and Chinese Literature EAST/JAPN 309 Japan's Modern Canon CHIN 340 Chinese Cinema in English: A Cultural and Literary Study EAST/JAPN 273 Modern Japan in Film and Literature HIST 211 Modern East Asia at War HIST 312 China’s Golden Age? The Tang Dynasty EAST/JAPN 235 Introduction to Modern Chinese and Japanese Literature EAST/REL 216 Religions of China - Independent and Directed Study (maximum of two from B and C 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 B and C combined):
Course List Code Title East Asia in comparison with another region of the world EAST/AHVC 131 Asian Art and Visual Culture EAST/COMM 409 International Communication ECON 412 Economics of the Developing World ECON 423 International Trade POSC 332 Politics in Latin America, Africa, and Asia POSC 355 International Political Economy EAST/REL 105 Buddhism
- East Asian Area Studies
- Senior Research Project
EAST 450 - Senior Research Project: East Asian Studies: Senior Project in East Asian Studies. Selecting two disciplines, students choose a topic in East Asian Studies and utilize the skills of both disciplines to analyze that topic in a major research paper, directed by faculty members in those disciplines. This research project culminates the major and can be proposed for either semester of the senior year. The student must have signatures from the two advisors in the course registration period preceding the semester when the project will be written. Only students completing a yearlong research project are eligible for special recognition.
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 III (see below). 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 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 Gilpatrick 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 the student stipend is $3,700. 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.
The Language and Culture Program
This is an exciting residential option that gives students the opportunity to hone their language skills and to participate in special cultural events. Students who choose this residential option will live in a small community of their peers who share their enthusiasm for foreign languages and cultures. Extracurricular activities and programming in the Language House support language acquisition and permit a closer relationship with professors and languages assistants from the Department of Modern Languages.