Asian Studies, BA

Your major in Asian studies will prepare you to undertake entry-level professional jobs in the realm of Asian commerce, communication or social justice work, or continue on to advanced studies of Asian and international studies in a variety of disciplines. The Asian studies major at Seattle University prepares students to pursue Asia-oriented careers in fields such as international business, communications, development, education, government, law, non-governmental organizations and various services to the community.

• Four-Year Program of Study
• Junior Transfer Program of Study

Add a minor in Asian studies and broaden your impact and complement your major. To earn a minor degree, you’ll need to study Japanese or Chinese in addition to completing several classes in modern Asian studies. The Asian studies minor helps students learn important skills that will be of use in international communications, business, education, government and law, as well as various community services.

Acquire and demonstrate a basic understanding of the meaning of "Asia" in its relations to the world through various disciplinary frameworks, approaches, and perspectives from the humanities and social sciences.

Acquire basic proficiency in an Asian language through two years of college-level study as measured by the following criteria consistent with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines at this level:

• Listening: Engage in listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages and information conveyed in simple speeches on familiar or everyday topics
• Reading: Understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts and start to have the basic knowledge in vocabulary and grammar to get information from more organized discourses on subjects beyond everyday and social topics
• Speaking: Converse about familiar topics on everyday life with learned material and handle frequently seen survival situations with sentence-level language that can be understood by interlocutors who are accustomed to speeches produced by non-native learners at this level
• Writing: Meet practical writing needs, such as simple messages and personal letters, have the ability to produce simple discourses for descriptive or expository purposes, and have basic knowledge in applying rhetorical devices to express meaning that is comprehensible to those accustomed to the writing of non-natives

Use library databases and other sources to find appropriate information and evaluate critically the probable quality of sources about Asia.

Critically interpret and analyze important issues related to societies and sub-regions of Asia through discipline-appropriate languages and methods.

Carry out a research project grounded in scholarly literature of appropriate disciplines as measured by successful completion of a senior capstone paper:

• Outline, conduct, organize, and critically and creatively articulate appropriate analysis of the chosen subject
• Use English (and an Asian language) to access primary or secondary sources for the research project
• Communicate the analysis and research findings in discipline-appropriate writing and an oral presentation