East Asian Studies Major Requirements

Building on long history of institutional  commitment to East Asia, the East Asian major aims at providing UM students a broad understanding of the major cultures of this dynamic region by requiring a spread of courses among China, Japan and either Vietnam or Pan-Asian religions/philosophies, while allowing some specialization in either China or Japan.  It also seeks to insure that students receive training in both the traditional cultures of the East Asian region (which represent major contributions to the world’s philosophical and artistic systems but also continue to exert a strong influence on the region today) as well more contemporary political, economic, and related trends affecting East Asia.  The major positions UM students to pursue graduate work in East Asian Studies, as well as careers in academe, government, education (middle and senior high school), business, law, and any other disciplines (e.g., in the areas of environmental and climate change) in which Japan, China, Korea, and other East Asian countries are key global players.






Special Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts degree, every major in East Asian studies will complete the following requirements:

1. Introductory/Lower Division courses:

• Either EA 102 (Introduction to East Asian Studies or HIST 240 (East Asian Civilizations)

AND

• Either JPNS 150 (Japanese Culture and Civilization) or CHN 211 (Chinese Culture and Civilization)

1. A minimum of 18 credits in upper division East Asian courses, either humanities or social science (no strictures placed).  Among those 18 credits, students would be required to include 2 courses (6 credit hours) devoted to Chinese studies, and 2 courses (6 credit hours) in Japanese studies, with the remaining two selected courses (6 credit hours) taken from any other East Asia courses (including Japan, China and those focusing on Viet Nam, pan- East Asia, or Buddhism, as available).  At least one of the six courses must be at the 400 level.

1. 2 full years (twenty credit hours) or the equivalent of Chinese or Japanese language

Total Credit requirement:  44 credit hours.

U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G= for graduate credit. Credits beyond the maximum do not count toward a degree.

Introductory courses:

U EAS 102 Introduction to East Asian Studies 3 cr. An introduction to the modern history of China and Japan and to contemporary trends in those two countries that have particular import to the U.S. and East Asia.

U HSTR 240 East Asian Civilizations 3 cr.  An introduction to East Asia, its geography, cultures and ways of thinking, presented in geographical and historical context. Focus on China and Japan.

U JPNS/MCLG 150H Japanese Culture and Civilization 3 cr. Offered intermittently. The historical, religious, artistic, literary and social developments in Japan from earliest times to the present.

U CHN 211H Chinese Culture and Civilization 3 cr. Offered intermittently. An introduction to the historical, intellectual, political, literary and social developments of China from early times to the present.

Additional Undergraduate Courses:

U 161H Introduction to Asian Humanities 3 cr. Offered autumn. Coreq., LS 151L or consent of instr. Selective survey of classical South and East Asian perspectives on the humanities as introduced in LS 151L. Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are the primary traditions considered.

U SSEA/RLST 232 H (RELS 232H) Buddhism 3 cr. Offered autumn. A historical introduction to the development of Buddhist thought and practice in the cultures of Asia and the West.

U 233 (RELS 233) Traditions of Buddhist Meditation 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., RLST 232 H (RELS 232H). A critical and phenomenological introduction to meditation as the Buddhist method of systematic inquiry into the nature of the mind and its role in the construction of experience.

 

U 236 (RELS 236) Chinese Religions 3 cr. An exploration of the development of thought and practice in and the interactions between the major religious movements of Chinese religion: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and fold religion/animism.

 

U 238 (RELS 238) Japanese Religions 3 cr. Offered at least once every two years. An introductory exploration of Japan's unique religious synthesis of Buddhist, Shinto, Taoist, Confucian and folk/shamanistic traditions.

U 195 and 295 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instructor. Experimental offerings of new courses or one-time offerings of current topics.

U CHIN/JPN 101 and 102  10 cr Elementary Chinese/Japanese I

U CHIN/JPN 201 and 202 10 cr Intermediate Chinese/Japanese

Upper Division Courses:

UG 311L Classical Japanese Literature in English Translation 3 cr.  Same as MCLG 311. Introduction to the classical literature of the Japanese court, ca. 7th to 14th century. Kojiki, Man'yoshu, Kokinshu, Genji Monogatari, and other major classics of the period.

UG 306 Japanese for Business and Tourism 3 cr. Prereq., JPNS 202 or equiv. Offered autumn. Vocabulary and idiom of oral and written communication in business and tourism. Professional, ethical practices and special etiquette.

 

UG 312L Japanese Literature Medieval to Modern Times 3 cr. Offered spring. Same as MCLG 312. Introduction to the literature of Japan from the 15th to the 20th century.

U 313L Classical Chinese Poetry in English Translation 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Same as AS, CHIN, and LS 313L. The works of major Chinese poets to 1300 A.D.

U 314L Traditional Chinese Literature in English Translation 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Same as AS, CHIN, and LS 314L. Highlights of Chinese literature to 1800; includes philosophy, poetry, prose, and fiction.

U 380 Chinese Folktales 3 cr. Same as LS 311. Offered intermittently. The study of the aspirations, desires, loves, moral and aesthetic values of the Chinese people as expressed in their folk literature.

UG 386 History of the Japanese Language 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., JPNS 202. Overview of Japanese language history from earliest times to the modern day. Topics include the development of writing systems, changes in phonology, and issues concerning orthography and lexicon.

U 324 (PSCI) Sustainable Climate Policies: China and the USA, 3 cr.  Explores historic, current, and future greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions of the United States and China, reasons why both are the two largest CO₂ emitters, and prevailing national and subnational government policies and nongovernmental actions that affect emissions mitigation and adaptation.

U HSTR 343 (HIST 381H) Modern Japan.  Survey that focuses on Japan’s transformation from a feudal Shogunate to a modern state during the Meiji Restoration and subsequent Taisho period, including an examination of the political forces and social strains that led to Japan’s involvement in World War II.

U 354 (RELS 354) Topics in East Asian Religions 3 cr. (R-6) Offered at least once every three semesters, no prerequisites. This course will examine select topics of central importance with respect to the history of interaction between the major religions (Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and folk animism and shamanism) of East Asia.

UG 360 (RELS 360) Classics of Buddhist Literature 3 cr. (R-6) Offered spring. Close reading of a selection of core Buddhist texts drawn from various Asian cultures and spanning the three main phases of the tradition.

U 367 (RELS 367) Approaches to the Study of Zen Buddhism 3 cr. Offered at least once every two years; no prerequisites. An exploration of both key developments in the history of Zen Buddhist thought and practice and the variety of ways that Zen has been studied by Western popular and academic cultures.

U 369 (RELS 369) Contemplative Tradition of Asia 3 cr. Offered at least once every two years. An exploration of the rich and diverse approaches to mental transformation and cultivation of gnosis as developed by several of Asia's major religious traditions, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

U HSTR 380H (HIST 331H): Modern China. Survey of China’s 19^th century efforts to confront internal rebellions and the threat of the West and the ensuing, tortured reform period. Includes an examination the Revolution of 1911, the rise of Chinese nationalism and the competition between the Nationalists and Communists.

 

U 390 Supervised Internship 1–12 cr. Offered intermittently. Paid work experience in Japan, combined with language/culture course work by correspondence directed by UM department staff.

 

U 391 (395) Special Topics Variable cr. (R–12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one–time offerings of current topics. Includes course currently taught on Japanese film.

 

U 393 Omnibus Variable cr. (R-10) Offered intermittently. University omnibus option for independent work. See index.

 

U 398 Internship Variable cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom  experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

U CHIN/JPN 301 and 302 10 Advanced Chinese/Japanese

 

Above 400 level courses:

 

UG 411 Modern Japanese Writers and Thinkers 3 cr. (R–6) Offered autumn or spring. Prereq., JPNS 302. Introduction to the important writers, thinkers, and poets of the 20th century. Readings include a wide range of topics in the humanities, including philosophy, history, sociology, and the arts.

 

UG 412 Introduction to Classical Japanese 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., JPNS 302. Introduction to the language of the Japanese court, ca. 7th to 14th century. Essential features of grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and orthography.

 

UG 431L Post–War Japanese Literature 3 cr. Offered spring odd–numbered years. Same as MCLG 431L. Introduction to issues, literature, and criticism of Japanese literature from the postwar (1945) through the contemporary period, using texts in English translation.

UG 415 Advanced Japanese for Professionals 3 cr. Offered spring even–numbered years. Prereq., JPNS 302. A high–level professional language course covering all coordinated reading, writing, and speaking skills. Intended for majors hoping to enter the Japanese job market and prepare for professional testing in Japan.

UG HSTR 432 Tradition and Reform in China 3 cr. Detailed discussion of the epochal changes that swept China between the mid-19^th and the mid-20^th century. After an initial discussion of some broad Chinese historical trends, focus will be on 19^th century, when China’s last dynasty tried unsuccessfully to come to terms with massive economic dislocations, two great rebellions, and the entry of the west.  Class will then turn to the vital 20^th century reform movements that eventually spawned the Maoist revolution.

UG PSCI 422/ HSTR 449 Revolution and Reform in China 3 cr. After briefly reviewing the reasons for the communist victory in China and the nature of the Mao Zedong regime, this course focuses on the Dengist and post-Deng governments that destroyed it. Major attention is given to the nature and impact of economic reforms contributing to the “Chinese economic miracle,” including their impact on Chinese domestic society and China’s position in East Asia and the world.

UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors—including Visitors from China and Vietnam brought in annually  by the Mansfield Center-- experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

UG 491 (495) Special Topics 1–9 cr. (R–9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one–time offerings of current topics.

 

UG 495:  The East Asian Strategic Environment 3 cr.  Examination of the complex strategic situation in contemporary times, including the nature and impact of the threat  posed by North Korea, China’s rapidly changing military and strategic capabilities and intentions, and how Japan and Taiwan are calibrating their approaches in light of their perceptions of these forces.