The East Asian Studies Major positions students to pursue graduate work in East Asian Studies as well as careers in academia, government, education, business, law, and any other discipline in which East Asian countries are key global players.

Our program builds on a long history of institutional commitment to East Asia. Ambassador Mike Mansfield first taught Far Eastern History at the University of Montana from 1934-1942. UM has the strongest Japanese language program in the Northern Rockies, and has a 30-year history in teaching Mandarin Chinese. UM also maintains many exchange, research, and study abroad programs, including programs in Education, Law, Business, and Journalism.

The East Asian Studies major provides UM students with a broad understanding of the major cultures of this dynamic region and gives students the freedom to tailor their studies to focus on China or Japan. The major requires a spread of courses to ensure that students receive training in the traditional cultures of the East Asian region, which represent major contributions to the world’s philosophical and artistic systems. Students are able to choose from a variety of contemporary political, economic, and cultural courses to suit their goals.

To learn more about the East Asian Studies Major, contact the Director of the Mansfield Center, Deena Mansour at deena.mansour@mso.umt.edu.

The Center holds seminars, workshops, and institutes for Montana teachers and is a partner in the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia.