Asian studies program teach people about the cultures of Asia. Students learn history, politics, and how people live. They learn about how Asian people came to live in other nations.
Asia is the world's largest continent. It has 37 countries and covers one-third of the Earth's land area. Asia extends from Africa and Europe on the west to the Pacific Ocean on the east. It includes northlands with frozen tundra and southlands with tropical jungles and deserts. In addition, it holds three-fifths of the world's people. It's said that half the day the world speaks Chinese while during the other half, the world speaks English! Furthermore, many Asian countries hold a strong influence over the world's economy.
In Asian studies programs, you learn about all aspects of Asian culture and life. You study history, politics, and economics, and how they differ from country to country, region to region. You study historical conflicts, including the Vietnam war and Japan's occupation of Korea in the 1940s) and current issues such as the ongoing war between North and South Korea. You read original literature and folklore (think the works of Gao Xingjian) as well as view and critique Asian films. In most programs, you also learn at least one Asian language, such as Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, or Korean. In addition, you also study how different Asian countries relate to countries in North America and Europe.
Over 100 colleges and universities offer interdisciplinary bachelor's degrees in Asian studies. Most two-year colleges offer the first two years of study. Students can often transfer these credits to a four-year school.
Many bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in Asian studies draw on courses from departments of interdisciplinary studies, liberal studies, and humanities. In addition, most programs encourage you to double major in another field, such as business, social science, or journalism.
Master's degrees typically take five or six years of full-time study after high school. Doctoral degree programs typically take three to five years after the master's degree.
Majors in Asian studies may lead to careers in the arts, business, media and journalism, research, teaching, or hospitality and tourism. Such careers include broadcasting, sales, musicology, advertising, public relations, arts criticism, and social commentary. The most common career paths are business, law, teaching, and journalism.
Students in this major may be able to choose concentrations such as:
• Customs and Culture
• Dance and Music
• Economics
• Folklore and Myth
• History
• Languages
• Literature
• Politics
• Religion