(Interdisciplinary Minor)
Coordinator Qiong Zhang (zhangq@wfu.edu)
The minor in East Asian studies provides an opportunity for students to undertake a multidisciplinary study of the art, history, music, philosophy, politics, religion, and culture of East Asia. It consists of a total of 15 hours. Candidates for the minor are required to take at least one course from three of the four curriculum groupings noted. (See course descriptions under appropriate course listings.) Nine or more of the hours towards the minor must focus on a geographical area—Japan, China, or Korea.
Appropriate credit in various fields of East Asian studies also may be obtained by study abroad in programs approved by the coordinator. Interested students are encouraged, preferably in their sophomore year, to consult with the coordinator or an affiliated faculty to discuss their interests and structure a coherent course of study.
Courses may be chosen from among the list of approved courses. Additional elective courses may have been approved since publication of this page. The program coordinator maintains a complete list of all approved elective courses. For course descriptions, see the relevant department’s listings in the undergraduate bulletin: https://bulletin.wfu.edu/
East Asian Studies Electives Group One: Humanities
EAL
219. Major Works of Japanese Literature. (3h)
221. Themes in Chinese Literature. (3h)
222. Traditional Chinese Literature. (3h)
231. Early 20th-century Chinese Modernist Practices. (3h)
241. Gender in Japanese Literature. (3h)
251. The Asian-American Experience: Literature and Personal Narratives (3h)
252. Chinese Cinemas. (3h)
253. Japanese Film: Themes and Methods. (3h)
270. Contemporary Japanese Culture. (3h)
271. Mass Culture in Modern China. (3h)
272. Literature and Film from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Beyond. (3h)
275. Survey of East Asian Cultures. (3h)
285. Contemporary East Asian Cinema. (3h)
HMN 219. Introduction to Japanese Literature (3h)
East Asian Studies Electives Group Two: Art, Music, Philosophy, and Study of Religions
ART 104. Topics in World Art. (3h) (when focus is East Asia)
ART 286. East Asian Art. (3h) (new offering)
MUS 134/234. Music of Asia. (3h)
PHI 325. Main Streams of Chinese Philosophy. (3h)
REL
104C. Introduction to East Asian Religions. (3h)
109. Introduction to Buddhist Traditions. (3h)
329. Chinese Medicine. (3h)
349. Asian Meditation Practices. (3h)
361. Topics in Buddhism. (3h)
363. The Religions of Japan. (3h)
381. Zen Buddhism. (3h)
382. Religion and Culture in China. (3h)
391. Topics in East Asian Religions. (3h)
East Asian Studies Electives Group Three: Social Sciences
COM
COM 351 A. Comparative Communication: Japan. (1.5h, 3h)
COM 351 E. Comparative Communication: China. (1.5h, 3h)
INS 349. Japanese and American Culture: Cross-Cultural Communication. (3h)
POL
242. Topics in Comparative Politics
248. Chinese Politics. (3h)
260. U.S. and East Asia. (3h)
East Asian Studies Electives Group Four: History
HST
109. Asia and the World. (3h)
244. Pre-Modern China to 1850. (3h)
245. Modern China since 1850. (3h)
246. Japan before 1600. (3h)
247. Japan since 1600. (3h)
249. Introduction to East Asia. (3h)
343. The Silk Road. (3h) Contact minor coordinator for credit approval.
344. Early Modernity in China. (3h)
347. The Rise of Asian Economic Power since WWII. (3h)
348. Samurai and Geisha: Fact, Film, and Fiction. (3h)
352. Ten Years of Madness. (3h)
NOTE: 1) For ALL FOUR groups, “special topics” and “individual (or independent) research” courses (titles may differ from department to department) will count if relevant to EAS. 2) If you have taken courses with significant East Asian component but they are not listed here, please consult with the EAS Minor coordinator for credit approval.