BA in East Asian Studies

Requirements for the Major in East Asian Studies

Ten separate and distinct courses with a grade of C or higher are required for a major in East Asian Studies (EAS): one required principal course, two core courses, and seven principal courses. In addition to these 10 courses, students are required to take at least two years of an Asian language and a complementary minor. These five components of a major in East Asian studies are described below.

1. Required Course All students concentrating in East Asian studies are required to take CAS IR 275/PO 365 The Pacific Challenge.

2. Core East Asian Courses The core requirement consists of one course from Pre-Modern East Asian Heritage and one course from Modern Transformation, listed below. Courses on this list that are not taken to fulfill the two Core EAS requirements may be taken to fulfill the principal course requirement (see item 3 below).

Pre-Modern Heritage

• CAS AH 225 The Arts of Asia
• CAS AR 240 Archaeology of Ancient China
• CAS AR 390 The Archaeology of Southeast Asia
• CAS LC 250 Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LC 283 Chinese Civilization (in English translation)
• CAS HI 363 Introduction to Early Chinese History
• CAS HI 370 The Samurai in Myth and History (meets with CAS LJ 282)
• CAS LJ 250 Masterpieces of Japanese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 281 Japanese Civilization
• CAS PH 247 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
• CAS RN 103 Religions of the World: Eastern
• CAS RN 215 Japanese Religion
• CAS XL 224 Introduction to Comparative Literature: East Asian Literature (in English translation)

Modern Transformation

• CAS AN 318 Southeast Asia: Tradition and Development
• CAS AN 344 Modern Japanese Society: Family, School, and Workplace
• CAS AN 379 China: Tradition and Transformation
• CAS GE 381 Geography of Asia
• CAS HI 364 Introduction to Modern Chinese History
• CAS HI 369 Introduction to Modern Japanese History
• CAS IR 366 Political Economy of East Asia (meets with CAS PO 377)
• CAS IR 368 Contemporary East Asian Economics (meets with CAS EC 368)
• CAS IR 370 China: From Revolution to Reform (meets with CAS PO 369)
• CAS IR 582 Taiwan: Politics and Transformation (meets with CAS PO 582)
• CAS LC 251 Masterpieces in Modern Chinese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LC 287 Chinese Cinema (in English translation)
• CAS LC 440 Mass Media and Social Change in Modern China
• CAS LJ 251 Modern Japanese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 283 Modern Japanese Culture in Cinema (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 350 Readings in Modern Japanese Fiction

3. Principal Courses Seven courses focusing on East Asian topics are required: three courses in humanities, three courses in social science, and one additional course. To fulfill this requirement, students may select from any EAS course listed above and not previously taken to fulfill the two core EAS requirements, or any relevant course offered by the University or through a Study Abroad program.

Courses offered by the History of Art & Architecture, Modern Languages & Comparative Literature, and Religion departments are considered as humanities courses. Courses offered by the Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Geography & Environment, History, International Relations, and Political Science departments are considered as social sciences courses. At least three courses must be taken at the 400-level or above. The EAS program considers all Religion (RN) courses at the 300-level as 400-level courses. One advanced East Asian language course at the 300-level or above may be used as a principal course.

4. Required Related Language Courses Knowledge of written and spoken Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese (or, where appropriate, another Asian language) through at least the 212 level, or its equivalent, as demonstrated through testing, is required of all majors. Students interested in graduate study in an East Asian field or employment in the region are advised to pursue the language beyond this level, through either advanced language classes at Boston University or study abroad.

5. Required Complementary Minor In order to ensure a sound disciplinary foundation, students majoring in EAS are required to pursue a complementary minor or major in one of the following departments or programs: Anthropology, History of Art & Architecture, Classics, Economics, Environmental Analysis & Policy/Environmental Science, History, International Relations, Linguistics, Modern Languages & Comparative Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Students earn credit for this minor or major as well as for the major in East Asian studies. CAS permits dual counting of no more than two courses between a major and a minor, and no more than five courses between two majors.

Students are strongly urged to spend a summer, semester, or academic year studying in East Asia. BU Study Abroad programs that complement coursework in East Asian Studies are as follows: Fudan University (Shanghai, China); Renmin University Exchange (Beijing, China); Keio University Exchange (Tokyo, Japan); and the Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies (Kyoto, Japan).

Language courses and up to five core and principal courses taken at other universities and accepted for Boston University credit may be counted toward the major.

Courses

Consult departmental listings for complete description of courses.

Regional Courses

• CAS AH 225 The Arts of Asia
• CAS AH 425 Seminar: Topics in Asian Art (either China or Japan)
• CAS AH 530 Chinese and Japanese Calligraphy: History, Theory, and Practice
• CAS AH 531 Modern Asian Art in Global Context
• CAS AN 308 Food, Culture, and Society
• CAS AN 350 Asians in America
• CAS AN 505 Asian Development: The Case of Women (area)
• CAS AR 261 Heritage of Asia
• CAS AR 262 Asian Gods and Goddesses
• CAS EC 364 The Chinese Economy
• CAS GE 381 Geography of Asia
• CAS IR 275 The Pacific Challenge (meets with CAS PO 365)
• CAS IR 366 Political Economy of East Asia (meets with CAS PO 377)
• CAS IR 368 Contemporary East Asian Economics (meets with CAS EC 368)
• CAS IR 520 The State and Public Purpose in Asia (meets with CAS PO 562)
• CAS RN 103 Religions of the World: Eastern

Chinese History and Politics

• CAS AH 327 Arts of China
• CAS AH 529 Seminar: Twentieth-Century Chinese Art
• CAS AN 379 China: Tradition and Transformation
• CAS AR 240 Archaeology of Ancient China
• CAS LC 283 Chinese Civilization (in English translation)
• CAS HI 363 Introduction to Early Chinese History
• CAS HI 364 Introduction to Modern Chinese History
• CAS HI 487 Continuity and Change in Late Imperial and Modern China
• CAS IR 365 Rise of China (meets with CAS PO 374)
• CAS IR 370 China: From Revolution to Reform (meets with CAS PO 369)
• CAS IR 527 Political Economy of China (meets with CAS PO 527)
• CAS IR 577 Foreign Policy of the People’s Republic of China (meets with CAS PO 578)
• CAS IR 582 Taiwan: Politics and Transformation (meets with CAS PO 582)
• CAS IR 585 Problems and Issues in Post-Mao China (meets with CAS PO 558)
• CAS LC 440 Mass Media and Social Change in Modern China

Japanese Society and Politics

• CAS AH 326 Arts of Japan
• CAS AH 328 Modern Japanese Architecture
• CAS AH 532 Japanese Print Culture
• CAS AN 344 Modern Japanese Society: Family, School, and Workplace
• CAS AN 505 Asian Development: The Case of Women
• CAS HI 369 Modern Japanese History
• CAS HI 370 The Samurai in Myth and History (meets with CAS LJ 282)
• CAS HI 488 Interwar Japan and the Pacific War
• CAS IR 570 Politics and Social Change in Postwar Japan (meets with CAS PO 569)
• CAS IR 579 Japan in International Politics (meets with CAS PO 579)
• CAS LJ 281 Japanese Civilization (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 282 The Samurai in Myth and History (meets with CAS HI 370)
• CAS LJ 410 The History of the Japanese Language
• CAS LJ 441 Japanese Press

Religion and Philosophy

• CAS AN 375 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia (meets with CAS RN 375)
• CAS PH 247 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
• CAS RN 103 Religions of the World: Eastern
• CAS RN 210 Buddhism
• CAS RN 211 Chinese Religion
• CAS RN 213 Hinduism
• CAS RN 215 Japanese Religion
• CAS RN 360 Taoist Religion
• CAS RN 362 Chinese Medicine
• CAS RN 363 Zen Buddhism
• CAS RN 426 Topics in Religion and Literature of East Asia
• CAS RN 429 Religion and Politics in South East Asia (meets with CAS IR 429)
• CAS RN 430 Topics in East Asian Religions

Art and Literature

• CAS AH 225 The Arts of Asia
• CAS AH 326 Arts of Japan
• CAS AH 327 Arts of China
• CAS AH 328 Modern Japanese Architecture
• CAS AH 425 Seminar: Topics in Asian Art
• CAS AH 529 Seminar: Twentieth-Century Chinese Art
• CAS AH 532 Japanese Print Culture
• CAS LC 250 Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LC 251 Masterpieces in Modern Chinese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LC 281 Post-Mao China in Film and Fiction (in English translation)
• CAS LC 283 Chinese Civilization (in English translation)
• CAS LC 284 Introduction to Chinese Women’s Writing (in English translation)
• CAS LC 285 Topics in Chinese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LC 286 Topics in Chinese Culture (in English translation)
• CAS LC 287 Chinese Cinema (in English translation)
• CAS LC 470 Topics in Chinese Literature and Culture
• CAS LJ 250 Masterpieces of Japanese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 251 Modern Japanese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 281 Japanese Civilization (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 282 The Culture of the Samurai (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 283 Modern Japanese Culture in Cinema (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 350 Readings in Modern Japanese Fiction
• CAS LJ 445 Readings in Japanese Civilization
• CAS LJ 451 Topics in Japanese Literature (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 480 Japanese Women Writers (in English translation)
• CAS LJ 481 Rise of the Modern and Encounter with the West: Japanese Literature 1864–1945 (in English translation)
• CAS LK 283 Modern Korean Culture Through Cinema (in English translation)
• CAS LK 440 Korean Conversation and Composition Through Media
• CAS XL 224 Introduction to Comparative Literature: East Asian Literature (in English translation)

South and Southeast Asia

• CAS AN 318 Southeast Asia: Tradition and Development
• CAS AR 390 The Archaeology of Southeast Asia
• CAS AR 560 Civilizations of Central and South Asia
• CAS IR 369 Southeast Asia in World Politics
• CAS IR 372 International Relations of South Asia (meets with CAS PO 378)
• CAS IR 506 India: An Emerging World Power
• CAS IR 586 Islam in South Asian Politics
• CAS RN 425 Topics in South Asian Religions
• CAS SO 328 Contemporary South Asian Societies