Asian Studies Concentration - Interdisciplinary Studies Major
Program Director: Erik Ropers
Liberal Arts Building 4241
Phone: 410-704-3709
Email: hropers@towson.edu
The Program
The Asian Studies Concentration within the Interdisciplinary Studies major is designed to offer students an interdisciplinary program of study of various dimensions of the Asian world. Students may plan a course of study that concentrates on a particular aspect of Asian civilization or on a particular sub-region of Asia. One might, for example, focus on the art and philosophy of various Asian peoples, or instead, one might concentrate on Chinese, Indian or Japanese civilization, studying both the traditional and modern society, its physical setting, and its political and economic development. In order to build a sound program of study, which meets both the individual student’s needs and the Interdisciplinary Studies requirements, it is essential that students work closely with an adviser in planning the program and selecting courses.
Requirements for the Concentration
Students in the Asian Studies Concentration must complete a minimum of 45 units. In addition to ASST 201 (3 units) and 30 units of electives, 1 2 units of a foreign language are required (students may choose multiple languages; however, the recommendation is to concentrate on one language). The advisory committee may waive the language requirement for native speakers of Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, or Hebrew; however, the student must take 12 additional upper-level courses to meet the 45 total units required. Students may transfer up to 21 units toward the completion of the major.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ASST 201 | INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN STUDIES | 3 |
| Foreign Language Requirement | 12 | |
| ARABIC ELEMENTS I and ARABIC ELEMENTS II | ||
| ARABIC INTERMEDIATE I and ARABIC INTERMEDIATE II | ||
| ELEMENTARY CHINESE I and ELEMENTARY CHINESE II | ||
| INTERMEDIATE CHINESE I and INTERMEDIATE CHINESE II | ||
| ELEMENTS OF HEBREW I and ELEMENTS OF HEBREW II | ||
| HEBREW INTERMEDIATE I and HEBREW INTERMEDIATE II | ||
| JAPANESE ELEMENTS I and JAPANESE ELEMENTS II | ||
| JAPANESE INTERMEDIATE I and JAPANESE INTERMEDIATE II | ||
| Electives | 30 | |
| Lower-Level Electives, Select minimum 3 and maximum 9 units from the following: 1, 2 | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ASIAN STUDIES | ||
| EAST ASIAN CIVILIZATION TO THE 19TH CENTURY | ||
| MODERN EAST ASIA SINCE THE 19TH CENTURY | ||
| ISLAMIC HISTORY: FROM THE RISE OF ISLAM TO THE RISE OF THE OTTOMANS | ||
| MODERN MIDDLE EAST HISTORY | ||
| URBAN ASIA: PAST AND PRESENT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN PHILOSOPHY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HINDUISM | ||
| RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF ASIA | ||
| Upper-Level Electives, Select minimum 21 units and maximum 27 units from at least three different disciplines listed below: 2 | ||
| Anthropology | ||
| KOREA AND GLOBALIZATION | ||
| SOUTH ASIAN POPULAR CULTURE | ||
| PEOPLES OF THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| Art History | ||
| EAST ASIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE | ||
| ART OF CHINA | ||
| ART OF JAPAN | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ART HISTORY 3 | ||
| Asian Studies | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN ASIAN STUDIES | ||
| DIRECTED READINGS IN ASIAN STUDIES | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ASIAN STUDIES | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN ASIAN STUDIES | ||
| Foreign Languages (beyond the intermediate level) | ||
| ARABIC COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION I | ||
| ARABIC COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION II | ||
| CHINESE COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION I | ||
| CHINESE COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION II | ||
| CHINESE CULTURE IN PRACTICE | ||
| CHINESE CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION | ||
| CHINESE MEDIA AND POP CULTURE | ||
| CHINESE FOR BUSINESS | ||
| CHINESE CINEMA | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN CHINESE | ||
| DIR READ CHINESE I | ||
| DIR READ CHINESE II | ||
| HEBREW COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION I | ||
| HEBREW COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION II | ||
| JAPANESE COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION I | ||
| JAPANESE COMPOSITION AND CONVERSATION II | ||
| JAPANESE CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION THROUGH MANGA | ||
| DIRECTED READINGS IN JAPANESE | ||
| Geography | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF EAST ASIA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH ASIA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST | ||
| THE SILK ROAD: THE GEOGRAPHIES OF CENTRAL EURASIA | ||
| History | ||
| IMPERIAL CHINA: THE LAST DYNASTY | ||
| REVOLUTIONARY CHINA | ||
| JAPAN, 1830-1930 | ||
| JAPAN, 1930-PRESENT | ||
| GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN IMPERIAL CHINA | ||
| THE MIDDLE EAST: AN URBAN PERSPECTIVE | ||
| THE MAKING OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST | ||
| ISRAEL/PALESTINE: CONFLICTING PAST, CONFLICTING PRESENT | ||
| CONFLICT AND COOPERATION IN COLD WAR EAST ASIA | ||
| HISTORY OF JAPANESE CINEMA | ||
| JAPAN IN THE NUCLEAR AGE: HIROSHIMA, NAGASAKI, FUKUSHIMA | ||
| ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY | ||
| THE SAMURAI | ||
| Philosophy-Religious Studies | ||
| PHILOSOPHIES OF INDIA | ||
| PHILOSOPHIES OF CHINA & JAPAN | ||
| PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS 3 | ||
| PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS 3 | ||
| BUDDHISM IN TIBET | ||
| BUDDHIST SAINTS AND THEIR STORIES | ||
| ISLAMIC ETHICS | ||
| PROPHETS AND PROPHECY IN ANCIENT ISRAEL | ||
| SUFISM: ISLAMIC MYSTICISM | ||
| ISLAM IN THE MODERN AGE | ||
| Political Science | ||
| GOVERNMENTS AND POLITICS OF EAST ASIA: FOCUS ON CHINA AND JAPAN | ||
| Total Units | 45 | |
- 1
Minimum 3 units of lower-level electives must be taken in a discipline other than Asian Studies (ASST).
- 2
Courses relevant to Asia not listed may be accepted with the approval of the program director.
- 3
Topics related to Asia/Asian Studies accepted.
Suggested Four-Year Plan
Based on course availability and student needs and preferences, the selected sequences will probably vary from those presented below. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| FORL I (Core 5) | 3 | ASST Discipline 1 | 3 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | FORL II (Core 12) | 3 |
| Core 4 | 3 | Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Core 3 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| ASST Discipline 2 | 3 | ASST Discipline 3 | 3 |
| FORL III | 3 | FORL IV | 3 |
| Core 6 | 3 | Core 7 | 4 |
| Core 9 | 3 | Core 11 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Core 13 | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| ASST Discipline 1-4 | 3 | ASST Discipline 1-4 | 3 |
| ASST Discipline 4 | 3 | ASST Discipline 1-4 | 3 |
| Core 8 | 4 | Core 10 | 3 |
| Core 14 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| ASST Discipline 1-4 | 3 | ASST Discipline 1-4 | 3 |
| ASST Discipline 1-4 | 3 | ASST Discipline 1-4 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 1 |
| 15 | 13 | ||
| Total Units 120 | |||
- Students possess the ability to integrate knowledge and modes of thinking across two or more disciplines.
- Students communicate effectively in the presentation of interdisciplinary materials through various modes of transmission.
- Students conduct, analyze and apply research from two or more disciplines or through interdisciplinary research.