Asian Studies Concentration - Interdisciplinary Studies Major

Program Director: Dr. H. - 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.

Required Courses
ASST 201INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN STUDIES3
Foreign Language Requirement12
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
Electives30
Lower-Level Electives, Select minimum 3 and maximum 6 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 24 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 SOUTHEAST 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 Units45
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. 

Sample Four-Year Plan

The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.

First Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
FORL I (Core 5)3ASST Discipline 13
Core 1 (or Core 2)3FORL II (Core 12)3
Core 43Core 2 (or Core 1)3
Elective3Core 33
Elective3Elective3
 15 15
Second Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
ASST Discipline 23ASST Discipline 33
FORL III3FORL IV3
Core 63Core 74
Core 93Core 113
Elective3Core 133
 15 16
Third Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
ASST Discipline 1-43ASST Discipline 1-43
ASST Discipline 43ASST Discipline 1-43
Core 84Core 103
Core 143Elective3
Elective3Elective3
 16 15
Fourth Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
ASST Discipline 1-43ASST Discipline 1-43
ASST Discipline 1-43ASST Discipline 1-43
Elective3Elective3
Elective3Elective3
Elective3Elective1
 15 13
Total Units 120
  1. Students possess the ability to integrate knowledge and modes of thinking across two or more disciplines.
  2. Students communicate effectively in the presentation of interdisciplinary materials through various modes of transmission.
  3. Students conduct, analyze and apply research from two or more disciplines or through interdisciplinary research.