Faculty Coordinator:
Associate Professor
Ikumi Kaminishi, Art and Art
History
Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary program that gives students an opportunity to study systematically the history and cultures of one of the world's most important regions.
Asian Studies Major
Eleven courses as follows:
a. An Asian language: 21, 22, 121, 122.
Students who have placed out of one or more of these courses still need to take eleven
courses to complete the major. They must either study a second Asian language through 122,
or take extra Asian culture courses or Asian language courses beyond 122.
b. Six Asian Studies culture courses, which must include three from each of the
following two groups:
1) anthropology, economics, political science, and history
2) art history, literature, music, drama, religion, and thought
One course in an affiliated field such as Asian American Studies or Middle Eastern Studies
may be substituted in either of these two groups with the permission of the adviser,
provided that it is directly relevant to a student's category c project.
c. An independent thesis-writing course:
Students must produce a thesis of creative work on an Asia-related topic. The topic should
be chosen in consultation with the student's Asian Studies adviser, who should serve as
his/her instructor in a directed research, senior honors thesis, or other independent
study course. A paper written for a seminar or colloquium may be used to satisfy the
requirement, as long as this course is not one of the six Asian culture courses. The
thesis will be graded by the adviser and one other faculty reader. The latter need not be
associated with the program. The program may organize opportunities for students to
publicly present their research results.
Interdisciplinary Minor in Asian Studies
Students may acquire an interdisciplinary minor in this program by constructing a thematic course of
study related to Asia, taking five course credits from at least three departments, and completing
an appropriate project, such as a thesis or performance, integrating the knowledge and
methodology of the disciplines involved. No more than two of the five courses may be
language courses. Only language courses numbered 22 or higher will be accepted for Asian
Studies credit. (See Interdisciplinary Minor Program for details.)
Courses
The following courses are listed for the convenience of interested students, who should
consult the faculty coordinator for more information. (See departmental listings for
course descriptions.) Chinese and Japanese language courses are offered through the
Department of German, Russian, and Asian Languages and Literatures.
Group 1
Anthropology 120 Contemporary Chinese Society
Anthropology 122 Women and Modernity in Asia
Economics 139 Transition Economics
History 42XX Introductory Special Topics: East Asia/South Asia
History 43 China to 1911
History 44 Modern China
History 47 Japan 1868
History 48 Japan from 1868 to the Present
History 51 South Asia, 1000-2000
History 52 Modern Southeast Asia
History 53 South Asia in the 20th Century
History 122 Religion in Japanese History
History 123 Japanese History through Literature
History 124 Tokugawa Japan
History 125 Gender and Sexuality in Japanese History
History 136 Islam in South Asia
History 138 Asia in the Great Depression
History 146 The Mongol Empire
Political Science 126 Chinese Politics
Political Science 137 Seminar: State Building in Europe and Asia
Group 2
Art History 5 Introduction to the Arts of Asia
Art History 10/110 Japanese Art and the West
Art History 11 Buddhist Art
Art History 13 The Arts of China
Art History 14 The Arts of Japan
Art History 15/115 Japanese Architecture
Art History 16 The Japanese Landscape Tradition
Art History 107 Japanese Narrative Painting
Art History 191 Seminar in Asian Art
Chinese 61/161 Classical Chinese Literature
Chinese 62/162 Modern Chinese Literature
Chinese 70/170 Defining Chinese Culture Today
Chinese71 Introduction to Chinese Religions
Chinese 75 Chinese Mythology
Chinese 76 The Chinese Ghost Story
Chinese 80 Chinese Cinema: 1930 to Present
Chinese 81 Cinemas of Greater China: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the PRC
Chinese 91, 92 Special Topics
Chinese 101 Foundations of Chinese Thought
Chinese 111 Cultural Perspectives on Chinese Literature
Chinese 112 Women, Gender, and Modernity in Twentieth-Century Chinese Literature
Chinese 191 Seminar: China and the West
Chinese 193, 194 Advanced Directed Study
Chinese 198, 199 Senior Honors Thesis
Comparative Religion 43 Asian Religions
Comparative Religion 53 Introduction to Chinese Religions
Comparative Religion 54 Japanese Religion
Japanese 61/161 An Introduction to Japanese Culture
Japanese 62/162 Modern Japanese Literature
Japanese 63/163 Postwar Japanese Literature: Modern to Postmodern
Japanese 80 Japanese Film
Japanese 84 East-West Perspectives on Fascism: Germany and Japan
Japanese 91, 92 Special Topics
Japanese 110 Major Japanese Writers
Japanese 111 Japanese Poetry
Japanese 112 Major Japanese Film Directors
Japanese 113 Japanese Visual Culture
Japanese 123 Advanced Readings in Japanese Culture
Japanese 163 Postwar Japanese Literature: Modern to Postmodern
Japanese 191E Seminar: Japan
and Postmodernism
Music 27/127 Music of Asia
Music 72 Tufts Javanese Gamelan Ensemble
For more detailed information, please visit the website http://www.tufts.edu/as/ger_rus_asian/.
To view Course Descriptions, please go to: http://webcenter.studentservices.tufts.edu/courses/main.asp.