Asian Studies Certificate

The undergraduate certificate in Asian Studies Students offers students a multi-disciplinary course of study that will provide them with in-depth training in a special area that may be particularly useful as they pursue careers in such fields as Academia, Law, Public History, Education, Business, and even Medicine. Students can practice their profession abroad or use their international experience to expand their understandings of these regions as they work with topics on or populations from diverse parts of Asia. The certificate complements any major in the university and is also appropriate for non-degree students who might like to return to the university for mid-career training.

Requirements

• Two years of an Asian language (or equivalent), which serve as the program's core requirement
• Minimum of 15 credits of approved electives.
• A minimum of a 3.0 GPA in the courses that will fulfill the certificate.
• The student must be in good standing in his/her major department, if enrolled in a degree program.

Language Core

Two years of an Asian language offered by the University of Akron or any other accredited institution. Students may also fulfill the language requirement by demonstrating competency in the equivalent of a fourth-semester-level of his/her chosen language at the FS-1 level (U.S. Dept. of State) or equivalent level. Currently, the University of Akron offers Chinese and Japanese:

• JAPN 101 Beginning Japanese (4 credits)
• JAPN 102 Beginning Japanese 2 (4 credits)
• JAPN 201 Intermediate Japanese (3 credits)
• JAPN 202 Intermediate Japanese 2 (3 credits)
• MODL 101 Beginning Chinese (4 credits)
• MODL 102 Beginning Chinese 2 (4 credits)
• MODL 201 Intermediate Chinese (3 credits)
• MODL 202 Intermediate Chinese 2 (3 credits)

Multi-Disciplinary Electives

Students must choose 15 credits of electives from at least two departments. Exceptions or substitutions are only made with the director's approval. Credits will be provided with the director’s approval for study and certain experiences abroad in Asian countries.

• MODL 360 Asia (3 credits)
• GEOL 141 Natural Environment of China (1 credit)
• GEOL 495 Field Studies in Geology* (3 credits)
• HIST 200 Empires of Ancient Asia (3 credits)
• HIST 300 Imperial China (3 credits)
• HIST 301 Mao’s China (3 credits)
• HIST 303 Japan (3 credits)
• HIST 373 Special Topics (non-Western) (3 credits)
• HIST 382 The Vietnam War (3 credits)
• HIST 400 Women in Revolutionary China (3 credits)
• HIST 401 Japan and the Pacific War, 1895-1945 (3 credits)
• HIST 416 Modern India (3 credits)
• HIST 496 Special Studies (non-Western) (3 credits)
• JAPN 304 Japanese Culture through Film (2 credits)
• ART 401 Special Topics*** (1-3 credits)
• DNCE 112 World Dance: Asia (1 credit)
• DNCE 114 World Dance: Pacific Rim (1 credit)

*Field Studies in Geology abroad (in an Asian country) counts for double credits.

***Recent special-topics courses with Asia-content in Art History include “The Art of India,” “The Art of China,” “The Art of Korea and Japan,” and “The Art of Buddhist Japan.”

Courses with comparative content are encouraged. Any course that has significant Asian content (and for which the student has presented substantial written work on an Asian topic) may count as an elective with the director’s approval. Students should consult with the director for help planning an appropriate course of study.