Undergraduate Bulletin

Fall 2024

Requirements for the Major and Minor in Asian and Asian American Studies

The major in Asian and Asian American Studies leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All courses taken for the major must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher. Completion of the major requires 39 credits, including at least 21 upper-division credits.

A. Language Proficiency (6 credits)

Majors are required to take at least six credits (or the equivalent of one year) of college study of an Asian language at the intermediate level or above. Students who already have a pre-established language proficiency in an Asian language can be exempt from this requirement with approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and in that case, they should take two additional AAS courses at 200-level or above.

B. Core Courses to Asian and Asian American Studies (9 credits)

Majors are required to take three of the core courses to AAS major:

  • AAS 102 Eastern Religions
  • AAS 201 Introduction to the Civilization of the Indian Subcontinent
  • AAS 216 Introduction to Japanese Studies
  • AAS 217 Introduction to Korean Culture
  • AAS 220 China: Language and Culture
  • AAS 232 Introduction to Asian American Fiction and Film

Students may substitute courses not listed, with Director of Undergraduate Studies approval.

C. Areas of Focus (15 credits)

Majors are required to take fifteen credits from one area of focus , including at least nine credits from upper-division courses. Students are encouraged to construct their own analytic focus within the major in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Note: Students may substitute courses not listed under their chosen Area of Focus with Director of
Undergraduate Studies approval.

1) Asian Philosophy and Religions

 Courses in this area of focus include but are not limited to:

2) Literature, Arts, and Culture of Asia

 Courses in this area of focus include but are not limited to:

  •  AAS 110 Appreciating Indian Music
  •  AAS 212 Asian and Asian American Studies Topics in the Humanities
  •  AAS 232 Introduction to Asian American Fiction and Film
  •  AAS 237 Introduction to Japanese Literature
  •  AAS 247 Modern Korea through Visual Culture
  •  AAS 320 Literature of India
  •  AAS 321 Korean Literature
  •  AAS 322 Literature of Japan
  •  AAS 327 Great Epics of India: Ramayana and Mahabharata
  •  AAS 391 Humanities Topics in Asian and Asian American Studies
  •  AAS 394 Topics in Asian Art
  •  AAS 440 Inter-Asia Cultural Studies

3) Society and Contemporary Issues

 Courses in this area of focus include but are not limited to:

  •  AAS 211 Asian and Asian American Studies Topics in the Social Sciences
  •  AAS 219 Japan in the Age of Courtier and Samurai 
  •  AAS 223 China: Society and Civilization
  •  AAS 232 Introduction to Asian American Fiction and Film
  •  AAS 247 Modern Korea through Visual Culture
  •  AAS 328 Race, Humor and Asian America
  •  AAS 338 Contemporary India: History, Politics, and Diplomacy
  •  AAS 339 Contemporary China: History, Politics, and Diplomacy
  •  AAS 343 Modern Japan
  •  AAS 351 Revolutionary China: Politics, Culture, and Power
  •  AAS 352 Environmental History of China
  •  AAS 353 Postwar Japan
  •  AAS 357 India's Foreign Policy
  •  AAS 370 Intercultural Communication
  •  AAS 372 Family, Marriage, and Kinship in China
  •  AAS 379 Ethnicity and Ecology in China
  •  AAS 392 Social Science Topics in Asian and Asian American Studies

4) Region and Language

Courses in this area of focus include but are not limited to:

  •  AAS 211 Asian and Asian American Studies Topics in the Social Sciences
  •  AAS 212 Asian and Asian American Studies Topics in the Humanities
  •  AAS 219 Japan in the Age of Courtier and Samurai
  •  AAS 237 Introduction to Japanese Literature
  •  AAS 247 Modern Korea through Visual Culture
  •  AAS 320 Literature of India
  •  AAS 321 Korean Literature
  •  AAS 322 Literature of Japan
  •  AAS 323 Language and Society in South Korea
  •  AAS 324 Language and Society in North Korea
  •  AAS 326 Indian Mythology
  •  AAS 327 Great Epics of India: Ramayana and Mahabharata
  •  AAS 330 Language and Society in South Asia
  •  AAS 337 History of Korea
  •  AAS 338 Contemporary India: History, Politics, and Diplomacy
  •  AAS 339 Contemporary China: History, Politics, and Diplomacy
  •  AAS 343 Modern Japan
  •  AAS 344 Learning of Asian Languages
  •  AAS 351 Revolutionary China: Politics, Culture, and Power
  •  AAS 352 Environmental History of China
  •  AAS 353 Postwar Japan
  •  AAS 370 Intercultural Communication
  •  AAS 371 Ancient China
  •  AAS 372 Family, Marriage, and Kinship in China
  •  AAS 379 Cultural Diversity of China
  •  AAS 385 Translation Studies of Asian Languages
  •  AAS 391 Humanities Topics in Asian and Asian American Studies
  •  AAS 392 Social Science Topics in Asian and Asian American Studies
  •  AAS 400 Seminar in Korean Studies
  •  CHI 426 Structure of Chinese
  •  JPN 426 Structure of Japanese
  •  KOR 426 Structure of Korean

D. Asian and Asian American Studies Electives (6 credits)

Majors are required to take two electives in AAS to meet the total credit and upper-division credit requirements.

E. Senior Seminar (3 credits)

Majors are required to take the following course as a capstone requirement:

  • AAS 401 Senior Seminar in Asian and Asian American Studies

F. Upper-Division Writing Requirement

By the end of their junior year, students must register for the 0-credit AAS 459: Write Effectively in Asian and
Asian American Studies, and complete one upper-division course from requirements C that includes a minimum of ten pages of written English work. Written assignments for the course must be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies for assessment of advanced writing skills appropriate to the major. This review is separate from the evaluation made by the course instructor and has no effect on the course grade.

Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education.  Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate.  The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.

Notes:

1. A course is used to satisfy only one requirement category. 

2. At least 12 of the upper-division credits must be taken at Stony Brook University. 

3. Acceptable courses may include, but are not limited to courses with the following designators: ANT, ARH, CCS, CHI, CLT, ENG, HIN, HIS, JPN, KOR, LIN, PHI, POL, RLS, SKT, SOC, THR. 

The Honors Program in Asian & Asian American Studies (AAS)

To be eligible to participate in the honors program, majors must have an overall g.p.a. of 3.00 and an average g.p.a. of 3.50 in AAS through their junior year. An eligible student wishing to write a senior thesis must find a faculty member to act as thesis advisor. The student, with the approval of this advisor, must submit a proposal of a project in writing to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The deadline for submission of the proposal is April 30 for the spring semester, and November 30 for the fall semester. Selection of candidates and topics is made by a committee within the Department. Students in the honors program must enroll in AAS 495 for the semester in which the thesis is written. The thesis is evaluated by the thesis advisor, and approved by two additional faculty. For further information consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Secondary Teacher Education Program

See the Education and Teacher Certification entry in the alphabetical listings of Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs.

Requirements for the Minor in Asian and Asian American Studies (AAS)

The Minor in Asian and Asian American Studies encourages students of any academic major to enhance their knowledge and understanding of Asian cultures, societies, and histories. Students with a minor in Asian and Asian American Studies consult with the Undergraduate Director of Asian and Asian American Studies to select a curriculum of interdisciplinary comparative study that speaks to their particular interests and career goals. All courses for the minor must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher.

Completion of the minor requires 18 credits, including at least 9 upper-division credits.

A. AAS minors are required to take six credits from the core courses.

  • AAS 102 Eastern Religions
  • AAS 201 Introduction to the Civilization of the Indian Subcontinent
  • AAS 216 Introduction to Japanese Studies
  • AAS 217 Introduction to Korean Culture
  • AAS 220 China: Language and Culture
  • AAS 232 Introduction to Asian American Fiction and Film

The choice of core courses may be changed with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies as long as the choice ensures the diversity within AAS and appropriate core knowledge needed for completing the minor in AAS.

B. AAS minors are required to take nine credits from one area of concentration, including at least six credits from upper-division courses. For available courses, refer to the AAS major requirement C.

  1. Asian Philosophy and Religions
  2. Literature, Arts, and Culture of Asia
  3. Society and Contemporary Issues
  4. Region and Language

C. Asian and Asian American Studies Elective

Minors are required to take one elective in AAS to meet the total credit and upper-division credit requirements.