Asian Humanities majors choose their main language concentration in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, South Asian, or Southeast Asian languages, while simultaneously acquiring broad cultural competence by taking courses from at least four countries or areas across Asia. This provides students with a combination of strong language skills and the knowledge necessary to engage with various aspects of multiple Asian societies. Students who complete this major have the linguistic and cultural competence to work in various fields related to Asia, including business, finance, trade, journalism, diplomacy, cultural institutions and non-profit organizations, education, and academia.
Learning Outcomes
- Identification of major elements of cultures in Asia, with particular attention to chosen regions of expertise
- Assessment of the social contours of a given Asian society, and explanation of ways in which dynamics within communities and other social structures shape the course of events
- Understanding of the role that language and literature play in reflecting and influencing Asian societies, across time and different literary genres
- Formulation of effective written and oral arguments that address important themes and issues in Asian arts and cultures, in ways that are historically appropriate and relevant to particular contexts
- Conduct research on Asian languages, literatures, and other cultural elements, making effective and critical use of primary and secondary source materials
- Appreciation of the central place of religion in Asian cultures, with focus on chosen region of expertise and tradition of focus
Curriculum & Requirements
All students who wish to take an Asian language course at UCLA must take the appropriate language placement exam. The exam determines which course is most appropriate for the student’s current level of proficiency. Students who have obtained college credit for a class may not repeat those courses for credit.
The Asian Humanities Major allows students to concentrate in one Asian language while learning about Asia through an interdisciplinary program of study.
- All majors will graduate with at least 3rd-year level of an Asian language, having acquired advanced-level proficiency or beyond
- Majors will take one Asia-based General Education (GE) course.
- Majors are required to take at least four upper-division electives spread across four different areas: Asian, China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, or Southeast Asia (includes Filipino and Vietnamese electives)
Lower Division Preparation
Lower division
- Intermediate level language: Level 6, 6A or equivalent in an Asian language
- One (1) of the civilization/religion courses offered by the department
The Major
Upper Division (11 courses)
- Five (3) upper division language courses in one Asian language
- Eight (8) upper division courses offered by the ALC department. At least one course is required from four out of the six subject areas (Asian, Chinam, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia)
To plan for the Asian Humanities Major, please consult the UCLA Registrar Catalog and the ALC Department Asian Humanities Major Worksheet:
Faculty in Asian Humanities
Stephanie Balkwill
Associate Professor
Buddhist Studies
balkwill@humnet.ucla.edu
Michael Berry
Professor
Chinese film and literature, translation
berry@humnet.ucla.edu
Paula R. Curtis
Academic Administrator
prcurtis@g.ucla.edu
Nina Duthie
Associate Teaching Professor
Premodern Chinese Literature and Cultural History
nduthie@humnet.ucla.edu
Torquil Duthie
Professor, Department Chair
Premodern Japanese literary culture
duthie@humnet.ucla.edu
George Dutton
Professor
Southeast Asian Studies and Vietnamese History
dutton@humnet.ucla.edu
Michael Emmerich
Professor, Yanai Initiative Director
Japanese Literature
Sarfaraz A. Farooque
Lecturer
Language and literature
farooque@humnet.ucla.edu
424-259-5742
Christopher P. Hanscom
Professor, Vice-Chair
Modern Korean Literature
chanscom@ucla.edu
Stephanie W. Jamison
Professor
Asian Religions, Indo-Iranian Literatures
jamison@humnet.ucla.edu
310-206-7736
Jennifer Jung-Kim
Senior Lecturer
Korean history, women's history, food studies
jungkim@ucla.edu
Nadia Kanagawa
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Suk-Young Kim
Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and External Engagement; Head of Theater and Performance Studies
skim@tft.ucla.edu
Namhee Lee
Professor
History of Modern Korea
nlee@humnet.ucla.edu
Min Li
Associate Professor
Chinese Archaeology
limin@humnet.ucla.edu
Seiji M. Lippit
Professor
Post-war Modern Japanese Literature and Film
lippit@humnet.ucla.edu
Huijun Mai
Assistant Professor
Medieval Chinese literature and cultural history
hmai@humnet.ucla.edu
Cindy Anh Nguyen
Assistant Professor, Department of Information Studies, Digital Humanities Program
cnguyen@seis.ucla.edu
Thu-Huong Nguyen-Vo
Professor
nguyenvo@humnet.ucla.edu
310-267-4587
Sung Deuk Oak
Dongsoon Im and Mija Im Endowed Chair Associate Professor of Korean Christianity
oak@humnet.ucla.edu
Oona Paredes
Associate Professor
Southeast Asia, Indigenous Studies, Philippines
oparedes@humnet.ucla.edu
David C. Schaberg
Professor
Classical Chinese poetry and thought
schaberg@humnet.ucla.edu
Shu-mei Shih
Professor
Sinophone Studies/Comparative Literature
shih@humnet.ucla.edu
Satoko Shimazaki
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies
Early Modern Japanese Theater and Literature
shimazaki@humnet.ucla.edu
Jordan Smith
Assistant Adjunct Professor
oyabaka@ucla.edu
Sixiang Wang
Associate Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Language Program Coordinator (Korean)
History of Premodern Korea and East Asia
six@ucla.edu
Yinghui Wu
Associate Professor
Early Modern Chinese Literature and Culture
yinghui@humnet.ucla.edu
For more information about our majors, please contact the ALC Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer
Ryan Chae
Student Affairs Officer (Undergraduate)
ryan.chae@humnet.ucla.edu