Asian Studies at Macalester

Buddhist Literature

Buddhist Literature introduces students to the forms, style, and usages of Buddhist literatures, as well as considerations of their content as well as their histories of creation, commentary, and social use. We will examine the structure of Buddhist canonical literatures but will also be focused on non-canonical literatures such as stories of past-life memories, biographies, and narrative visual and physical arts. Texts from multiple traditions of Buddhism, including Theravada and Mahayana, will be included. This course's primary activities will be reading, discussion, and reflective work.

ASIA 112 - Buddhist Literature

Introduction to Buddhism

Buddhism is increasingly well-known in the USA, but what is it, and how does Buddhism encourage people to organize and think about their lives? Organized on the basis of the Eightfold Noble Path, with a focus of 'morals, the Buddhist psychology of mind, and meditation,' this course offers an introduction to the personalities, teachings, and institutions of Buddhism. Beginning in India at the time of the Buddha, this course focuses on Theravada Buddhism, asking students to think historically, philosophically, and anthropologically. Many Friday sessions will be dedicated to an exploration of the variety of Buddhist meditative techniques.

ASIA 113 - Introduction to Buddhism

Masterpieces of Chinese Literature

This course introduces students to masterpieces of Chinese poetry, drama, philosophy, and history. We begin with ancient folk songs and poems and progress historically to the twentieth century. The Chinese word for "literature" - "wenxue" - literally means "the study (xue) of patterns (wen)." In class we will search for thematic, rhythmic, stylistic, and philosophical patterns that structure individual texts. We will also discover broader social patterns that transcend individual works and bind the tradition together. All texts will be read in English translation; no knowledge of Chinese language or literature is expected. There will be frequent writing assignments.

ASIA 123 - Masterpieces of Chinese Literature

Dharma and Dao: Big Ideas in India and China

An introduction to the study of Asian religious traditions in South and East Asia (India, China and Japan). Open to everyone but especially appropriate for first and second year students.

ASIA 124 - Dharma and Dao: Big Ideas in India and China

Religions of India

An introductory level course on the popular, classical and contemporary religious traditions of South Asia. Topics include Advaita Vedanta and yoga, popular devotionalism, monastic and lay life in Theravada Buddhism, the caste system, Gandhi and modern India.

ASIA 127 - Religions of India

Introduction to East Asian Civilization

This course introduces the cultures and societies of China, Japan and Korea from the earliest times to the present day. Primarily an introductory course for beginners in East Asian civilization, this course considers a variety of significant themes in religious, political, economic, social and cultural developments in the region.

ASIA 140 - Introduction to East Asian Civilization

Language and Gender in Japanese Society

Japanese is considered to be a gendered language in the sense that women and men speak differently from each other. Male characters in Japanese animation often use "boku" or "ore" to refer to themselves, while female characters often use "watashi" or "atashi." When translated into Japanese, Hermione Granger (a female character in the Harry Potter series) ends sentences with soft-sounding forms, while Harry Potter and his best friend Ron use more assertive forms. Do these fictional representations reflect reality? How are certain forms associated with femininity or masculinity? Do speakers of Japanese conform to the norm or rebel against it? These are some of the questions discussed in this course. Students will have opportunities to learn about the history of gendered language, discover different methodologies in data collections, and find out about current discourse on language and gender.

ASIA 150 - Language and Gender in Japanese Society

Introduction to the Art of China

This course examines the art and visual culture of China from the Neolithic era to the twenty-first century. Lectures and readings will teach methods of formal visual analysis as well as provide the opportunity for students to think critically about how scholars write the artistic history of the region. Through this class, students will engage with a broad array of media, from jade carvings, Buddhist cave painting, architecture, calligraphy and monumental landscape paintings to ceramics, imperial palaces, and contemporary installations. While examining the intended meanings and functions of these objects and spaces, we will discuss the varied contexts and value systems that have informed visual production in China.

ASIA 170 - Introduction to the Art of China

Introduction to the Art of Japan

This course examines the art, architecture, and visual culture of Japan, spanning a broad temporal frame from the ancient Neolithic era to our own contemporary moment. We will discuss a diverse array of art and architecture from ancient Jomon pottery, Shinto shrines, and print media to Buddhist sculpture, painting practices during World War II, anime (cartoons) and manga (comics). In addition to learning methods of formal visual analysis, students will gain insight into how these works articulated complex artistic, social, economic, political, and religious trends. Through this course, students will develop skills to reflect critically on the production of narratives of Japanese culture, while considering concepts such as tradition, hybridity, value, authority, authenticity, sexuality, commodity flows, nationalism, and militarism.

ASIA 171 - Introduction to the Art of Japan

Cambodia: Empire to Today

This survey course examines aspects of the histories and cultures of Cambodia. Emphasizing an interdisciplinary focus, we will examine aspects of geography, language, art, and religion, moving from the enormous and significant Angkor empire to contemporary Cambodia.

ASIA 172 - Cambodia: Empire to Today

Chinese and Sinophone Music

This course explores the multitude of music as practiced and listened to among Chinese-identifying communities by closely studying selected genres, musicians, and styles in various temporal and geographical localities. Course contents cover the musical procedures and performance practices of such genres as operas, chamber instrumental music, folk singing, pop and jazz, film and theatrical music, modern concert repertoire, as well as ancient court and ritual music.

ASIA 205 - Chinese and Sinophone Music

Asian Philosophies

Did Confucius really say all those things? What does it mean to call something "zen"? The popularity of mindfulness and meditation made "Eastern Philosophy" fashionable, but what exactly does that entail? This class will be an introduction to classical Chinese philosophy, focusing on Confucianism and its rivals (Daoism, Mohism, Buddhism). Many schools of thought in East Asia offered competing views on how to live a good life; we will explore these views and chart how they responded to each other. We'll also see how Chinese thoughts were received and developed by Korean and Japanese philosophers and assess ongoing influences of these philosophies in East Asia and beyond. Texts with English translations.

ASIA 211 - Asian Philosophies

Sanskrit and Classical Religion in India

Like Latin and Greek in Europe, Sanskrit is a highly inflected language of scholarship and revered as the perfect medium for discourse on everything from science and sex to philosophy and religion. It flourished in its classical form after the age of the Buddha (5th century BC) and served as a scholarly lingua franca in India until the Islamic period. This course serves as an introduction to the grammar and script of Sanskrit, and we will advance to a point of reading simplified texts from the classical epic Ramayana. Students will be expected to attend class regularly and spend at least ten hours a week outside class studying the grammar and vocabulary. Without this sort of effort, no progress is possible in such a complex language. In addition to the rigorous study of the language, we will consider both the role of the language in classical Indian culture and religion, and some texts from the Ramayana, looking at both English translation and Sanskrit originals.

ASIA 236 - Sanskrit and Classical Religion in India

Geography of Asia: the Political Economy

Whether the twenty-first century will be dominated by the "rising Asia" has spurred recurring debates in policy and academic circles. But what is Asia? How can we understand this diverse region where more than half of the world's population resides? In this course, we will first deconstruct the idea of Asia as a cartographic entity to excavate the layered social-cultural meaning and geographical diversity of the "Asias." We will also place the "Asias" in a global context to reveal how contemporary Asia anchors the changing world political economy and cultural imaginations outside the West. We will begin with important theoretical debates on (East) Asian development that prevailed in the 1980s and 1990s, including discussions about the colonial past, the path-dependency of development and uneven industrialization, regional disparities and mega-urbanization. We will then use these debates as the foundation to explore the contemporary globalizing Asia. What are the important connections between Asian countries, and with other parts of the world? What are the roles of the "Asias" in international governance and geo-politics? Can China replace the United States as the dominant geo-economic power? These are the questions we will explore in this course.

ASIA 244 - Geography of Asia: the Political Economy

Cramming for the Exam: Education in Chinese Literature and History

China is known for its grueling examination culture. How did this culture evolve? This course examines the imperial civil service examination system, the benchmark of social and political success in imperial China. We will read the core texts of the Confucian curriculum - the Four Books and the Five Classics - to examine the values these texts promoted. We will also study frustrated scholars' fictional accounts of the unfairness of the exam system, Europeans' praise of it as a model meritocracy, and women's struggles to participate in a system that explicitly excluded them. The course invites reflection on contemporary educational practices, and culminates in a recreation of the civil service exam.

ASIA 251 - Cramming for the Exam: Education in Chinese Literature and History

Japanese Film and Animation: From the Salaryman to the Shojo

This course surveys the history of Japanese film from the "golden age" of Japanese cinema to the contemporary transnational genre of anime. While introducing methodologies of film analysis and interpretation, it develops knowledge of how major works of Japanese film and animation have expressed and critiqued issues of modern Japanese society. In doing this, we trace the development of two related archetypes: the middle-class salaryman and the adolescent girl (shojo). These figures - as well as their incarnations as cyberpunks and mecha-warriors, sex workers and teen rebels - help us explore Japanese film's engagement with the strictures of middle-class society, the constrained status of women, fantasy and escapism, sexuality and desire. Weekly screenings and discussion will be supplemented by readings in film theory and cultural criticism. Directors include Ozu Yasujiro, Akira Kurosawa, Oshima Nagisa, Miyazaki Hayao, Anno Hideaki, and Hosoda Mamoru. No prior knowledge of Japanese required.

ASIA 254 - Japanese Film and Animation: From the Salaryman to the Shojo

China on Screen

This course is an overview of China on the silver screen. Adopting the "nation" as its primary structuring device, the course examines how Chinese films represented the national identity, national issues, and the national past. The topics under discussion include how women's virtues became the emblems of a nation that strived for modernity in the early 20th century; how films were politically appropriated for the socialist construction; how the revolutionary past had been cinematically constructed, remembered and critiqued in the post-Mao era; how the national legacy and tradition were consciously or unconsciously re-created and revised as a spectacle to meet the curious gaze from the global market; and how Taiwan and Hong Kong cinema constantly reflected the issue of cultural and national identities. The course starts from the silent film period and extends to the fifth generation directors, underground filmmaking, and the revival of martial arts genre in the greater China area. Feature films from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong will be screened and discussed. Secondary articles and books are also assigned in conjunction with the films. The course is organized thematically and moves chronologically. No prior knowledge of China or Chinese is required.

ASIA 255 - China on Screen

India and its Neighbors: The Anthropology of South Asia

Introduces students to anthropological knowledge of the peoples and cultures of South Asia and to the ways in which Western knowledge of that region has been constructed. The course examines the historical and social processes that have shaped the culture and lifeways of the people who live on the subcontinent and that link the modern states of South Asia to the world beyond their frontiers.

ASIA 256 - India and its Neighbors: The Anthropology of South Asia

Gender and Sexuality in China

How are masculinity and femininity defined and transformed in modern and contemporary Chinese culture? How is the culturally constructed gender related to a larger social context? Through a rigorous analysis of the content and structure of modern and contemporary novels and films, this course examines the literary representation of gender and sexuality and its relation to the tumultuous social transformations, and engages with a variety of themes including: May Fourth enlightenment, anti-Japanese war, Socialist construction, the Cultural Revolution, and the liberalization of the post-Mao era. This course seeks to help students develop critical views of Chinese society and culture from gendered perspective, and gain familiarity with major authors, genres, and literary movements. This course assumes no prior knowledge of China or Chinese, and all reading materials are in English.

ASIA 258 - Gender and Sexuality in China

Narratives of Alienation: 20th Century Japanese Fiction and Film

The sense of being out of place in one's society or one's nation, estranged from one's self or the world - this is the feeling that has motivated many of the narratives of modern Japanese fiction. Through stories of precocious adolescents, outcast minorities, vagabond women, disillusioned soldiers, and rebellious youth, this course examines the social implications of narrative fiction (including film, anime, and manga) within the context of modern Japanese history. While introducing methods of literary analysis and developing a familiarity with major works of Japanese fiction, the course aims to cultivate an understanding of how stories can be used to engage and think abou the quandaries of modern society. We will explore the way these narratives express marginal experiences, rethink the foundations of human and societal bonds, and articulate new ways of being in the world. Works covered include stories by Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, Kawabata Yasunari, Oe Kenzaburo, Mishima Yukio, and Murakami Haruki, as well as films by Akira Kurosawa, Koreeda Hirokazu, and Otomo Katsuhiro. No knowledge of Japanese required.

ASIA 260 - Narratives of Alienation: 20th Century Japanese Fiction and Film

Religious Images/Spaces Asia

This course contemplates the definition of Sacred Art and Sacred Space by focusing on religious visual culture in Asia and examining how intangible concepts of the divine have become tangible in art and architecture. To better understand the multilayered functioning of devotional objects and spaces associated with religious doctrines such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintoism, the class will explore foundations in iconography and then compare different religious objects and spaces through concepts such as gender, state power, the body, nature, ritual, the grotesque, and death. To account for the shifting meaning of religious icons over time, the class also reflects on how the significance of religious objects changes in the space of a museum. Ultimately, this course allows us to contemplate the multifaceted ways religious beliefs have been visualized and how these manifestations exemplify systems of cultural exchange in Asia.

ASIA 270 - Religious Images/Spaces Asia

Japan and the (Inter)National Modern

This course introduces students to the art and visual culture of Japan from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century, a period of Japanese history marked by dramatic cultural, political, and social change. The class focuses primarily on the visual arts from the 1850s to 1945, a time when modernism and modernity were seen (by some) as empowering and (by others) as a threat to foundations of national identity; we will also consider artistic practices in the postwar era to understand the "crisis of the modern" that developed in the first decades after the war as artists struggled to find their individual and national voices. Drawing on a diverse array of artistic forms and visual media, including painting, prints, sculpture, architecture, anime (Japanese cartoons), film, photography, advertising design, and manga (Japanese comics), we explore themes such as trauma, nationalism, imperialism, fascism, protest, hybridity, fantasy, embodiment, and performativity. Students will be asked to consider critically how these works operated as a part of international flows in art, design, and consumerism as well as how they contributed to evolving modern identities in Japan.

ASIA 271 - Japan and the (Inter)National Modern

The Great Tradition in China before 1840

A study of the traditional culture and society of China from earliest times to the eighteenth century, when the impact of the West was strongly felt. The course will be based on detailed study of selected significant themes in Chinese history. Lecture/discussion format.

ASIA 274 - The Great Tradition in China before 1840

The Rise of Modern China

A study of leading institutions and movements of nineteenth- and twentieth-century China. Major emphases include the impact of Western imperialism, the transformation of peasant society through revolution, the rise of Mao Tse-Tung, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Special attention will be given to U.S.-China relations.

ASIA 275 - The Rise of Modern China

The Great Tradition in Japan before 1853

A survey of the major political, social, religious, intellectual, economic and artistic developments in Japan from earliest times to the opening of Japan in the 1850s. It also examines Japan's relations with its close neighbors, Korea and China.

ASIA 276 - The Great Tradition in Japan before 1853

The Rise of Modern Japan

Japan's rapid industrialization in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and its phenomenal rise as the number two economic power in the world after the devastation wrought by World War II, have led many scholars to declare Japan a model worthy of emulation by all "developing" nations. After an examination of feudal Japan, this course probes the nature and course of Japan's "amazing transformation" and analyzes the consequences of its strengths as a nation-state. Considerable study of Japanese art, literature, and religion will be undertaken and American attitudes toward the Japanese and their history will also be examined.

ASIA 277 - The Rise of Modern Japan

Language and Identity in Japanese, Asian American, and Other Communities

This course aims to investigate the complex relationship between language and identity in Japanese, Asian American, and other diasporic communities. Language plays a significant role in conveying one’s identity, as do other semiotic means such as clothing. By exploring scholarship that considers language as it relates to identity, students will discover how speakers/writers use their agency in expressing their identity and how identity emerges as a social and cultural phenomenon. They will learn about multiple interrelated factors that affect how speakers/writers view and use language such as race, ethnicity, nationality, and multilingualism. No knowledge of Asian languages is required.

ASIA 282 - Language and Identity in Japanese, Asian American, and Other Communities

Bruce Lee, His Life and Legacy

This discussion-based course is entirely focused on Bruce Lee, the actor and leading martial arts icon of the 20th century. Using American Studies and Critical Race Studies frames to examine the construction of racialized and gendered bodies, we will discuss Bruce Lee in terms of his biography, identities, politics, philosophy, and filmography. We will take time to appreciate the entertainment value and athleticism that Bruce Lee brought to his work, but we will also learn to distinguish the commercialized, commodified Bruce Lee (from t-shirts to posters to action figures) from the serious historical figure who symbolized the spirit of cultural independence and political sovereignty around the world. Among the required books and movies: The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, and "Way of the Dragon" (1972).

ASIA 283 - Bruce Lee, His Life and Legacy

U.S. Imperialism from the Philippines to Viet Nam

In this discussion-based seminar, we will examine U.S. Global presence through the lenses of empire, diaspora, and transnationalism. We will look specifically at U.S. involvement in the Philippines and Viet Nam from 1898 to 1975 as moments of military occupation and cultural domination, as well as turning points for U.S. nation-building. What is "imperialism" and how is it different from "hegemony"? How did U.S. imperial adventures in Asia help to recreate a Western geographic imaginary of the "East"? How did they reshape or reconfigure "American" positions and identities? Under what circumstances were former imperial subjects allowed to generate racialized communities? To what extent are memories of U.S. conflicts in Asia cultivated, proliferated, twisted, or suppressed? What lessons can be garnered for the contemporary historical moment? Other topics for exploration include: internment, transracial adoption, commemorations of war, and anti-imperialist/anti-war movements.

ASIA 315 - U.S. Imperialism from the Philippines to Viet Nam

Asian Cities

Since the last century, Asia has experienced rapid urbanization. It is now home to over half of the world's most populated cities. By 2010, the urban population in the Asia-Pacific region has surpassed the population of the United States and the European Union combined. In this course, we will focus on cities in East, Southeast and South Asia. We will first contextualize the rapid urbanization in the region's changing political economy, and identify urban issues that are unique to this region. We will further explore different theoretical approaches to understand Asian cities; several of them challenge mainstream urban theories rooted in the experiences of West European and North American cities. Upon the completion of this course, students will acquire substantive knowledge on contemporary trends of urban development in Asia, and develop familiarity with related ongoing theoretical debates. In addition, students will conduct individual research projects to develop deeper and more concrete understanding of the contemporary urbanization processes in Asia.

ASIA 320 - Asian Cities

Analyzing Japanese Language

Our perception is greatly influenced by the language we use. Without knowing, we limit ourselves to thinking that our current perspective is the only way by which to view ourselves and the world. By analyzing Japanese, students can experience perceptual and cultural systems that are different from their own. At the same time, students may also discover that there are certain qualities that are common even in "exotic" languages such as Japanese. What is the function of the topic marker? Why can't you translate "he is cold" into Japanese word for word? Why are there so many different personal pronouns in Japanese? How do you express your feelings in Japanese? What is the relationship between your identity and gendered speech? This course provides opportunities to discuss these questions that students of Japanese commonly have. Students will also experience examining authentic Japanese data. Japanese Language and Culture majors who are juniors and seniors may count this course as their capstone experience.

ASIA 335 - Analyzing Japanese Language

Living on the Edge: The Asian American Experience

The Asian American experience will be used to examine the role of cultural heritage in how one views oneself, one's own ethnic group and the dominant culture. This interdisciplinary course consists of experiencing the art, reading the literature and history, and discussing the current issues of several Asian American communities. Topics include the role of women, stereotype, racism and assimilation.

ASIA 340 - Living on the Edge: The Asian American Experience

Embodiment and Subjectivity in Later Chinese Art

The development of art and identities in China over the last 400 years has been, literally, revolutionary. From the Manchu rule of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and the emergence of the Chinese Republic (1912-1949) to the radical changes at work during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) under Mao Zedong and the appearance of complex reactionary artistic voices since the late 1970s, we have seen the dynamic development of modern subjectivities, evolving cultural connoisseurship, ethnic tensions, new definitions of citizenry, and counter-movements led by cynical agitators. Art and design have played a critical role in these developments, functioning as a formal and symbolic language through which communities and notions of personhood could form. This class draws on themes such as gender, sexuality, militarism, ethnicity, and commodity culture to delve into the rich resonance between the representation of the human figure and the expression of diverse identities. Students will not only learn to look closely at and write critically about a variety of media including paintings, calligraphy, prints, films, posters, performance art, and installations, but will also relate this historical cultural production to contemporaneous artistic, social, and political discourses. In the process, we will complicate notions of "Chinese" art and "Chinese" identity in Asia and on the global stage.

ASIA 350 - Embodiment and Subjectivity in Later Chinese Art

Cyber China: Internet and Contemporary Culture

What is the "Great Firewall of China?" What does it say on the symbolic power of the state, the civilians, as well as censorship and resistance politics? The Internet has played an increasingly important role in shaping contemporary Chinese life in many ways. The technology-enabled spaces have expanded to encompass a vast array of cultural forms. They have become an arena of intense contention and contestation among multiple political forces. This senior capstone course explores various aspects of the Internet culture in mainland China, combining close examination of up-to-date online content in original Chinese language with evaluation of scholarly discourse on the Chinese internet. The goal of the seminar is to look at different ways of conceptualizing Chinese internet culture. It will also consider the implications of online communication and cultural production both for contemporary Chinese culture in general, and students' own research in particular.

ASIA 353 - Cyber China: Internet and Contemporary Culture

War Crimes and Memory in East Asia

This course's main goal is to introduce evidence of the major crimes and atrocities during World War II in East Asia such as the Nanjing Massacre, biochemical warfare (Unit 731), the military sexual slavery ("comfort women") system, the forced labor system, and inhumane treatment of POWs. The course will also help students understand the contemporary geo-political and socio-economic forces that affect how East Asians and Westerners collectively remember and reconstruct World War II.

ASIA 378 - War Crimes and Memory in East Asia

Independent Project

Juniors and above may pursue an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member in or associated with Asian Studies.

ASIA 611 - Independent Project

Internship

Sophomores and above may extend their learning beyond Macalester by working for an organization or institution related to Asia, usually in the Twin Cities.

ASIA 621 - Internship

Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples (SIT Study Abroad)

This set-curriculum study away program examines Tibetan and Himalayan society, geopolitics, religion, and arts. With a program base in Kathmandu, students learn about traditional Tibetan civilizations, politics, and Buddhist history, as well as study the contemporary issues faced by communities in exile, within Tibetan communities in Nepal. All courses are conducted in English with other study away students, and are taught by the Academic Directors and other local faculty. The program is comprised of area studies and language seminars, community visits, and a final required Independent Study Project (ISP) or internship. All students take a Tibetan language course, have 2 homestay opportunities, and multiple excursions built into the curriculum of the program.

Nepal Program (Pitzer College)

Pitzer College in Nepal emphasizes cultural and language learning through all program components - family stays, language classes, lectures, field trips, community projects, and independent study. The integrated curriculum enables students to interact more closely with the people and cultures of Nepal. This program is affiliated with the University of Tribhuvan. The program's coursework consists of Intensive Nepali Language, Nepal Studies, and a Directed Independent Study Project. The program is intense and students' days are filled with coursework, community engagement, and time spent with homestay families.

India: Global and Public Health (IFSA)

The Global and Public Health program at Manipal University offers students a comprehensive overview of public health in India, as well as a multi-disciplinary array of courses focused on Indian culture, politics, and society. Students in enroll in 15 credits with a core course in Contemporary Indian Culture and four electives. Students stay in residence halls with local students. The program includes a weekly public health clinic visit as part of the core curriculum and opportunities to conduct research (3 credit course). Local excursions are available during orientation, throughout the curriculum, and for a week-long excursion.

Contemporary India (IFSA)

This program takes an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the pressing issues facing Indian society, politics, economics, and culture today. All courses are offered in English and the program is located in Pune, India. Students enroll in five courses for a total of 15 credits, which includes a required core course and a field component course (internship, directed research, or documentary film), plus three electives. The elective courses are offered on a variety of area studies topics, including Indian politics, development, public health, environmental studies, sociology, Hindi, and film studies. The program also offers co-curricular classes in traditional Indian vocals, instruments, or dance. This program's housing is a homestay, and includes various excursions.

Kansai Gaidai University (Direct Enroll)

Students in this program enroll directly in the Asian Studies Program at Kansai Gaidai University located in Hirakata City, near Osaka, Japan. Courses include up to 8 credit hours of Japanese language courses, and English-taught electives in the Social Sciences, Studio Art, Humanities, and Business/Economics with content focused on Japan or Asia.

Nagoya Direct Enrollment – Nanzan University (IES Abroad)

This is a direct enroll program at the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) at Nanzan University, with additional program support provided by the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES). The CJS is well-known for providing an integrated and intensive learning experience in Japanese language and culture for English-speaking international students. Students are required to enroll in 3-4 courses per semester (15-18 credits), including 8 credits of required Japanese language. The remaining credits can be split among English-taught area studies, Japanese-taught Arts, or Japanese-taught Seminars (for advanced language students). Students participate in a variety of excursions and may be able to get involved in student organizations. Housing is provided in residence halls or homestays.

Japan (CET)

This program, based at Osaka Gakuin University, provides students with an intensive Japanese-language learning experience. Students complete the equivalent of at least one year of university-level Japanese study in one semester. In addition to the intensive Japanese language course (11 credits) students select from a variety of elective options focused on local topics (3-7 credits). Courses are with other students from US colleges and universities. Integration with locals occurs in housing where students live in a shared apartment with Japanese roommates.

Arts and Sciences in Tokyo (CIEE)

This is a direct-enroll program located at Sophia University with additional support provided by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Japanese courses are offered at all levels. Students take one language course and three elective courses taught in English, or they can enroll in intensive Japanese and take two additional electives in English.

Japan Study at Waseda University

This is a spring semester program based at Waseda University's School for International Liberal Studies that features intensive language study and area studies courses in English covering a wide range of subjects. Field trips are included, and extracurricular activities are encouraged. Homestays are the primary housing option for this program.

Taiwan (CET)

This is a study away program based at national Taiwan University that provides students with an intensive Chinese-language learning experience and an internship. Students complete 12 credits of Chinese language instruction choosing to study either traditional or simplified characters. In addition to the intensive Chinese language coursework, students select an internship with a local organization. Courses are with other students from US colleges and universities. Integration with locals occurs in housing where students live in a shared apartment with Taiwanese roommates.