The Asian Studies Program is an interdisciplinary, undergraduate program that explores the languages, histories, and cultures of the peoples of Asia. It offers a major and a minor.
The ASP major and minor enable students to gain a sophisticated critical understanding of Asia. At the same time, ASP students learn to interrogate the world and themselves through the lens of another language and culture. Like all Northwestern students, ASP students hone their aptitude for asking good questions and analyzing problems, conducting research, and effectively presenting ideas in writing or in speech. Such skills, knowledge, and habits of mind are the hallmarks of a rigorous liberal arts education at a great university like Northwestern. These abilities provide a foundation for success in a wide range of careers. Some of our graduates go on to law, management, or medical schools with the intention of practicing their professions abroad where they can make use of their specialized area knowledge. Others move directly into jobs with schools, businesses, media, government, or non-profit organizations. Some go on to graduate study in the humanities, social sciences, or the natural or life sciences—perhaps with a continuing focus on Asia—with the aim of working in academe or of pursuing one of a myriad of possible career paths. Some graduates work primarily in Asia or elsewhere overseas, while others remain in North America or live and work in a variety of places. On the whole, our graduates enjoy career success in an array of professions.
ASP provides opportunities for undergraduates to learn in depth about some part of the vast area covered by Asia . Some majors go on to law, management or medical schools with the intention of practicing their professions abroad where they can make use of their specialized area knowledge. Other majors move directly into jobs with schools or non-profit organizations or businesses. All students who take ASP courses enrich themselves by expanding their understanding and empathy for rich civilizations distant from American experience.
While Northwestern does not have an Asian Studies area program at the graduate level, graduate students may study these areas in discipline-based departments such as History, Art History, Political Science, Comparative Literature, Anthropology, and Sociology.
ASP includes faculty specialists from Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences as well as other Northwestern schools. The program is an umbrella program rather than a department, meaning that it draws on the resources of many departmentally-based faculty to teach the courses in the program. It offers students of all schools at Northwestern the choice of a disciplinary major, an adjunct major, or a minor, with concentrations on East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The Asian Languages and Civilizations major requires a minimum of two years of study of a relevant language (Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, or Korean) past the first year level. We require/strongly encourage students to study abroad. (The requirement can be waived if a student is unable to spend at least a quarter/semester abroad.) We also offer an honors program in which majors may complete an independent study and write a senior research thesis.
Asian Languages and Civilizations major. Asian Studies minor. For more information, see http://www.asian-studies.northwestern.edu
