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, where they will 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, plus a 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:

3560 101 Beginning Japanese (4 credits)
3560 102 Beginning Japanese 2 (4 credits)
3560 201 Intermediate Japanese (3 credits)
3560 202 Intermediate Japanese 2 (3 credits)
3500 101 Beginning Chinese (4 credits)
3500 102 Beginning Chinese 2 (4 credits)
3500 201 Intermediate Chinese (3 credits)
3500 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.

3350 360 Asia (3 credits)
3370 141 Natural Environment of China (1 credit)
3370 495 Field Studies in Geology*(3 credits)
3400 200 Empires of Ancient Asia (3 credits)
3400 300 Imperial China (3 credits)
3400 301 Mao’s China (3 credits)
3400 303 Japan (3 credits)
3400 373 Special Topics (non-Western) (3 credits)
3400 382 The Vietnam War (3 credits)
3400 385 World Civilizations: China**(2 credits)
3400 386 World Civilizations: Japan**(2 credits)
3400 387 World Civilizations: Southeast Asia**(2 credits)
3400 388 World Civilizations: India**(2 credits)
3400 400 Women in Revolutionary China (3 credits)
3400 401 Japan and the Pacific War, 1895-1945 (3 credits)
3400 416 Modern India (3 credits)
3400 496 Special Studies (non-Western) (3 credits)
3560 304 Japanese Culture through Film (2 credits)
7100 401 Special Topics***(1-3 credits)
7915 112 World Dance: Asia (1 credit)
7915 114 World Dance: Pacific Rim (1 credit)

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

**Only one World Civ class will be counted toward the certificate credits unless the course involves travel abroad, in which case double credits will be awarded. World Civ classes do fulfill a Gen-Ed requirement.

***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.