East Asian Studies

The East Asian studies (EST) program is an interdisciplinary approach to the languages, history, and culture of this important part of the world. EST majors and minors can meet the requirements for either a humanities or social science division, depending on the student's course choices.

Students majoring or minoring in EST must take classes from at least three departments to achieve a broad and deep understanding of East Asia. Cross-listed courses will be considered according to the parent department of the course.

Note: For the purposes of this major, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean do not count as separate departments, as they are all housed in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (MLC). The different departments at URochester that currently offer EST-relevant courses are:

  • Art and art history
  • Anthropology
  • History
  • Modern languages and cultures
  • Religion and classics

Jump to information about:

East Asian Studies Major

The East Asian Studies major consists of ten courses. At least two of the ten courses taken must satisfy the University’s upper-level writing requirement. (The capstone will count as one of these two courses.) The major is structured as follows*:

  • Two courses in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language at the 151 level or above
  • Three foundational courses
  • Four electives
  • One capstone

A student who places out of available language courses may waive the language requirement with EST advisor approval, but they must still take ten classes to complete the major. Their major would then consist of:

  • Three foundational courses
  • Six electives
  • One capstone

Requirements

Prerequisites (Not Counted Toward Major)

Students who have not previously studied Chinese, Japanese, or Korean will be required to take one year of language coursework as a pre-requisite before they can take the required advanced language courses.

These students will take one of the following two-course series:  

  • CHIN 101: Elementary Chinese I and CHIN 102: Elementary Chinese II
  • JPNS 101: Elementary Japanese I and JPNS 102: Elementary Japanese II
  • KORE 101: Elementary Korean I and KORE 102: Elementary Korean II

Students who place into language courses at the 151 level and above are not required to complete any language pre-requisite and may start with advanced language courses.

Advanced Language (Two Courses)

Students not waiving the language requirement will need to take at least one year, or two semesters, of language coursework at the 151 level or above.

Choose two sequential courses from one language area:

  • Chinese: CHIN 151: Intermediate Chinese I, CHIN 152: Intermediate Chinese II, CHIN 202: Advanced Intermediate Chinese I, CHIN 203: Advanced Intermediate Chinese II, CHIN 205: Advanced Chinese I, CHIN 206: Advanced Chinese II
  • Japanese: JPNS 151: Intermediate Japanese I, JPNS 152: Intermediate Japanese I, JPNS 201: Advanced Intermediate Japanese I, JPNS 202: Advanced Intermediate Japanese II, JPNS 205: Advanced Japanese I, JPNS 206: Advanced Japanese II
  • Korean: KORE 151: Intermediate Korean I, KORE 152: Intermediate Korean II, KORE 201: Advanced Intermediate Korean I, KORE 202: Advanced Intermediate Korean II

No more than two language courses will be permitted toward the ten-course requirement for the major.

Foundational Survey Courses (Three Courses)

Students must take three foundational survey courses, one from each group (A, B, and C):

Group A—Pre-modern East Asia:

  • AHST 142: Arts of East Asia
  • AHST 115: Arts of China
  • CHIN 214: Dream of the Red Chamber
  • CHIN 216: Social Turmoil and Civic Responsibility
  • CHIN 219: Monsters, Ghosts, Fairies, and Gods
  • HIST 195: Premodern Japan (last offered 2024-5)
  • RELC 105: Asian Search for Self
  • RELC 106: From Confucius to Zen
  • RELC 174: Chinese Religions
  • RELC 269: Reinventing Bodhisattvas and God in China

Group B—Modern East Asia:

  • AHST 268: Media, Reform and Revolution in China
  • CHIN 217: Volatility and Change in 20th Century Chinese Literature
  • CHIN 222: Gender, Sexuality, and Desire in 20th Century Chinese Literature
  • HIST 143: Modern China (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 145: Modern Japan (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 200: Gateway: Japanese Empire and its Afterlives (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 346: East Asia and the Cold War (last offered 2024-5)
  • JPNS 214: Atomic Creatures: Godzilla
  • JPNS 219: Tourist Japan
  • JPNS 226: I am a Cat: Self-Writing in Japanese Literature

Group C—Contemporary East Asia:

  • ANTH 257: Contemporary Chinese Society
  • CHIN 223: Memory and Meaning in Post-Mao Literature
  • JPNS 237: East Asian Metropolises in Literature and Film
  • JPNS 245: Japanese Science Fiction and Planetary Possible Futures
  • JPNS 293: Life and Anime
  • RELC 175: Religion and Chinese Society
Electives (Four Courses)

The same course cannot be used both as a foundation course and an elective course. When choosing electives, students should keep in mind that the majority of their seven non-language and non-capstone courses should be at the 200-level or above.

Reach out to your EST faculty advisor if you’d like to take a course not on this list to determine whether it may be included as part of your major.

Sample list of available electives:

  • AHST 142: Arts of East Asia*
  • AHST 115: Arts of China*
  • AHST 255: Yuan Paintings
  • ANTH 257: Contemporary Chinese Society*
  • CHIN 214: Dream of the Red Chamber*
  • CHIN 216: Social Turmoil and Civic Responsibility*
  • CHIN 217: Volatility and Change in 20th Century Literature*
  • CHIN 219: Monsters, Ghosts, Fairies, and Gods*
  • CHIN 222: Gender, Sexuality, and Desire in 20th Century Chinese Literature*
  • CHIN 223: Memory and Meaning in Post-Mao Literature*
  • CHIN 224: Introduction to Chinese-to-English Literary Translation
  • HIST 143: Modern China* (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 145: Modern Japan* (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 195: Premodern Japan* (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 200: Japanese Empire and its Afterlives* (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 346: East Asia and the Cold War* (last offered 2024-5)
  • JPNS 209: Introduction to Disaster Literature and Cinema in Japan
  • JPNS 214: Atomic Creatures: Godzilla*
  • JPNS 219: Tourist Japan*
  • JPNS 225: Introduction to Women’s Writing in East Asia
  • JPNS 226: I am a Cat: Self-Writing in Japanese Literature*
  • JPNS 229: Japanese Calligraphy and Graphology
  • JPNS 237: East Asian Metropolises in Literature and Film*
  • JPNS 245: Japanese Science Fiction and Planetary Possible Futures*
  • JPNS 270: Straitjacket Society: Juzo Itami’s Cinema 
  • JPNS 275: Hip Hop Japan
  • JPNS 285: Akira Kurosawa
  • JPNS 294: Hayao Miyazaki and Planet Ghibli
  • RELC 105: Asian Search for Self*
  • RELC 106: From Confucius to Zen*
  • RELC 130: Buddhism: Belief and Practice
  • RELC 174: Chinese Religions*
  • RELC 175: Religion and Chinese Society*
  • RELC 269: Reinventing Bodhisattvas and God in China*

*Courses that appear both as foundational courses and elective courses.

Capstone (One Course)

During their capstone, students are encouraged to pursue an independent research project on a topic of interest in cooperation with a relevant faculty mentor. Students should contact their EST faculty advisor to discuss an appropriate instructor for the capstone experience.

This capstone course will be counted as neutral for the purposes of the East Asian studies major and requires submission of an independent study course form to register for the course.

Upper-Level Writing Requirement (ULW)

Two of the ten major courses must satisfy the University’s ULW requirement. EST majors will fulfill one of these courses through their capstone but will need to satisfy the other through one of their other nine major courses (foundation or elective).

ULW courses must be numbered 200-level or above; depending on department, they may or may not have a “W” designation. If you are unsure if a course you wish to take will satisfy the ULW requirement, contact the professor and ask.

ULW courses should be selected in consultation with your EST faculty advisor. A notation should be made on the student’s major declaration form indicating which courses are being used to satisfy the ULW requirement. 

East Asian Studies Minor

The East Asian studies minor provides students with a rigorous interdisciplinary overview of the history and culture of East Asia. The minor is designed for students who have a strong interest in East Asia but are not planning to learn an East Asian language.

Requirements

This minor requires five courses (three foundational, two electives) and has no prerequisites.

Foundational Survey Courses (Three Courses)

Students must take three foundational survey courses, one each group (A, B, and C):

Group A—Pre-modern East Asia:

  • AHST 142: Arts of East Asia
  • AHST 115: Arts of China
  • CHIN 214: Dream of the Red Chamber
  • CHIN 216: Social Turmoil and Civic Responsibility
  • CHIN 219: Monsters, Ghosts, Fairies, and Gods
  • HIST 195: Premodern Japan (last offered 2024-5)
  • RELC 105: Asian Search for Self
  • RELC 106: From Confucius to Zen
  • RELC 174: Chinese Religions
  • RELC 269: Reinventing Bodhisattvas and God in China

Group B—Modern East Asia:

  • AHST 268: Media, Reform and Revolution in China
  • CHIN 217: Volatility and Change in 20th Century Chinese Literature
  • CHIN 222: Gender, Sexuality, and Desire in 20th Century Chinese Literature
  • HIST 143: Modern China (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 145: Modern Japan (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 200: Gateway: Japanese Empire and its Afterlives (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 346: East Asia and the Cold War (last offered 2024-5)
  • JPNS 214: Atomic Creatures: Godzilla
  • JPNS 219: Tourist Japan
  • JPNS 226: I am a Cat: Self-Writing in Japanese Literature

Group C—Contemporary East Asia:

  • ANTH 257: Contemporary Chinese Society
  • CHIN 223: Memory and Meaning in Post-Mao Literature
  • JPNS 237: East Asian Metropolises in Literature and Film
  • JPNS 245: Japanese Science Fiction and Planetary Possible Futures
  • JPNS 293: Life and Anime
  • RELC 175: Religion and Chinese Society
Electives (Two Courses)

Students should choose two electives at the 200 level or higher from the list below. Language courses cannot be counted toward fulfilling the elective requirement for the minor. The same course cannot be used both as a foundational core course and an elective course.

Reach out to your EST faculty advisor if you’d like to take a course not on this list to determine whether it may be included as part of your major.

Sample list of available electives:

  • AHST 255: Yuan Paintings
  • ANTH 257: Contemporary Chinese Society*
  • CHIN 214: Dream of the Red Chamber*
  • CHIN 216: Social Turmoil and Civic Responsibility*
  • CHIN 217: Volatility and Change in 20th Century Literature*
  • CHIN 219: Monsters, Ghosts, Fairies, and Gods*
  • CHIN 222: Gender, Sexuality, and Desire in 20th Century Chinese Literature*
  • CHIN 223: Memory and Meaning in Post-Mao Literature*
  • CHIN 224: Introduction to Chinese-to-English Literary Translation
  • HIST 200: Japanese Empire and its Afterlives* (last offered 2024-5)
  • HIST 346: East Asia and the Cold War* (last offered 2024-5)
  • JPNS 209: Introduction to Disaster Literature and Cinema in Japan
  • JPNS 214: Atomic Creatures: Godzilla*
  • JPNS 219: Tourist Japan*
  • JPNS 225: Introduction to Women’s Writing in East Asia
  • JPNS 226: I am a Cat: Self-Writing in Japanese Literature*
  • JPNS 229: Japanese Calligraphy and Graphology
  • JPNS 237: East Asian Metropolises in Literature and Film*
  • JPNS 245: Japanese Science Fiction and Planetary Possible Futures*
  • JPNS 270: Straitjacket Society: Juzo Itami’s Cinema 
  • JPNS 275: Hip Hop Japan
  • JPNS 285: Akira Kurosawa
  • JPNS 294: Hayao Miyazaki and Planet Ghibli
  • RELC 269: Reinventing Bodhisattvas and God in China*

*Courses that appear both as foundational courses and elective courses.

Division

The East Asian studies major can be used to fulfill either the humanities (H) or social sciences (S) divisional requirement.

**Update fall 2025**: Due to current faculty shortages, students may find it difficult to take enough relevant social science courses to complete the EST major or minor in the (S) division. Students hoping to do so should consult with an EST advisor as soon as possible.

EST majors: Excluding the two language courses and the capstone, the remaining seven major courses determine the divisional area of the major. Students who complete four or more courses in a particular division will satisfy the division. 

Students replacing the language requirement with additional electives should complete five or more courses in a particular division to satisfy the division.

EST minors: The division is determined by the one in which the student takes three or more courses.

The relevant departments are divided into either humanities or social sciences:

  • Humanities:
    • Modern languages and cultures
    • Religion and classics
    • Art and art history
  • Social sciences:
    • Anthropology
    • History

Cross-listed courses will be assessed according to the parent department of the course (indicated by a (P) in online course listings).

Study Abroad

Students majoring or minoring in EST are strongly encouraged to study abroad and should ideally do so prior to their senior year. Per university policy, students are not permitted to study abroad in the spring semester of their senior year.

The EST faculty advisor will determine courses taken abroad can be applied to a student’s EST program on a case-by-case basis. Students may need to work with specific departments regarding course equivalencies, especially for any course being used to satisfy language requirements. Please secure course approvals prior to departure.

EST majors: A maximum of sixteen credits, or four courses total may be transferred into the major from study abroad coursework or other institutions.

EST minors: A maximum of eight credits, or two courses total may be transferred into the minor from study abroad coursework or other institutions.

Advising and Contact

Students interested in pursuing an EST major or minor are encouraged to reach out to Professor Liz Weber (EST program director, associate professor of instruction in Chinese) by email at e.e.weber@rochester.edu.