Off-Campus Courses

Off-Campus Study

Students interested in declaring a major or minor in Asian Studies are strongly encouraged to plan to study in Asia for a semester or more. They should consult early with the coordinators of the programs and with advisors at the Center for International and Intercultural Studies in Carnegie Hall. Courses taken as part of the following programs have been approved by St. Lawrence University: the CIEE program in Shanghai, China; the New York State Independent College Consortium for Study, India; Nanzan University in Nagoya or International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, Japan; and the Thai and Southeast Asian studies program at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. All programs offer language study and a variety of electives.

Elective Courses in China (east Asia)

Students may study in Shanghai in either the spring or fall semester through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Four courses are required, including language study and three courses taught in English by Chinese professors. The program offers various area studies courses in international affairs, economics and modern Chinese history.

The following is a sample of courses normally available. For a complete list, see the China Program coordinator.

Mandarin Chinese
Beginning, intermediate, advanced as appropriate.

Economics
China’s Economic Reforms.

Government
China’s International Relations.

History
Modern Chinese History and Society.

Sociology
Community Studies and Urban Development in China.

Elective Courses in India (south Asia)

Courses taken in India are designed by the faculty director of the India Program, and are equivalent to courses at St. Lawrence. While in India, students take four courses: Hindi language, Indian history and culture, contemporary issues, and an independent field research project.

Elective Courses in Japan (east Asia)

Normally, courses taken in Japan are accepted as equivalent to courses at St. Lawrence for fulfillment of the requirements for the combined major in Asian studies. Each student must register for a normal full load at Japanese universities: 14 or more hours per semester at Nanzan University; 12 or more units per term or a total of 36 units for the academic year at ICU. Selected courses other than Japanese language instruction are listed below.

Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan

Economics
Japanese Business.
Japanese Economy.

Government    
Japanese Politics.

History        
Japanese History.

Literature        
Japanese Literature.

Non-departmental    
Japanese Linguistics.
Elementary Translation.
Japanese/English Interactional Language Acquisition.
Japanese Thought.
Japan and Christianity.

Sociology
Japanese Society.

International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan

All courses described by ICU as three-credit courses that focus on Japan or Asia are accepted as equivalent to a course at St. Lawrence for the interdisciplinary major in Asian studies. They will not, however, be counted as a full unit of credit toward graduation. The following is a sample of courses that are normally available; for a complete list, see the Japan Program coordinator.

Anthropology   
Japanese Archaeology.

Fine Arts        
Japanese Art.
History of Eastern Art.

Economics
Economic Development of Modern Japan.
Business and Society in Japan.

Government    
Politics in Japan.
Modern Japanese International Relations.

History       
Introductions to Japanese History I and II.

Literature        
Modern Japanese Literature in English Translation.

Non-departmental    
Ethnomusicology: Japanese Music.

Philosophy/Religious Studies
Religion and Philosophy in Japan.
Values and Ethics in Japan.

Sociology        
Introduction to Japanese Society.
Industrial Sociology.
Social Structure in Japan.

Kansai Gaidai University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan

Students are enrolled in Kansai Gaidai's Asian Studies Program, where they can take introductory courses in Japanese language as well as select from a variety of courses in humanities, the arts, and business. For a complete list, visit the Center for International and Intercultural Studies (CIIS) on campus or see the Japan Program coordinator for Kansai Gaidai.

Elective courses in Thailand (southeast Asia)

Students take courses offered through the Thai and Southeast Asian Studies program at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand and receive St. Lawrence credit. The three required courses are Cultural Foundations of Thai Society (3 credits), Thai Language (6 credits), and Intercultural Communication (1 unit). Program electives change each semester. Students normally take 14-16 credits, or 4-5 courses.

For more information, check with CIIS.