Asian Studies
Minor Special Programs · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
Robert Uriu, Co-Director, School of Social Sciences
rmuriu@uci.edu
The countries and cultures of Asia are significant participants in the world community. They present compellingly different models for social organization, historical development, and cultural commitments. The many countries of this large and complex region provide challenges and opportunities whether one plans to be a scholar, a business person, or a diplomat. The minor in Asian Studies draws upon the expertise of faculty throughout UCI to create opportunities for students to explore Asian topics in a variety of fields, to develop advanced language skills, and to acquire a broader perspective as they apply the disciplinary training of their major field to effective and informed studies of Asian subjects. The minor is open to all UCI students.
Requirements
Requirements for the Interdisciplinary Minor in Asian Studies
Students choose one country and language of specialization. At the present the Asian Studies minor focuses on China, Japan, or Korea.
Requirements for the minor are met by taking eight courses (of which no more than four may be lower-division) as specified below.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. One upper-division History course with a focus on Asia approved by the director. | ||
| B. Three quarters of course work in one Asian language of specialization beyond the first-year level. Approved courses are: | ||
| 1. Second-, third-, or fourth-year language: | ||
| CHINESE 2A & CHINESE 2B & CHINESE 2C | Intermediate Mandarin Chineseand Intermediate Mandarin Chineseand Intermediate Mandarin Chinese | |
| CHINESE 103A & CHINESE 103B & CHINESE 103C | Advanced Mandarin Chineseand Advanced Mandarin Chineseand Advanced Mandarin Chinese | |
| JAPANSE 2A & JAPANSE 2B & JAPANSE 2C | Intermediate Japaneseand Intermediate Japaneseand Intermediate Japanese | |
| JAPANSE 103A & JAPANSE 103B & JAPANSE 103C | Advanced Japaneseand Advanced Japaneseand Advanced Japanese | |
| JAPANSE 104A | Fourth Year Japanese | |
| KOREAN 2A & KOREAN 2B & KOREAN 2C | Intermediate Koreanand Intermediate Koreanand Intermediate Korean | |
| KOREAN 103A & KOREAN 103B & KOREAN 103C | Advanced Koreanand Advanced Koreanand Advanced Korean | |
| KOREAN 104A | Fourth-Year Korean | |
| Other sequences in Asian languages as available. | ||
| 2. Either Classical Chinese or Classical Japanese: | ||
| CHINESE 100A & CHINESE 100B | Classical Chineseand Classical Chinese | |
| JAPANSE 100A & JAPANSE 100B | Classical Japaneseand Classical Japanese (plus a third quarter of Japanese language study) | |
| 3. Literature courses taught in the original language: | ||
| CHINESE 115 | Topics in Chinese Literature: Advanced Texts | |
| Or graduate seminars | ||
| C. Select four additional courses from the following: | ||
| ART HIS 150 | Studies in Asian Art | |
| EAS 55 | Introduction to East Asian Cultures | |
| EAS 110 | Topics in Chinese Literature and Society | |
| EAS 116 | Topics in East Asian Religions | |
| EAS 155 | Topics in Cultural Studies in East Asia | |
| EAS 140 | Topics in Korean Literature and Society | |
| EAS 150 | Topics in East Asian Literature in Translation | |
| EAS 170 | Topics in Gender in East Asia | |
| INTL ST 176C | Political Power in Contemporary China | |
| REL STD 120 | Topics in Asian Religious Traditions | |
| POL SCI 142B | The International Relations of East Asia | |
| POL SCI 151B | Political Power in Contemporary China | |
- These courses require placement examinations given by the Academic Testing Center. Students who, for example, place out of CHINESE 2B would then take CHINESE 2C, CHINESE 103A-CHINESE 103B to meet the requirement.
- These courses have a prerequisite of completion of the fourth-year language sequence or its equivalent.
- At least two of these courses must be taken in one (or more) department(s) other than the student's major department. The courses must cover at least two different Asian countries, one of which is the country of language specialization. No more than two of the courses may be lower-division (and only one may be lower-division if any combination of second- or third-year East Asian language is used for the language required above).
NOTE: A maximum overlap of two courses is permitted between this minor and a student’s major.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: Four upper-division (or graduate) courses must be successfully completed at UCI. Two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, provided course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.