With a population of over 17 million, Asia is the largest and most diverse continent in the world, offering boundless opportunities for exploration and study. The University of Cincinnati's Asian Studies program opens doors to an insightful and immersive look into Asia's vast history, culture, language, politics, art and more.
A degree offered through UC's College of Arts and Sciences, the Asian Studies program is an interdisciplinary major that is designed to adapt to students' personal areas of interests.
Program director Mikiko Hirayama attests to the flexibility of the major. "Students get to design their own program of study," she says. "There are two required courses, but aside from those students get to choose from a whole range of elective courses to fulfill the requirements for the major."
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the Asian studies program, it's easy for students to double major within the College of Arts and Sciences to focus on a specific area of concentration. For example, a student interested in Asian politics could take an Asian Political Studies class that would count for both a political science major and an Asian studies major. Common second majors or minors include international affairs, political science, art history, women's studies and business.
There are also opportunities to pursue a certificate in Chinese Language and Culture and Japanese Language and Culture. These certificates are excellent credentials for someone that is interested in working in an Asian country.
With such a wide range of study, those interested in Asian studies can find a course for any of their interests. Some notable classes within the Asian studies major include:
- Yoga and Hinduism
- Japanese Music
- Asia Foreign Relations
- War and Peace in Asia
- Film and the Global Village
UC Asian studies students offer a unique skillset that is invaluable to plenty of companies. Hirayama speaks to the value of an Asian studies degree, saying, "you get specialized knowledge and a unique perspective as a global citizen, competitive-ness in the job market, and a lot of credentials in a job."
Many American business firms affiliated with Asia seek to hire those with a background in Asian studies that understand and have been immersed in Asian culture. Another popular career path for Asian studies students is teaching in an Asian country.
An Asian studies degree is an excellent preparation for graduate school, where students can pursue deeper studies into their area of concentration.
