Southeast Asia
The Southest Asian Studies named option offers a multidisciplinary range of courses that explore the diverse and vibrant cultures, arts, histories, political systems, and literatures of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Students in the Southeast Asian option can study Burmese, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Khmer, Thai and Vietnamese language; and probe Human rights in Thailand; explore literature of the region; and history and politics in Southeast Asia. ALC faculty and instructors offering courses in this option include: E. Barnard, T. Haberkorn, C. Lee, J. Surasin, S. Suryani, H. Dinh, S. Zamar.

To take advantage of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures’ many relationships with other departments and program units across campus, students may choose to double major or enhance their studies in ALC with one of the certificates offered at the university, such as the global health certificate, the certificate in health and the humanities, or those offered by the area studies centers: Center for East Asian Studies; Center for South Asia; and Center for Southeast Asian Studies.

This major is interdisciplinary and offers a wealth of options. Careful planning and consultation with the ALC advisor, is especially important.

Requirements for the Southeast Asian Option

32 credits to include the Introductory and Residence and Quality of Work requirements of the general major, plus these requirements specific to the Southeast Asian Option: 

Southeast Asian Intermediate Language

Complete a sequence:
ASIALANG 243
ASIALANG 244
Third Semester Burmese
and Fourth Semester Burmese
8
ASIALANG 229
ASIALANG 230
Third Semester Thai
and Fourth Semester Thai
8
ASIALANG 223
ASIALANG 224
Third Semester Filipino
and Fourth Semester Filipino
8
ASIALANG 225
ASIALANG 226
Third Semester Hmong
and Fourth Semester Hmong
8
ASIALANG 227
ASIALANG 228
Third Semester Indonesian
and Fourth Semester Indonesian
8
ASIALANG 245
ASIALANG 246
Third Semester Khmer
and Fourth Semester Khmer
8
ASIALANG 231
ASIALANG 232
Third Semester Vietnamese
and Fourth Semester Vietnamese
8

Southeast Asian Studies Breadth

Southeast Asian Studies Humanities

Complete 9 credits from the following course options:
ASIAN 203 Lost in Translation: Western Experience in Asia3
ASIAN/​HISTORY/​RELIG ST  267 Asian Religions in Global Perspective3-4
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  236 Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters3
ASIAN/​AFRICAN/​RELIG ST  370 Islam: Religion and Culture3-4
ASIAN/​ART HIST  379 Cities of Asia3
ASIAN 403 Southeast Asian Literature3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  444 Introduction to Sufism (Islamic Mysticism)3
ART HIST 203 Survey of Asian Art3-4
DANCE/​FOLKLORE/​THEATRE  321 Javanese Performance2
DANCE/​FOLKLORE/​THEATRE  421 Javanese Performance Repertory2
ENVIR ST/​HIST SCI/​RELIG ST  356 Islam, Science & Technology, and the Environment3-4

Southeast Asian Studies Social Science

Complete 9 credits from the following course options:
ASIAN/​GEOG/​HISTORY/​POLI SCI/​SOC  244 Introduction to Southeast Asia: Vietnam to the Philippines4
ASIAN/​ASIAN AM/​HISTORY  246 Southeast Asian Refugees of the "Cold" War4
ASIAN/​HISTORY/​RELIG ST  308 Introduction to Buddhism3-4
ASIAN/​HISTORY  319 The Vietnam Wars3-4
ASIAN 438 3-4
ASIAN/​HISTORY  458 History of Southeast Asia Since 18003-4
A A E/​ECON  473 Economic Growth and Development in Southeast Asia3
ANTHRO 350 Political Anthropology3-4
GEOG 340 World Regions in Global Context3
GEOG 358 Human Geography of Southeast Asia3
POLI SCI 323 Islam and World Politics3-4
POLI SCI 328 Politics of East and Southeast Asia3-4

Southeast Asian Studies Capstone

Complete one course for at least 3 credits:
ASIAN/​ART HIST  621 Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  650 Proseminar in Buddhist Thought2-3
ASIAN 681 Senior Honors Thesis3
ASIAN 682 Senior Honors Thesis3
ASIAN 691 Senior Thesis3
ASIAN 692 Senior Thesis3
ASIAN 698 Directed Study2-3
ASIAN 699 Directed Study2-3
GEOG/​ENVIR ST  557 Development and Environment in Southeast Asia3

See Four Year Plan for the Asian Languages and Cultures Major; course choices for the Southeast Asian Studies Named Option will focus on that region.