The 21st century has been called the “Asian Century”: indeed, many of the world's most pressing issues cannot be understood without a grasp of the histories, cultures, and languages of Asia. Asia is home to over half of the world's population. China, Japan, and India are three of the world’s top economies. For decades Asian countries have been leaders in global manufacturing, and Asian universities are renowned centers for literary studies and scientific innovation. Fifty percent of the declared nuclear-weapon states are also in the region. Simply put, Asia matters a great deal.
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures offers a wide variety of courses on East, South, and Southeast Asia taught by faculty who are specialists in their regions and disciplines. Whether you are taking your first step toward learning about Asia or you bring some background experience, an ALC major will expand your ability to think and work across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Majors may opt to study Asia in a transnational and transhistorical perspective or in a more focused course of study by choosing one of our named options in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
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 Certificate in Global Health, the Certificate in Health and the Humanities, or those offered by the area studies centers.
This major is interdisciplinary and offers a wealth of options. Careful planning and consultation with the ALC undergraduate advisor is especially important.
East Asia
The East Asian Studies named option offers a multidisciplinary range of courses that explore the diverse and vibrant cultures, arts, histories, political systems, and literatures of China, Japan, Korea and Tibet. Students in the East Asian option can study Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Tibetan language and linguistics; and explore Chinese ghost stories and classical Chinese literature or poetry; Korean cinema and pop culture; classical Japanese fiction; early modern comedic narratives, manga, anime, and counterculture.
South Asia
The South Asian Studies named option offers a multidisciplinary range of courses that explore the diverse and vibrant cultures, arts, histories, political systems, and literatures of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. Students in the South Asian option can study Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan, or Urdu language; the roots of Yoga; methods of Buddhist philosophy and meditation; South Asian religion and politics in the past and present of the Indian subcontinent; and medical history in South Asia.
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; Human rights in Thailand; literature of the region; and history and politics in Southeast Asia.
DECLARATION
Students who who have prior experience in a language that is offered during the academic year must take a placement test before enrolling in a language course beyond the first-semester level. For information about the placement test and test dates, please visit the department website.
To declare the major, students must meet with the undergraduate advisor to review the requirements and discuss course options. Students may declare the major prior to completing the requisite language courses (1st and 2nd semester).
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Breadth and Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum. View a comparison of the degree requirements here.
Bachelor of Arts degree requirements
| Mathematics | Fulfilled with completion of University General Education requirements Quantitative Reasoning a (QR A) and Quantitative Reasoning b (QR B) coursework. Please note that some majors may require students to complete additional math coursework beyond the B.A. mathematics requirement. |
| Foreign Language |
Note: A unit is one year of high school work or one semester/term of college work. |
| L&S Breadth |
|
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | 60 intermediate or advanced credits |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one (1) major |
| Total Credits | 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience | 30 credits in residence, overall 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit |
| Minimum GPAs | 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison 2.000 in intermediate/advanced coursework at UW–Madison |
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements and do not need to complete the L&S breadth and degree requirements above. Please note that the following special degree programs are not considered majors so are not available to non–L&S degree-seeking candidates:
- Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics (Bachelor of Science–Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics)
- Journalism (Bachelor of Arts–Journalism; Bachelor of Science–Journalism)
- Music (Bachelor of Music)
- Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
Requirements for the Major
Students must take 32 credits as follows: 1
Introductory Course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ASIAN 100 | Gateway to Asia: Special Topics | 3-4 |
Intermediate Language Coursework
Complete one pair of courses (8 credits):1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| East Asian languages | ||
| ASIALANG 201 & ASIALANG 202 | Third Semester Chinese and Fourth Semester Chinese | 8 |
| ASIALANG 203 & ASIALANG 204 | Third Semester Japanese and Fourth Semester Japanese | 8 |
| ASIALANG 205 & ASIALANG 206 | Third Semester Korean and Fourth Semester Korean | 8 |
| ASIALANG 235 & ASIALANG 236 | Third Semester Modern Tibetan and Fourth Semester Modern Tibetan | 8 |
| South Asian languages | ||
| ASIALANG 233 & ASIALANG 234 | Third Semester Hindi and Fourth Semester Hindi | 8 |
| ASIALANG 237 & ASIALANG 238 | Third Semester Persian and Fourth Semester Persian | 8 |
| ASIALANG 235 & ASIALANG 236 | Third Semester Modern Tibetan and Fourth Semester Modern Tibetan | 8 |
| ASIALANG 239 & ASIALANG 240 | Third Semester Urdu and Fourth Semester Urdu | 8 |
| ASIALANG 241 & ASIALANG 242 | Third Semester Sanskrit and Fourth Semester Sanskrit | 8 |
| Southeast Asian languages | ||
| 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 |
Major Breadth
Humanities
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 9 credits from the following course options: | ||
| ASIAN 203 | Lost in Translation: Western Experience in Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 206 | The Qur'an: Religious Scripture & Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 218 | Health and Healing in South Asia | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 236 | Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters | 3 |
| ASIAN 253 | Japanese Popular Culture | 3 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY/RELIG ST 267 | Asian Religions in Global Perspective | 3-4 |
| ASIAN 268 | Tibetan Cultures and Traditions | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 274 | Religion in South Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 307 | A Survey of Tibetan Buddhism | 3 |
| ASIAN 311 | Modern Indian Literatures | 3 |
| ASIAN 351 | Survey of Classical Chinese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 352 | Survey of Modern Chinese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 353 | Lovers, Warriors and Monks: Survey of Japanese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 354 | Early Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 355 | Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 358 | Language in Japanese Society | 3 |
| ASIAN 361 | Love and Politics: The Tale of Genji | 3 |
| ASIAN 367 | Haiku | 3 |
| ASIAN/AFRICAN/RELIG ST 370 | Islam: Religion and Culture | 3-4 |
| ASIAN 371 | Topics in Chinese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 372 | Topics in Chinese: Study Abroad | 1-6 |
| ASIAN 373 | Topics in Japanese: Study Abroad | 1-6 |
| ASIAN 375 | Survey of Chinese Film | 3 |
| ASIAN 376 | Manga | 3 |
| ASIAN 378 | Anime | 3 |
| ASIAN/ART HIST 379 | Cities of Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN 403 | Southeast Asian Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN/ART HIST 428 | Visual Cultures of India | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 430 | Indian Traditions in the Modern Age | 3 |
| ASIAN 431 | Chinese Linguistics I | 3 |
| ASIAN 432 | Chinese Linguistics II | 3 |
| ASIAN 433 | Topics in East Asian Visual Cultures | 3 |
| ASIAN 434 | Introduction to Japanese Linguistics | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 444 | Introduction to Sufism (Islamic Mysticism) | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 460 | The History of Yoga | 3 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY 463 | Topics in South Asian History | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 466 | Buddhist Thought | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 473 | Meditation in Indian Buddhism and Hinduism | 3 |
| ASIAN/ENGL 478 | Indian Writers Abroad: Literature, Diaspora and Globalization | 3 |
| ASIALANG 311 | First Semester Classical Chinese | 3 |
| ASIALANG 312 | Second Semester Classical Chinese | 3 |
| ASIALANG 313 | Classical Japanese | 3 |
| ASIALANG 315 | First Semester Classical Chinese for Chinese Speakers | 3 |
| ASIALANG 316 | Second Semester Classical Chinese for Chinese Speakers | 3 |
| ASIALANG 475 | Advanced Topics in Asian Translation | 3 |
| ANTHRO 358 | Anthropology of China | 3 |
| ART HIST 203 | Survey of Asian Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 305 | History of Islamic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ART HIST 307 | Early Chinese Art: From Antiquity to the Tenth Century | 3 |
| ART HIST 308 | Later Chinese Art: From the Tenth Century to the Present | 3 |
| ART HIST 371 | Chinese Painting | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 372 | Arts of Japan | 3-4 |
| ART HIST/RELIG ST 373 | Great Cities of Islam | 3 |
| ART HIST 375 | Later Japanese Painting and Woodblock Prints | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 411 | Topics in Asian Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 475 | Japanese Ceramics and Allied Arts | 3 |
| DANCE/FOLKLORE/THEATRE 321 | Javanese Performance | 2 |
| DANCE/FOLKLORE/THEATRE 421 | Javanese Performance Repertory | 2 |
| ENVIR ST/HIST SCI/RELIG ST 356 | Islam, Science & Technology, and the Environment | 3-4 |
| LITTRANS 211 | Modern Indian Literatures in Traslation | 3 |
| LITTRANS 262 | Survey of Chinese Literature in Translation | 3 |
| or ASIAN 352 | Survey of Modern Chinese Literature | |
| LITTRANS 261 | Survey of Chinese Literature in Translation | 3 |
| LITTRANS 263 | Survey of Japanese Literature in Translation | 3 |
| LITTRANS 264 | Survey of Japanese Literature in Translation | 3 |
| or ASIAN 353 | Lovers, Warriors and Monks: Survey of Japanese Literature | |
| LITTRANS 368 | Modern Japanese Fiction | 3 |
| LITTRANS 372 | Classical Japanese Prose in Translation | 3 |
| LITTRANS 373 | Topics in Japanese Literature | 3 |
| LITTRANS 374 | Topics in Korean Literature | 3 |
Social Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 9 credits from the following course options: | ||
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY 103 | Introduction to East Asian History: China | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY 104 | Introduction to East Asian History: Japan | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY 108 | Introduction to East Asian History - Korea | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/GEOG/HISTORY/POLI SCI/SOC 244 | Introduction to Southeast Asia: Vietnam to the Philippines | 4 |
| ASIAN/ASIAN AM/HISTORY 246 | Southeast Asian Refugees of the "Cold" War | 4 |
| ASIAN 252 | Contemporary Indian Society | 4 |
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY/POLI SCI 255 | Introduction to East Asian Civilizations | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/ASIAN AM/E A STDS/HISTORY 276 | Chinese Migrations since 1500 | 3-4 |
| ASIAN 277 | Kendo: Integration of Martial Arts and Liberal Arts | 2 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 306 | Hinduism | 3 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY/RELIG ST 308 | Introduction to Buddhism | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY 319 | The Vietnam Wars | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY 335 | The Koreas: Korean War to the 21st Century | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY 341 | History of Modern China, 1800-1949 | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY 342 | History of the Peoples Republic of China, 1949 to the Present | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY 363 | China and World War II in Asia | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY/RELIG ST 438 | Buddhism and Society in Southeast Asian History | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY 454 | Samurai: History and Image | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/E A STDS/HISTORY 456 | Pearl Harbor & Hiroshima: Japan, the US & The Crisis in Asia | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY 458 | History of Southeast Asia Since 1800 | 3-4 |
| A A E/ECON 473 | Economic Growth and Development in Southeast Asia | 3 |
| ANTHRO 357 | Introduction to the Anthropology of Japan | 3-4 |
| ANTHRO 358 | Anthropology of China | 3 |
| GEOG 340 | World Regions in Global Context | 3 |
| GEOG 358 | Human Geography of Southeast Asia | 3 |
| HISTORY 142 | History of South Asia to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GNS 265 | An Introduction to Central Asia: From the Silk Route to Afghanistan | 3 |
| HISTORY 336 | Chinese Economic and Business History: From Silk to iPhones | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/E A STDS 337 | Social and Intellectual History of China, 589 AD-1919 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 340 | Cultural History of Korea | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN/E A STDS 341 | History of Modern China, 1800-1949 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY 457 | History of Southeast Asia to 1800 | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/ASIAN 458 | History of Southeast Asia Since 1800 | 3-4 |
| POP HLTH 640 | Foundations in Global Health Practice | 1 |
| POP HLTH 644 | Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Health and Disease | 1 |
| POP HLTH 645 | Global Health Field Course | 1-6 |
| POLI SCI 322 | Politics of Southeast Asia | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 323 | Islam and World Politics | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 324 | Political Power in Contemporary China | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI/INTL ST 327 | Indian Politics in Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| POLI SCI 328 | Politics of East and Southeast Asia | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 346 | China in World Politics | 3-4 |
| SOC 225 | Contemporary Chinese Society | 3 |
Capstone
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one course for at least 3 credits: | ||
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 505 | The Perfectible Body in Religions, Medicines, and Politics | 3 |
| ASIAN 533 | Readings in Early Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 563 | Readings in Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 571 | Readings in Classical Chinese Literature | 1-3 |
| ASIAN 573 | Readings in Classical Japanese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 600 | Capstone Seminar in Asian Humanities | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 620 | Proseminar: Studies in Religions of Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/ART HIST 621 | Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces | 3 |
| ASIAN 630 | Proseminar: Studies in Cultures of Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN 631 | History of the Chinese Language | 3 |
| ASIAN 632 | Studies in Chinese Linguistics | 3 |
| ASIAN 641 | History of Chinese Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN 642 | History of Chinese Literature II | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 650 | Proseminar in Buddhist Thought | 2-3 |
| ASIAN 671 | Literary Studies in Chinese Drama | 3 |
| ASIAN 672 | Studies in Chinese Fiction | 3 |
| ASIAN 681 | Senior Honors Thesis | 3 |
| ASIAN 682 | Senior Honors Thesis | 3 |
| ASIAN 691 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| ASIAN 692 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| ASIAN 698 | Directed Study | 2-3 |
| ASIAN 699 | Directed Study | 2-3 |
| ASIALANG 401 | Seventh Semester Chinese | 3 |
| ASIALANG 402 | Eighth Semester Chinese | 3 |
| ASIALANG 405 | Seventh Semester Korean | 3 |
| ASIALANG 406 | Eighth Semester Korean | 3 |
| ASIALANG 421 | Seventh Semester Asian Language | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 422 | Eighth Semester Asian Language | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 450 | Advanced Readings in Japanese II | 3 |
| ASIALANG 452 | Advanced Japanese through Audio-Visual Media | 3 |
| ASIALANG 453 | Advanced Readings in Chinese II | 3 |
| ASIALANG 454 | Advanced Chinese through Media | 3 |
| ASIALANG 475 | Advanced Topics in Asian Translation | 3 |
| ASIALANG 501 | Fifth-year Chinese | 3 |
| ASIALANG 507 | Fifth Semester Southeast Asian Language | 4 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 557 | Development and Environment in Southeast Asia | 3 |
Named Options
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all ASIAN, ASIALANG, and approved courses for the major
- 2.000 GPA in 15 upper-level major credits, taken in residence2
- 15 credits in the major, taken in residence
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is not currently available for this major.
Footnotes
| 1 | Students who test above 4th semester language must still complete a minimum of 32 credits in the major. These students may complete another language sequence or other coursework as approved by the advisor. |
| 2 | Intermediate and Advanced level major courses are upper-level. |
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
- Broad regional grounding: Understand the variation within and similarities across Asia with reference to historical and contemporary cultural connections (people, societies, languages, literatures, religions, and cultural genres).
- Multidisciplinarity: Become familiar and proficient with multiple perspectives scholars use to study Asia and use them as resources in their own self-reflective thinking.
- Depth of knowledge: Employ relevant theoretical and methodological approaches to arrive at informed understandings of key issues involving the environment, human rights, cultural practices, structures of power, etc. based on an understanding of the social and cultural ties within Asia as well as between Asia and the rest of the globe.
- Analytical skills: Critically examine taken-for-granted notions and stereotypes and to inquire into the process of their construction. They will also be able to read, analyze and explain the significance of Asian texts and artifacts (literary, cultural, historical, and popular culture).
- Language and cultural competence: Manage basic everyday communication needs in at least one Asian language; understand the relationship between language and culture; and understand how to study a new language and culture and how to advance their proficiency as life-long learners.
Sample Four-Year Plan
This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication A | 3 | Quantitative Reasoning A | 3-4 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | Biological Science Breadth | 3 |
| ASIAN 100 (Required Introductory Course) | 3-4 | Ethnic Studies | 4 |
| Major Breadth: Humanities | 3-4 | Foreign Language Course | 4 |
| 14-15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Physical Science Breadth | 3 | Communication B | 3-4 |
| Intermediate Language Course | 4 | Intermediate Language Course | 4 |
| Major Breadth: Humanities | 3-4 | Major Breadth: Social Science | 3-4 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Major Breadth: Social Science Course | 3-4 |
| Social Science Breadth | 4 | ASIAN 699 (Optional) | 3 |
| Elective | 5 | Electives | 5 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Major Breadth: Social Science Course | 3-4 | Capstone Course (Major Requirement) | 3-4 |
| ASIAN 681 or 691 (Optional) | 3 | ASIAN 682 or 692 (Optional) | 3 |
| Electives | 8 | Electives | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 119-120 | |||
Undergraduate Advisor
Rachel Weiss
1244 Van Hise Hall
608-890-0138
rweiss@wisc.edu
Schedule an advising appointment in Starfish. You can access Starfish from you MyUW dashboard.
Rachel is the advisor for the undergraduate majors and certificates in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. She is happy to meet with students as they explore the degree options, prepare for study abroad or advance through their four-year plans.
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTIONS ADVISING
LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
The Language Institute provides academic and career advising to undergraduate students interested in languages and international area studies. The International Directions advisor provides academic and career advising to undergraduate students who are interested in languages and international area studies. Learn more.
L&S career resources
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.
SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.
Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
- Handshake
- Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative
FACULTY
Asian Languages and Cultures is home to nearly twenty faculty whose research and teaching specialities cover a wide range of topics, including traditional medicine in India; the Hinduist roots of yoga; diversifying contemporary mindfulness practice with insights from Tibetan Buddhism; human rights in Thailand; Chinese ghost stories, traditional poetics and philology; sociolinguistics and discourse analysis of the Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian languages; analysis of classical Japanese tale fiction, early modern comedic narratives, manga, anime, and Japanese counterculture. Visit our faculty pages for more information on areas of expertise, current research, teaching, and publications.
Erlin Barnard esbarnard@wisc.edu
Faculty Associate
Fields of Study: Language Pedagogy; Materials Development; Second Language Acquisition
Gudrun Bühnemann gbuhnema@wisc.edu
Professor
Fields of Study: Sanskrit language and literature; Buddhism in India and Nepal; Hinduism; Tantrism and Yoga Studies
Anthony Cerulli acerulli@wisc.edu
Associate Professor
Fields of Study: Hinduism; Religion in South Asia; Medical Humanities; History of Medicine in India; Sanskrit Language and Literature; Kerala History and Culture
Charo D'Etcheverry cdetcheverry@wisc.edu
Associate Professor
Fields of Study: Classical Japanese literature (especially court fiction & its reception and early kabuki)
Anatoly Detwyler detwyler@wisc.edu
Assistant Professor
Fields of Study: Modern Chinese literature and history, comparative new media, information studies
John D. Dunne jddunne@wisc.edu
Professor
Fields of Study: Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice; Religious Studies; Cognitive Science of Religion; Contemplative Science
Naomi Geyer nfgeyer@wisc.edu
Associate Professor
Fields of Study: Japanese Language, Language Pedagogy, Pragmatics
Tyrell Haberkorn tyrell.haberkorn@wisc.edu
Associate Professor
Fields of Study: Violence, Human Rights, Sovereignty, Arbitrary Detention, Land Rights, Agrarian Struggle, Historiographies of Repression, Gender Studies, Socialism, Dissident Literature, Southeast Asia (Thailand)
Rania Huntington huntington@wisc.edu
Professor
Fields of Study: Ming and Qing narrative and drama, literature of the weird and supernatural, memory in literature, depiction of women in literature
Seunggon Jeong sjeong49@wisc.edu
Faculty Associate
Fields of Study: Korean Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, Conversation Analysis, Korean Intonation
Jamal Jones jones23@wisc.edu
Assistant Professor
Fields of Study: Classical Sanskrit and Telugu literature and the broader history of religion and culture in premodern south India.
Adam L. Kern alkern@wisc.edu
Professor
Fields of Study: The popular literature, culture, poetry, theater, and visual culture of early modern unto modern Japan (1600-1900). Transcultural comics in Japan (manga, kibyôshi, etc) and beyond.
Hieyoon Kim Hieyoon.kim@wisc.edu
Assistant Professor
Fields of Study: Dissident Culture; Postcolonial Archive and Historiography; Korean and East Asian Cinema
Byung-jin Lim byungjin.lim@wisc.edu
Associate Professor
Fields of Study: Korean Language and Linguistics, Second/Foreign Language Acquisition, Computer-Mediated Communication, Korean Language Textbook Development
Junko Mori jmori@wisc.edu
Professor
Fields of Study: Japanese Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Conversation Analysis, Sociolinguistics
Takako Nakakubo tnakakubo@wisc.edu
Faculty Associate
Fields of Study: Second Language Acquisition of Japanese, Japanese Pedagogy, Learning Strategies
Eunsil Oh eoh26@wisc.edu
Assistant Professor
Fields of Study: Gender; Work and Family; Feminism; and East Asia.
Steve Ridgely steve.ridgely@wisc.edu
Associate Professor
Fields of Study: Modern Japanese literature, Cultural Theory, Transasian Studies
Hongming Zhang hzhang6@wisc.edu
Professor
Fields of Study: Chinese linguistics; syntax-phonology interface; prosodic phonology; poetic prosody; history of Chinese language; teaching Chinese as a second language
Tianlu Zhang tianlu.zhang@wisc.edu
Faculty Associate
Fields of Study: Chinese language
Weihua Zhu wzhu34@wisc.edu
Assistant Professor
Fields of Study: Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics, Pedagogy and Second Language Acquisition
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Students in the ALC department academic programs are encouraged to become engaged in undergraduate research. There are numerous programs that provide research opportunities for undergraduates at UW–Madison including:
- Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowships
- McNair Scholars
- Summer Research Programs
- Undergraduate Research Scholars
- The Wisconsin Idea Undergraduate Fellowship Program
WISCONSIN SUMMER LANGUAGE INSTITUTES
Each summer around 200 undergraduate students, graduate students, professionals, and others come to UW–Madison to study a language at the Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes (WISLI). WISLI is host to five summer language institutes which offer high-quality courses in 30 less commonly taught languages:
Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Language Immersion Institute (APTLII)
Central Eurasian Studies Summer Institute (CESSI)
South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI)
Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI)
STUDY ABROAD
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is ranked #2 for semester-long study abroad participation among all US institutions, and #16 among all US universities and colleges for total students studying abroad, according to the 2018 Open Doors Report. There are nearly 60 study abroad opportunities across Asia. Approved UW–Madison programs will allow students to receive residents credit while abroad. With pre-planning, students may also fulfill major requirements on academic programs abroad, however careful planning and discussion with your advisor are key. For more information about programs, application process, and fees, visit: International Academic Programs.
Students may also gain career and professional experience through various internship opportunities abroad. To review opportunities, application process, and fees, visit: International Internship Programs.
CAMPUS RESOURCES
Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
FLAS fellowships are funded by the US Department of Education and administered by UW–Madison's National Resource Centers to assist students in acquiring foreign language and either area or international studies competencies. FLAS awards are only available for specific languages, and are contingent on federal funding. Please direct any questions to the FLAS Coordinator of your chosen language.
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applications by students in professional fields are encouraged. Preference will be given to applicants with a high level of academic ability and with previous language training. Academic Year and Summer FLAS awards are two separate competitions requiring two separate and complete applications.
Scholarships@UW–Madison
This is the primary campus-wide portal for applicants, current students, and everyone looking for scholarship opportunities on campus.
Undergraduate Academic Awards Office
We help UW–Madison undergraduates and recent graduates pursue nationally competitive scholarships and campus-wide awards for research, service, and leadership—activities at the heart of the Wisconsin Experience. We can help you:
- Find scholarship opportunities that match your goals and interests
- Navigate the scholarship application process
- Review scholarship essays
- Prepare for national scholarship interviews
Contact us to schedule an appointment to discuss which opportunities are right for you.
NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
Boren Scholarships
Campus Representative: Undergraduates with questions should contact Matt Geisler, Associate Director of International Academic Programs
These scholarships provide up to $20,000 to US undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to US interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. (Full list of preferred countries) Additionally, all programs must include formal study of an appropriate foreign language. (Full list of preferred languages). Undergraduates with questions about the Boren Scholarship should contact Matt Geisler, Associate Director of International Academic Programs.
Critical Language Scholarship Program
Campus Representative: Mark Lilleleht, Assistant Director for Awards, at awards@iris.wisc.edu
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is part of the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is a fully-funded overseas intensive language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and to build relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning.
The fourteen CLS languages are: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu.
The CLS Program seeks participants with diverse interests, from a wide variety of fields of study, backgrounds, and career paths, with the purpose of representing the full diversity of the United States. Thus, students from all academic disciplines, including business, engineering, law, medicine, science, social sciences, arts and humanities, are encouraged to apply.
Gilman Scholarship Program
Campus Representative: Andy Quackenbush, Advisor, International Academic Programs
The Gilman Scholarship Program is an undergraduate grant program for US citizens of limited financial means to enable them to study abroad, thereby internationalizing their outlook and better preparing them to assume significant roles in the increasingly global economy.