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: 

Gateway Course

Required Course:
ASIAN 100 Gateway to Asia: Special Topics3

Required Language Courses

Complete Second Year Southeast Asian language courses:
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 Courses

Complete six classes from the following course options (at least 16 credits):
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/​AFRICAN/​RELIG ST  370 Islam: Religion and Culture3-4
ASIAN 403 Southeast Asian Literature3
ASIAN/​HISTORY  458 History of Southeast Asia Since 18003-4
ASIALANG 323 Fifth Semester Filipino3
ASIALANG 324 Sixth Semester Filipino3
ASIALANG 325 Fifth Semester Hmong3
ASIALANG 326 Sixth Semester Hmong3
ASIALANG 348 Fifth Semester Indonesian3-4
ASIALANG 328 Sixth Semester Indonesian3-4
ASIALANG 329 Fifth Semester Thai3
ASIALANG 330 Sixth Semester Thai3
ASIALANG 331 Fifth Semester Vietnamese3
ASIALANG 332 Sixth Semester Vietnamese3
ASIALANG 343 Fifth Semester Burmese3
ASIALANG 344 Sixth Semester Burmese3
ASIALANG 345 Fifth Semester Khmer3
ASIALANG 346 Sixth Semester Khmer3
ASIAN AM 170 Hmong American Experiences in the United States3
ASIAN AM 441 Hmong American Social Movements in the 20th and 21st Centuries3
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
GEOG 358 Human Geography of Southeast Asia3
GEOG/​ENVIR ST  557 Development and Environment in Southeast Asia3
HISTORY/​ASIAN  319 The Vietnam Wars3-4
HISTORY 457 History of Southeast Asia to 18003-4
HISTORY/​ASIAN  458 History of Southeast Asia Since 18003-4
POLI SCI 322 Politics of Southeast Asia3-4
POLI SCI 323 Islam and World Politics3-4
POLI SCI 328 Politics of East and Southeast Asia3-4
POLI SCI 370 Islam and Politics3-4

Capstone Course

Complete one course (at least 3 credits):
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  505 The Perfectible Body in Religions, Medicines, and Politics3
ASIAN 600 Capstone Seminar in Asian Humanities3
ASIAN/​ART HIST  621 Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces3
ASIAN 630 Proseminar: Studies in Cultures of Asia3
ASIAN/​RELIG ST  650 Proseminar in Buddhist Thought2-3
ASIAN 655 Ethnography in Asia3
ASIAN 682 Senior Honors Thesis (must be enrolled in Honors in the Major)3
ASIAN 692 Senior Thesis (must have permission from faculty)3
ASIAN 699 Directed Study (must have permission from faculty)2-3

Four-Year Plan

This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Communication A4Intermediate/Advanced COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) or Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level)4
Southeast Asian Language Course4Science Breadth4
ASIAN 1004Ethnic Studies Course4
Social Science Breadth4Southeast Asian Language Course4
 16 16
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Intermediate/Advanced COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) or Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level)4Science Breadth4
Science Breadth4Southeast Asian Language Course4
Southeast Asian Language Course4Communication B3
Southeast Asian Studies Course4Southeast Asian Studies Course 3
 INTL ST 2751
 16 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Science Breadth4INTER-LS 2153
Southeast Asian Studies Course4POLI SCI 3224
Southeast Asian Studies Course3ASIAN/​HISTORY  3193
Literature Breadth3ASIAN 699 (Optional, may be required for Honors in the Major)3
 14 13
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Southeast Asian Studies Course3Southeast Asian Studies Course3
Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level)6ASIAN 682 or 6923
Southeast Asian Advanced Language Course (Optional)3Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level)6
ASIAN 681 or 6913Southeast Asian Advanced Language Course (Optional)3
 15 15
Total Credits 120