Asian Studies Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Asian Studies is the program’s most comprehensive course of study. In addition to UMBC’s general education requirements, Asian Studies BA students will complete 42 credits for the major, divided as follows:

Core Courses: 

ASIA 100 Intro to Asian Studies and
HIST 103 East Asian Civilization or PHIL 230 Intro to East Asian Philosophy

Language Course:

Chinese, Japanese, or Korean (one Asian language through the 302 level)

Courses in a second Asian language can be used to complete the required credits, if the student enrolls with a proficiency beyond the 101 level. Check with your advisor for more information!

Electives:

At least 15 credits, in at least three disciplines. A list of all courses that can be used as electives for ASIA is available on the Undergraduate Catalog. Please note that not all courses are offered every semester – your advisor can help you to plan your electives during your advising sessions. A list of available electives for the upcoming or current semester will be posted during class registration periods.

Below is the most updated list of ASIA-designated electives for your consideration:

  • ASIA 207 – Asian Diasporas (3)
  • ASIA 300 – Topics in Asian Studies (3)
  • ASIA/GLBL 304 – Global Research in East Asia (3)
  • ASIA/GLBL 320 – Asian Pop Culture Goes Global (3)
  • ASIA/ART 330 – The Dao of Intermedia (3)
  • ASIA/ANCS 358 – Perilous Frontiers of Ancient China and Rome (3)
  • ASIA/AMST 377 – Pacific Worlds (3)
  • ASIA/HIST 382 – Pacific Crossings (3)
  • ASIA/POLI 391 – US-China Relations (3)
  • ASIA 399 – Internship in Asian Studies (1-3)
  • ASIA 400 – Special Projects in Asian Studies (1-3)
  • ASIA/GLBL 404 – Globally Engaged Field Research in Taiwan (3)

In order to graduate within four years of their initial enrollment, students generally should plan to take at least 15 credits per semester, two semesters (Fall and Spring) per year, for a total of 30 credits per academic year. For an example of what that might look like for a student in the Asian Studies BA program, please refer to this sample pathway.

Please note: this is an example only, and your enrollment might look different! Your advisor can help you with selecting classes and planning for future semesters during your advising appointment, or you can contact us at any time with enrollment and planning questions.

Where applicable, courses also include their General Education Program (GEP) attributes.

Are you a student who enrolled at UMBC for the first time before 2013? Please contact us for information about completing your degree program, as some of the classes required for your program may no longer be offered.