Take a look at what past grads from Witt have done with their majors – internships, grad school programs, and first jobs after graduation.  It’s not always as cut and dried as you think; a Liberal Arts degree has a lot of flexibility!
East Asian Studies

Why East Asian Studies?

As a student in Wittenberg's East Asian Studies Program, you will meet and work with interesting, friendly, diverse and motivated students from around the globe. Not content to watch the world around them, these students actively participate in it.

They are explorers in search of self-discovery, determined to understand and appreciate cultures different from their own. They engage in discussions with internationally recognized faculty members, who are always accessible and who provide them with unparalleled opportunities to learn about China, Japan, and Korea.

Wittenberg East Asian Studies students connect across the Pacific with skill and confidence. As the world economy continues to bind East and West into a global community, these students are there to make it happen and to make a difference.

Degrees Offered

Major: East Asian Studies
Minor: East Asian Studies

Requirements

Requirements for Major
The major in East Asian Studies requires a minimum of 44 semester hours listed below. 28 semester hours must include: one East Asian history course, four semester hours; East Asian Studies 400 Senior Seminar, four semester hours; eight semester hours above Chinese or Japanese 112 or equivalent; and four semester hours each from a minimum of any three of the following areas: economics, literature (either in English translation or designated upper-level language courses), political science, religion, or sociology.  Sixteen semester hours may be made up of electives.  Twelve or more hours toward the major must be at the 300 or higher course level; these hours may not be taken abroad.

Requirements for Minor
The minor in East Asian Studies requires 20 semester hours, 13 hours of which must be taken at Wittenberg and must include Chinese or Japanese 111 or competency, and four semester hours each from at least two of the following areas: economics, history, literature, political science, religion or sociology. A minimum of eight semester hours must be at the 200 or higher course level.

Courses

East Asian Studies

• 100C. Introduction to East Asia: Continuity and Change. 4 semester hours.
  Introductory survey of the societies of China, Japan and Korea. Primarily designed for the student with no background knowledge of East Asia, this course examines the broad themes that shape these countries. Every year. Writing intensive. No prerequisites.
• 290. Topics in East Asian Studies. 2-4 semester hours (1-8 semester hours for study abroad).
  Study of selected topics in East Asian Studies.  Topics vary by instructor.  This course counts as an elective toward a major or minor in East Asian Studies, and may be repeated for credit.
• 400. Senior Seminar. 4 semester hours.
  Capstone course in which the senior East Asian Studies major integrates the major strands of East Asian history and society around a specified theme and writes an extensive research paper. Every year. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: Must be a senior East Asian Studies major.
• 490. Independent Study. Variable semester hours.
  Course allows the advanced student the chance to do a directed independent research project. Writing intensive. Every year.
• 491. Internship. Variable semester hours.
  At least one semester of work in some capacity related to East Asia in either the private sector or government. Student must write a paper related to the work experience. Every year. This course may be repeated for credit.
• 499. Honors Thesis/Project. Variable credit.
  Prerequisite: 3.50 GPA, permission of the Department Chair.

Chinese

• 111. Beginning Chinese I. 5 semester hours.
  Introduction to spoken putonghua and the Chinese writing system. Mastery of 250 characters and compounds expected. Every year.
• 112F. Beginning Chinese II. 5 semester hours.
  Continuation of 111. Mastery of another 300 characters and compounds expected. Prerequisite: Chinese 111 or its equivalent. Every year.
• 130. Chinese Topics. 4 semester hours.
  Topics, chosen by the instructor, designed to be of interest to the entire campus community. Taught in English, reading in English. Some sections are writing intensive. This course may be repeated for credit.
• 151. Modern Chinese Film and Fiction. 4 semester hours.
  Survey of film and fiction in 20th century China.  Intended for students with no previous knowledge of the subject matter. Taught in English. Every year.
• 211. Intermediate Chinese I. 4 semester hours.
  Emphasis on vocabulary acquisition and grammatical competency. Classes are conducted in spoken putonghua. Prerequisite: Chinese 112. Every year.
• 212. Intermediate Chinese II. 4 semester hours.
  Continuation of 211. Prerequisite: Chinese 211. Every year.
• 230. Chinese Topics. 4 semester hours.
  Topics, chosen by the instructor, designed to be of interest to the entire campus community. Taught in English, reading in English. May be writing intensive. Offered as need arises. This course may be repeated for credit.
• 311. Directed Reading of Chinese Newspapers. 4 semester hours.
  Emphasis on tactics and skills of reading Chinese newspapers.  Class work is conducted in Chinese. Prerequisite: Chinese 212 or permission of instructor. Every year.
• 312. Directed Readings of Chinese Literature. 4 semester hours.
  Intensive study of pieces representative of Republican and Communist style literature. Focus primarily on modern fiction. Prerequisite: Chinese 311 or permission of instructor. Every year.
• 330. Chinese Topics. 4 semester hours.
  Topics, chosen by the instructor, designed to be of interest to the entire campus community. Taught in English, readings in English. May be writing intensive. Offered as need arises. This course may be repeated for credit.
• 490. Independent Study. 4 semester hours.
  Tutorials for the student who has excelled in previous study of putonghua. Thematic content chosen according to student’s intellectual interests. Conducted entirely in putonghua. Every year. This course may be repeated for credit.

Economics

• 220C. Economics of Developing Areas. 4 semester hours.
  Introduction to the concepts, measures, theories, and strategies of modern economic growth and development relevant to the low-income nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The course builds on the theories and models introduced in Economics 190, explores the inter-relationships between human development and economic growth, and allows each student to investigate the development experience of a particular nation. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: Economics 190. Alternate years.
• 260C. East Asian Economies. 4 semester hours.
  Study of specific problems and institutions of the East Asian economies. Topics include development, trade, and commercial policies as well as fiscal and monetary policies in the region. Prerequisites: Economics 190. Writing intensive. Alternate years.
• 290. Economies in Transition. 4 semester hours.
  Transition economics, a new field since the early 1990s, explores the process and results of the decisions of the nation states of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and East Asia to move from centrally-planned toward market and from socialis toward capitalist economies.  A central focus of the course will be the examination of the strategies pursued and progress of transition in these countries at the macro and sectoral levels, the institutions that have evolved, and the human welfare consequences of the transition process.  Prerequisite:  Economics 190.  Alternate years.

Geography

• 250. East Asian Geography. 2 or 4 semester hours.

History

• 101. Topics. 2 to 4 semester hours.
  Surveys that study some region or civilization of the past. Some sections are writing intensive. May be repeated for credit.
• 101C. Silk Road Empires. 2 to 4 semester hours.
• 161C. Pre-Modern East Asia. 4 semester hours.
  Survey of the history of East Asia’s three major countries – China, Japan and Korea – from earliest times until the beginning of the 17th century. The focus is on culture and thought, as well as major political developments. Every year.
• 162C. Modern East Asia. 4 semester hours.
  Survey of the history of East Asia’s three major countries – China, Japan, and Korea – from the 17th century to the present. The focus is on the response of these countries to the challenges of an increasingly global world. Every year.
• 202. Nationalism in East Asia. 4 semester hours.
• 203. Meiji Japan: Grappling with the Modern. 4 semester hours.
• 263C. Age of the Samurai. 4 semester hours.
  This course examines the era (1160-1868) when the warrior class dominated Japanese life. It focuses on the period’s ever-changing cultural norms, value systems and political styles. No prerequisites. Writing intensive. Alternate years.
• 301. Topics. 2-4 semester hours.
  Topical approach, focusing on a specific theme. Prerequisites vary by section. Some sections are writing intensive. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  May be repeated for credit. Every year.
• 301C. Great Mongol Khans. 2 to 4 semester hours.
• 361C. East Asia and the West. 4 semester hours.
  Examination of the relationship of China, Japan, and the Philippines with countries of the western hemisphere before and after the onset of imperialism. Interpretations focus on concepts such as orientalism, modernity and colonialism. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.
• 362C. Japan since 1945. 4 semester hours.
  Survey of Japan’s post-World War II experience, from defeat and occupation through a return to world power status. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.
• 390. Samurai, Saints, and Scribblers. 4 semester hours.

Japanese

• 111. Beginning Japanese I. 5 semester hours.
  Introduces the fundamental communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as sociolinguistic information necessary for effective communication with Japanese natives. Every year.
• 112F. Beginning Japanese II. 5 semester hours.
  Continued introduction of fundamental listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, together with the relevant sociolinguistic information. Prerequisite: Japanese III or placement. Every year.
• 130. Japanese Topics. 4 semester hours.
  Topics, chosen by the instructor, designed to be of interest to the entire campus community. Taught in English, readings in English. Some sections writing intensive. Offered as need arises. This course may be repeated for credit.
• 150A/C. Survey of Japanese Literature. 4 semester hours.
  Introduction to major literary works written in Japan between the year 900 and the present. Designed to be of interest to the entire campus community. Taught in English, readings in English. Every year.
• 211. Intermediate Japanese I. 4 semester hours.
  Further development of the fundamental communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as the sociolinguistic information necessary for effective communication with Japanese natives. Prerequisite: Japanese 112 or placement. Every year.
• 212. Intermediate Japanese II. 4 semester hours.
  Continued development of the fundamental communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as the sociolinguistic information necessary for effective communication with Japanese natives. Prerequisite: Japanese 211 or placement. Every year.
• 230. Japanese Topics. 4 semester hours.
  Topics, chosen by the instructor, designed to be of interest to the entire campus community.  Taught in English, readings in English.  Some sections may be writing intensive.  Offered as need arises.  This course may be repeated for credit.  Examples of courses that might be offered include:
• 230 A/C. Japanese Women Writers of the 20th Century.  4 semester hours.
  In the Western imagination, Japanese women have been cast as gentle, voiceless creatures living in shadows of their husbands.  But the fiction written by Japanese women presents a female image that is as vibrant as it is varied.  This course will examine the various manifestations of the female image in the female-authored modern Japanese fiction from the turn of the twentieth century to the present. 
• 230 S.  Language in Society.  4 semester hours.
  This course will look at language as it creates and responds to its cultural and social environments.  Our main focus will be on the variation in one language, which results from different social statuses and purposes.  We will seek to explain as well as describe such facts.  Why do regional varieties of U.S. English continue to exist after years of mass media influence?  Why does one variety of a languge gain and maintain great prestige (the so-called standard variety)?  Why are we prejudiced against some varieties of language, and what reasons do we offer for those prejudices?  Why do men and women speak differently?  Is English a sexist language?  If so, what linguistics facts support such an interpretation?  These are some of the questions we will be asking in this course.  We will focus on language variation in English but will also read some articles on Japanese language variation to see if these variation patterns hold among different languages. 
• 230 S.  Introduction to Linguistics.  4 semester hours.
  Have you studied a foreign language before?  Have you wondered why it is so different from English?  For example, why does Japanese have ways in the grammar to show respect for elders and superiors while English does not?  Have you wondered why Russian does not have articles like "a" and "the" while English does?  Have you wondered why your Spanish does not sound like your teacher's?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, this class is for you.  We will discuss the different levels of language (their sound systems, vocabularies, inflections, and grammars) and the role these languages and their units play in their respective societies.
• 311. Advanced Japanese I. 4 semester hours.
  The goal of the course is to develop culturally and socially appropriate proficiency in the four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Prerequisite: 212 or placement. Every year.
• 312. Advanced Japanese II. 4 semester hours.
  A continuation of 311, the goal of the course is to develop culturally and socially appropriate proficiency in the four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.Prerequisite: 311 or placement. Every year.
• 330. Japanese Topics. 4 semester hours.
  Topics, chosen by the instructor, designed to be of interest to the entire campus community. Taught in English, readings in English. May be writing intensive. Offered as need arises. This course may be repeated for credit.
• 490. Independent Study. Variable credit.
  This course may be repeated for credit.

Political Science

• 205C. Chinese Politics. 4 semester hours.
  Introduction to Chinese politics since 1949. Topics include a brief overview of modern Chinese history and a survey of contemporary analyses of the Chinese political process. Emphasis is given to Chinese political culture, major political institutions and current policy issues. Every third year.
• 210C/S. East Asian Politics. 4 semester hours.
  The course introduces students to the political structure and dynamics of three major countries in East Asia: Japan, China (Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong), and Korea (South Korea and North Korea). The major objective is to make students familiar with their history, politics and economy, their relationships with each other and the impact of East Asia as a whole on global affairs.
• 354. Chinese Foreign Policy. 4 semester hours.
  Analysis of the evolution and workings of Chinese foreign policy behavior in terms of historical patterns, the role of ideology, military and strategic factors, economics, domestic politics and the decision-making process. Chinese relations with the United States, Russia, Japan and other nations are discussed. Prerequisite: Political Science 102 or 205 and junior standing. Writing intensive. Alternate years.
• 355. East Asian Foreign Relations 4 semester hours.
  The course introduces students to the dynamic interactions between major powers in East Asian ( Japan, China, the United States, Russia and Korea). The objective is to make students understand and be able to critically analyze diplomatic process, patterns of external behavior of major powers, and transnational forces at work in the region. Prerequisite: Political Science 102, 210 or 251.

Religion

• 134C/R. Chinese and Japanese Religious Traditions. 4 semester hours.
  This course examines several religious traditions that have shaped East Asian civilizations.  We will study the formal traditions of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Shinto, and the New Religions; we will also consider the popular religious traditions of China and Japan.  Classes include both lecture and discussion; students will be evaluated through essay exams, short papers, and analysis of scripture and other texts.  Every year.
• 333C/R. Buddhist Thought and Scriptures. 4 semester hours.
  Seminar studying the teachings and practices of schools of the Buddhist tradition through pivotal scriptures.  Sutras and other texts from Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism will be considered in their historical and cultural contexts, and within the framework of central themes of Buddhism.  Requirements include class discussion and presentations, two exams, one short paper, and a term paper.  Writing intensive. Every third year.
• 335C/R. Confucianism and Its Critics. 4 semester hours.
  Seminar on the history, central teachings, and institutions of the Confucian and Neo-Confucian traditions and Confucianism as manifest in the modern world. We will read pivotal works of Confucians including the Analects, Mencius, the writings of Zhu Xi, Wang Yangming and Tu Wei-ming.  These will be assessed in part in contrast to critics of Confucianism ranging  from classical philosophers to twentieth century Marxists.  Writing intensive. Every year.
• 336C/R. Religious Daoism and Chinese Popular Religion. 4 semester hours.
  Religious Daoism has been a way of self-cultivation, influential in Chinese imperial politics and history. This course will examine the tradition of Religious Daoism in historical context and through the study of practices, including ritual, meditation, and yoga. We will also look at Religious Daoism from the vantage point of Chinese Popular Religion, the practices that have been the basis of the religion of the people to the present. Class will be a combination of lecture and discussion, with student presentations and a term paper. Writing intensive.
• 339. Monkeys, Samurai, and Gods. 4 semester hours.
  This seminar will look at religious meaning and message in some of the best loved literature of China and Japan, including Journey to the West, Tale of Heike, Dream of the Red Chamber, Account of my Hut, and others.  Class will be a combination of lecture and discussion, with student presentations and a term paper.  Videos and other media will be used when possible.  Writing intensive. Alternate years.

Sociology

• 275C/S. Contemporary Japanese Society. 4 semester hours.
  Anthropological introduction to the cultural values and social organization of contemporary Japan. Uses a cross-cultural perspective to examine the changing world of kinship, the family and the local community in modern life. Writing intensive. Alternate years.
• 301C/S. East Asian Medical Systems. 4 semester hours.
  Writing intensive. Every third year.

Theatre & Dance

• 013P. Chinese Folk Dance. 1 semester hour.
  Every year.