Asian Studies

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Undergraduate Information

OFFICE: Arts and Letters 473
TELEPHONE: 619-594-0931 / FAX: 619-594-0257
E-MAIL: mbolthou@sdsu.edu
WEBSITE: http://asiapacific.sdsu.edu

Faculty

Asian and Pacific Studies is administered by the Asian and Pacific Studies Committee. Faculty assigned to teach courses in Asian and Pacific studies are drawn from Anthropology, Art and Design, Chinese, Economics, English and Comparative Literature, Geography, History, Japanese, Journalism and Media Studies, Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Health, Religious Studies, Sociology, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Women’s Studies.

Emeritus: Madhavan, Weiner
Director: Sandra A. Wawrytko (Philosophy)
Undergraduate Adviser: Sandra A. Wawrytko (Philosophy)
Committee: An (Geography), Edgerton-Tarpley (History), Ghosh (Women’s Studies), Guang (Political Science), Hua (Women’s Studies), Kitajima (Japanese), Li (Social Work), Pang (Teacher Education), Riley (Anthropology), Samraj (Linguistics), Timalsina (Religious Studies), Tsou (Geography), Varadarajan (Political Science), Wawrytko (Philosophy), Wu (Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages), Yu (Public Health), Zhang (Chinese), Zhong (Journalism and Media Studies).

The Major

The importance of the immense and varied regions of Asia and the Pacific Rim are reflected in the rich culture and history of Asian people, Asian contributions to the world’s literature and art, religion and philosophy, as well as contemporary international relations and economics.

The major in Asian studies is multidisciplinary. Students can enroll in classes from a wide range of departments and programs, such as anthropology, art, Chinese, comparative literature, economics, history, Japanese, philosophy, political science, religious studies, sociology, and women’s studies. Because the program draws its faculty from multiple programs and departments on the SDSU campus, the major is able to provide resources for understanding East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, the relation of these peoples and cultures to North America, and Asian American diaspora communities. Areas of special interest may be pursued in depth.

The major provides students with the background for careers that require an understanding of Asia, whether in academic, business, government, or community and social services. Students in the major develop an understanding of cultural heritage, societies, and languages, as well as the social, political, and environmental issues of the Asian and Pacific regions. Nonmajors who wish to increase their understanding about Asian and Pacific peoples and cultures will find courses available in Asian Studies.

Advising

All College of Arts and Letters majors are urged to consult with their department adviser as soon as possible; they are required to meet with their department adviser within the first two semesters after declaration or change of major.

Impacted Program

The Asian studies major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the Asian studies major, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete preparation for the major;
2. Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
3. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Major Academic Plans (MAPs)

Visit http://www.sdsu.edu/mymap for the recommended courses needed to fulfill your major requirements. The MAPs website was created to help students navigate the course requirements for their majors and to identify which General Education course will also fulfill a major preparation course requirement.

Graduate Information

OFFICE: Arts and Letters 473
TELEPHONE: 619-594-0931 / FAX: 619-594-0257
E-MAIL: mbolthou@sdsu.edu
WEBSITE: http://asiapacific.sdsu.edu

Director of Program: Sandra A. Wawrytko, Ph.D.

Faculty Committee for Asian and Pacific Studies

Li An, Ph.D., Professor of Geography
Kathryn J. Edgerton-Tarpley, Ph.D., Professor of History
Huma Ahmed Ghosh, Ph.D., Professor of Women’s Studies
Lei Guang, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science
Valerie O. Pang, Ph.D., Professor of Teacher Education
Erin P. Riley, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology
Betty T.R. Samraj, Ph.D., Professor of Linguistics
Sthaneshwar Timalsina, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies
Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Ph.D., Professor of Geography
Latha Varadarajan, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science
Sandra A. Wawrytko, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy
Ruey-Jiuan Regina Wu, Ph.D., Professor of Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages
Elena S. H. Yu, Ph.D., Professor of Public Health
Zheng-Sheng Zhang, Ph.D., Professor of Chinese
Anh Nhuoc Hua, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Women’s Studies
Ryu Kitajima, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Japanese
Yawen Li, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Social Work
Mei Zhong, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies

General Information

No new students are being admitted to this program. For further information, contact the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.

The Master of Arts degree in Asian studies is an interdisciplinary degree offered by designated faculty members in the Departments of Anthropology, Art, Business Administration, Classics and Humanities, Economics, Education, English and Comparative Literature, Geography, History, Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, and Sociology. It is administered by the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies through a graduate committee consisting of the director, the graduate adviser, and representatives from the several departments.

The program is designed to offer systematic advanced training (a) for those planning to enter educational, business, government, or community service involving Asian and Pacific studies; (b) for those in a specific academic discipline who have regional interest in Asian and Pacific studies and wish to promote more effective understanding of the cultures, societies, peoples, and social forces at work in the Asian and Pacific world; and (c) for those who plan to pursue further graduate study in Asian and Pacific studies beyond the Master of Arts degree.

Admission to Graduate Study

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the university with classified graduate standing, as described in Part Two of this bulletin, the student must present a Bachelor of Arts degree, as approved by the graduate committee of the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies. A student whose preparation is deemed inadequate by the graduate committee will be required to complete specific courses in addition to the minimum of 30 units required for the degree.

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the $55 application fee.

All applicants must submit admissions materials separately to SDSU Graduate Admissions and to the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.

Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions
Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7416

1. Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) from all post-secondary institutions attended;
   • Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
   • Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree. If documents are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
2. GRE scores (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682);
3. English language score, if medium of instruction was in a language other than English (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682).

Center for Asian and Pacific Studies

The following materials should be mailed or delivered to:

Center for Asian and Pacific Studies
(Attention: Graduate Adviser)
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-6042

1. Letters of reference (minimum 3);
2. Personal statement;
3. Writing sample of recent academic work.

Advancement to Candidacy

All students must satisfy the general requirements for advancement to candidacy as described in Part Four of this bulletin. In addition, all students must demonstrate a reading knowledge, at least at the intermediate level, of a relevant foreign language approved by the graduate adviser of the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies.

Programs

• Asian Studies Minor
• Asian Studies, B.A. in Liberal Arts in Sciences
• Asian Studies, Emphasis in Chinese Studies and Language, Chinese Language, B.A. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Asian Studies, Emphasis in Chinese Studies and Language, Chinese Studies, B.A. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Asian Studies, M.A.
• Chinese Studies Minor
• Japan Studies Minor

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