Program Overview

Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Korean Studies Concentration

The Korean Studies concentration in the Asian Studies degree allows students to combine Korean language study with an interdisciplinary set of courses in Korean culture, history, and society. This program is one of the first of its kind in the Southeast.

Overview

Korea occupies a place of significant geopolitical, economic, and cultural importance in the world. It is a unique country where five thousand years of history and tradition coexist with the most advanced technological and economic development. The Korean peninsula is home to over 72 million ethnic Koreans (North and South combined) and over 1.3 million recent migrants from all over the world. Approximately 7 million ethnic Koreans have migrated to other countries and have established diasporic communities in over 150 countries. The Korean language is spoken by over 75 million people around the world and ranks 13th among the most used languages in the world.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Asian studies program, students should be able to:

• Identify or analyze significant aspects of the target cultures by interpreting texts and media
• Demonstrate proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in the target language
• Demonstrate experience in the use of the target language outside the language classroom

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements, students must:

• earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
• complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
• take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
• earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.

The eight core courses (24 credit hours) consist of two to four language courses and four to six literature and culture courses, as described below.

• At least two Korean language courses beyond KOR 204:
  • KOR 305: Advanced Korean I
  • KOR 306: Advanced Korean II
  • KOR 407: Modern Korean Literature and Culture
  • KOR 408: Changes and Continuities in Korean History
  • KOR 409: Korean Through Current Affairs
  • KOR 490: Topics in Korean Language and Literature
• At least one introductory-level course chosen from the following list:
  • ASIA 72: First-Year Seminar: Transnational Korea: Literature, Film, and Popular Culture
  • KOR 150: History, Memory, and Reality in Contemporary Korea
  • KOR 151: Education and Social Changes in Contemporary Korea
  • KOR 152: Audiovisual Korea: Music, Art, and Performance from Calligraphy to K-pop
• At least two Korean literature and culture courses chosen from the following list:
  • KOR/CMPL 232: Imagining the City in Modern Korea: Text, Image, Space
  • KOR/CMPL/WGST 237: Rebel, Lover, Martyr: Gender and Sexuality in North and South Korean Screen Cultures
  • KOR 327: Global Korea: Migration, Identity, and Community in the Korean Diaspora
  • KOR 346/CMPL 246: Body Politics in Modern Korean Literature
  • ASIA 350: Transpacific Narratives: Oral Histories of Asian America
  • ASIA 427/CMPL 527/PWAD 427: Cold War Culture in East Asia: Transnational and Intermedial Connections
  • KOR 447/CMPL 547: Documenting Diasporas: Korean Diasporas in Films and Documentaries

Sample Plan of Study

Sample plans can be used as a guide to identify the courses required to complete the major and other requirements needed for degree completion within the expected eight semesters. The actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Students should meet with their academic advisor to create a degree plan that is specific and unique to their interests.

Special Opportunities in Asian Studies

Honors in Asian Studies

A candidate for honors in Asian studies will write a substantial paper under the guidance of a faculty member. While researching and writing the honors paper, the student will enroll in ASIA 691H and ASIA 692H. ASIA 692H may count as one of the interdisciplinary courses for the major; ASIA 691H will count for elective credit only.

Departmental Involvement

The department sponsors a variety of cultural events — lectures, film series, performances, and more — as well as social and informational events where students can get to know each other and faculty members in an informal setting.

Languages across the Curriculum

The department participates in the Languages across the Curriculum (LAC) program, offering a one-credit-hour discussion section that is conducted in Korean but associated with a variety of courses offered in English, both in Asian studies and in such other departments as history or religious studies.

Libraries

The University has rich collections of books and periodicals on Asia in the relevant Asian languages, as well as in English and other Western languages.

Speaker Series

The department sponsors an annual speaker series. These events include lectures by prominent artists, scholars, and writers and are often cosponsored by other units on campus.

Study Abroad

UNC–Chapel Hill sponsors several study programs (summer, semester, and yearlong) in Korea. Asian studies majors are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities to live and study in an Asian setting.

Undergraduate Research

The department actively encourages undergraduate student research. Through classes, advising, and office hours, faculty members guide students toward defining areas of interest, conceptualizing research questions, identifying sources, and writing academic papers.

Department Programs

• Majors
  • Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Interdisciplinary Concentration
  • Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Arab Cultures Concentration
  • Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Chinese Concentration
  • Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Japanese Concentration
  • Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Korean Studies Concentration
  • Asian Studies Major, B.A.–Persian Studies Concentration
  • Asian Studies Major, B.A.–South Asian Studies Concentration
• Minors
  • Arabic Minor
  • Asian Studies Minor
  • Chinese Minor
  • Modern Hebrew Minor
  • Hindi-Urdu Minor
  • Japanese Minor
  • Korean Minor
  • Middle Eastern Languages Minor
  • Persian Minor
  • Southeast Asian Studies Minor
• Graduate Programs
  • M.A. in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
• Courses
  • Asian Studies (ASIA)
  • Arabic (ARAB)
  • Chinese (CHIN)
  • Hebrew (HEBR)
  • Hindi-Urdu (HNUR)
  • Japanese (JAPN)
  • Korean (KOR)
  • Persian (PRSN)
  • Turkish (TURK)
  • Vietnamese (VIET)