Program Overview
Asian Languages and Cultures, BA
The 21st century has been called the Asian Century: indeed, many of the world's most pressing issues cannot be understood without a grasp of the histories, cultures, and languages of Asia. Asia is home to over half of the world's population. China, Japan, and India are three of the worlds top economies. For decades Asian countries have been leaders in global manufacturing, and Asian universities are renowned centers for literary studies and scientific innovation. Fifty percent of the declared nuclear-weapon states are also in the region. Simply put, Asia matters a great deal.
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures offers a wide variety of courses on East, South, and Southeast Asia taught by faculty who are specialists in their regions and disciplines. Whether you are taking your first step toward learning about Asia or you bring some background experience, an Asian Languages and Cultures major will expand your ability to think and work across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Students may opt to study Asia in a transnational and transhistorical perspective or in a more focused course of study by choosing one of our named options in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
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 Asian Languages and Cultures with one of the certificates offered at the university, such as the Certificate in Global Health, the Certificate in Health and the Humanities, or those offered by the area studies centers.
This major is interdisciplinary and offers a wealth of options. Careful planning and consultation with the Asian Languages and Cultures undergraduate advisor is especially important.
East Asia
The East Asian Studies named option offers a multidisciplinary range of courses that explore the diverse and vibrant cultures, arts, histories, political systems, and literatures of China, Japan, Korea and Tibet. Students in the East Asian option can study Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Tibetan language and linguistics; and explore Chinese ghost stories and classical Chinese literature or poetry; Korean cinema and pop culture; classical Japanese fiction; early modern comedic narratives, manga, anime, and counterculture.
South Asia
The South Asian Studies named option offers a multidisciplinary range of courses that explore the diverse and vibrant cultures, arts, histories, political systems, and literatures of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. Students in the South Asian option can study Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan, or Urdu language; the roots of Yoga; methods of Buddhist philosophy and meditation; South Asian religion and politics in the past and present of the Indian subcontinent; and medical history in South Asia.
Southeast Asia
The Southeast 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; Human rights in Thailand; literature of the region; and history and politics in Southeast Asia.
Requirements for the Major
Students must take 32 credits as follows:
- Gateway Course: ASIAN 100, Gateway to Asia: Special Topics (3-4 credits)
- Required Language Courses: Complete Third and Fourth Semester language courses in East Asian, South Asian, or Southeast Asian languages (8 credits)
- East Asian Studies Courses: Complete two courses from the list of approved East Asian Studies courses (at least 6 credits)
- South Asian Studies Courses: Complete two courses from the list of approved South Asian Studies courses (at least 6 credits)
- Southeast Asian Studies Courses: Complete two courses from the list of approved Southeast Asian Studies courses (at least 6 credits)
- Capstone Course: Complete one course from the list of approved Capstone courses (at least 3 credits)
Named Options
The Asian Languages and Cultures major offers three named options:
- Asian Languages and Cultures: East Asian Studies
- Asian Languages and Cultures: South Asian Studies
- Asian Languages and Cultures: Southeast Asian Studies
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all ASIAN, ASIALANG, and approved courses for the major
- 2.000 GPA in 15 upper-level major credits, taken in residence
- 15 credits in the major, taken in residence
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Asian Languages & Cultures undergraduate advisor. To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.300 for all courses accepted in the major
- Complete the following coursework, with a grade of B or better:
- ASIAN 699 or any course from the list of approved courses (at least 3 credits)
- A two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in ASIAN 681 and ASIAN 682, for a total of 6 credits
Learning Outcomes
The Asian Languages and Cultures major aims to provide students with the following learning outcomes:
- Broad regional grounding: Understand the variation within and similarities across Asia with reference to historical and contemporary cultural connections.
- Multidisciplinarity: Become familiar and proficient with multiple perspectives scholars use to study Asia and use them as resources in their own self-reflective thinking.
- Depth of knowledge: Employ relevant theoretical and methodological approaches to arrive at informed understandings of key issues involving the environment, human rights, cultural practices, structures of power, etc.
- Analytical skills: Critically examine taken-for-granted notions and stereotypes and to inquire into the process of their construction.
- Language and cultural competence: Manage basic everyday communication needs in at least one Asian language; understand the relationship between language and culture; and understand how to study a new language and culture and how to advance their proficiency as life-long learners.
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. First Year:
- Fall: Communication A, Foreign Language Course, ASIAN 100, ASIAN/COUN PSY/ED PSYCH/PSYCH 120
- Spring: Quantitative Reasoning A, Biological Science Breadth, Ethnic Studies, Foreign Language Course Second Year:
- Fall: Quantitative Reasoning B, Physical Science Breadth, Language Course, South Asian Studies Course
- Spring: Science Breadth, Communication B, Language Course, Southeast Asian Studies Course Third Year:
- Fall: Literature Breadth, Science Breadth, Social Science Breadth, East Asian Studies Course
- Spring: Literature Breadth, South Asian Studies Course, Directed Study (optional), Electives Fourth Year:
- Fall: East Asian Studies Course, Electives, Advanced Language Course (optional), ASIAN 681 or 691 (optional)
- Spring: Asian Studies Capstone Course, ASIAN 682 or 692 (optional), Electives
Advising and Careers
The advisor is happy to meet with students as they explore the degree options, prepare for study abroad, or advance through their four-year plans. Schedule an appointment in Starfish. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Wisconsin Experience
Students in the Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC) department academic programs are encouraged to become engaged in undergraduate research. There are numerous programs that provide research opportunities for undergraduates at UWMadison. The University of WisconsinMadison is ranked #2 for semester-long study abroad participation among all US institutions, and #16 among all US universities and colleges for total students studying abroad. There are nearly 60 study abroad opportunities across Asia.
Resources and Scholarships
FLAS fellowships are funded by the US Department of Education and administered by UWMadison's National Resource Centers to assist students in acquiring foreign language and either area or international studies competencies. The Gilman Scholarship Program is an undergraduate grant program for U.S. citizens of limited financial means to enable them to study abroad, thereby internationalizing their outlook and better preparing them to assume significant roles in the increasingly global economy. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is part of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is a fully-funded overseas intensive language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students.