East Asian Studies
Why take courses in East Asian Studies ?
East Asian Studies at Oberlin prepares students to engage and understand one of the most significant and culturally vibrant regions of the world, with 1.7 billion people making up 20% of the global population. Our wide-ranging curriculum allows students to explore their diverse interests in East Asia, from history and politics to literature and art.
What kinds of questions does this interdisciplinary field explore?
-
What contribution did women make to Japan’s premodern literary culture?
- What are the ritual practices of the major East Asian religious traditions? How have religious actors sought to transform self, society, and cosmos?
- How has Chinese cinema interacted with political and social change since the early 20th century?
What advice would you give students interested in taking courses in East Asian Studies ?
In addition to EAST courses, students interested in East Asian studies should plan to enroll in language classes in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean..
Aim to explore classes beyond your target region of interest. For example, those interested in majoring in a Japan-related subject, should, over the course of their time at Oberlin, also take courses focused on China and Korea.
Be involved with the many co-curricular activities (language tables, talks, workshops) hosted by EAS.
Taking Courses
Courses for non-majors or general interest
- Any 100-level course
Getting started in the major
Completion of the major requires demonstrated language proficiency in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Students with native or near-native proficiency in one of these languages must study another East Asian language to fulfill the requirements of the major.
Students interested in majoring in East Asian Sstudies should begin taking coursework thematically aligned with a program of study as listed in the catalog.
Advanced Placement Credit
East Asian Studies does not transfer AP credit toward the major requirements. Refer to the AP/IB chart for complete information about AP test scores.
Placement exams are available for Chinese and Japanese, each featuring both a written and verbal component. Additional information about language proficiency exams can be found here.
Majoring in East Asian Studies
Provided are two examples of how a student could distribute courses required for the major over three or four years. See the catalog for additional details about major requirements.
Sample Four-Year Plans
| Fall | Spring | |
|---|---|---|
| Y1 | CHIN 201 | CHIN 202 POLT 1XX |
| Y2 | CHIN 301 HIST 1XX |
CHIN 302 HIST 2XX |
| Y3 | Study Away | CHIN 4XX EAST 3XX |
| Y4 | HIST 3XX | CHIN 500 POLT 3XX |
| Fall | Spring | |
|---|---|---|
| Y1 | JAPN 101 | JAPN 102 EAST 1XX |
| Y2 | JAPN 201 EAST 2XX |
JAPN 202 ARTH 2XX |
| Y3 | JAPN 301 RELG 2XX |
Study Away |
| Y4 | HIST 3XX EAST 3XX |
EAST 500 |
Related Areas of Study
Anthropology, Art History, Cinema Studies, Comparative Literature, Environmental Studies, History, Literary Translation, Politics, Religion
Learn More
East Asian Studies Major Requirements
East Asian Studies Department