The Asian/Pacific/American Studies major consists of introductory, elective, and research components, together comprising a total of eleven courses, as laid out below:

Two introductory courses, could be taken in any order:

V18.0001, Concepts in Social and Cultural Analysis—An introduction to key terms and analytical categories for

interdisciplinary work in Asian/Pacific/American Studies and related fields

V18.0301, Approaches to the Asian/Pacific/American Experience or MAP course V55.0539, World Cultures: Asian/Pacific/American Cultures

Seven elective courses

Five designated Asian/Pacific/American Studies courses

Two upper-division courses offered by the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis which address issues relevant Asian/Pacific/American Studies in relation to other SCA majors

Two research  courses:

V18.0040 Asian/Pacific/American Studies-related Internship Fieldwork

V18.0090 Senior Research Seminar pertinent to Asian/Pacific/American Studies

A note about Language/Linguistic Competency: The type of rigorous intercultural study promoted within the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis requires students to recognize the complex modes of communication at work both within and across different social groups. The department therefore strongly encourages its students to develop advanced skills in language and linguistics by any of the following means: taking elective courses in sociolinguistics; studying a language other than English beyond the minimum level required by CAS; studying languages especially germane to the department’s fields of study; pursuing community-based internship fieldwork necessitating the development and use of specific language skills; undertaking study or research abroad in contexts entailing the exercise of key language or linguistic capabilities.

MINOR

Five courses in A/P/A Studies, including V18.0301; V18.0302; and three electives from the A/P/A Studies course offerings, at least one of which must be a seminar or “community projects” course. Please contact the program for updated course requirements and course descriptions.

HONORS

Departmental Honors in Asian/Pacific/American Studies–as in all the majors administered within SCA–requires a minimum of three courses with honors designations: An honors section of Strategies for Social and Cultural Analysis, in which students design their thesis research projects (or preliminary versions thereof), is normally taken in the sophomore or junior year. In the senior year, students take a two-semester Honors sequence, consisting of a fall Honors section of the Senior Research Seminar (V18.0900) and spring Independent Honors Research (8 credits total), in which they complete a substantive research project with a significant component based on original primary research. Additional honors credit may be taken in honors sections of the introductory Concepts course, in designated sections of other departmental courses, or in interdisciplinary departmental honors junior seminars, when offered.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The internship program complements and enhances the formal course work of the Asian/Pacific/ American Studies Program. Students intern at various Asian/Pacific/American organizations throughout the tristate metropolitan region. 

            The goals of the internship are to enable students to: (1) develop sound critical thinking and communication skills; (2) apply the theories of A/P/A cultures and communities learned in coursework; (3) gain experience in the practice of collaboration across different communities; (4) acquire and employ analytical tools for examining the experiences of Asian/Pacific/Americans in, and in relation to, diverse communities; (5) explore potential career paths; and (6) become adept at working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.  Prerequisite: Asian/ Pacific/American Community Studies: Theories and Practices (V18.0302)