The Asian studies program focuses on the
study of peoples, cultures, and institutions
of Asia. Coursework is multidisciplinary,
consisting of history, geography, and
Asian language classes. Through the
program, students obtain an understanding
of the foundation and functioning of
political, economic, and social institutions
of Asia. They also gain proficiency in at
least one Asian language and develop an
understanding of similarities and
differences among Asian nations with
respect to ethnicity, history, culture,
religion, and institutions.
General Education and your
Asian Studies Major are
designed to go hand-in-hand!
Make the USU General Education
requirements complement and support your
Asian Studies degree by using these courses to
help you:





write clearly, think creatively,
learn how to see connections across
diverse areas,
learn how to reason with numbers,
develop resources for communicating
with a wide variety of audiences,
and learn how to learn, regardless of
the setting.
Competency Requirements:
It is highly recommended, but not
required, that students spend at least one
term of their education participating in a
study abroad program. Living and
studying in Asia provides students with a
greater depth of knowledge and experience
that cannot be gained in a classroom
setting
The General Education program
helps prepare you to take better
advantage of the learning you
receive in our program. Learn
how and why inside this
pamphlet.
Guidelines for meeting General
Education Requirements
&
Recommendations for an
Asian Studies Major
\
ENGL 1010 (or test out) Introduction to
Writing and ENGL 2010 Intermediate Writing
(6 credits): We hope you use these courses to
refine your writing skills. Learn how to
develop a clear thesis statement, organize and
support your thoughts, provide clear previews,
transitions, and summaries, as well as avoid
writing errors that detract from your message.
Writing is one of the platters on which you
present your ideas to others; keep it clean and
useful.
STAT 1040 Introduction to Statistics (3
credits): Research on issues related to Asia
often uses statistics. Understanding what these
mean and how to interpret them is a vital skill.
We hope you use this course to prepare you to
understand and evaluate research claims about
how people effectively communicate. Because
all math is mental weight training,
strengthening you for a variety of mental
tasks, MATH 1050 (college algebra) is also a
useful training option.
Breadth Requirements:
American Institutions – POLS 1100 United
States Government & Politics (3 credits):
Understanding the nature of the U.S.
Government will provide a useful comparison
point for understanding governments in Asia
and for understanding the United States’
relationship with many Asian countries.
Creative Arts – USU 1330 Civilization
Creative Arts (3 credits): Art, communication,
and our language all share the power to move
us emotionally. Successful human interaction
across cultures goes beyond what is expected.
Watch for how various artists step out of the
box and convey messages in unexpected, yet
powerful ways. How do the art forms you
study express what all humans share and what
makes each human unique? If you have a
specific art you want to develop, that is
wonderful; otherwise we recommend you take
the broad USU course that exposes you to
examples from many art forms.
Humanities – RELS 1010 Introduction to
Religious Studies or ENGL 2210 Introduction
to Folklore or HIST 1510 The Modern World
(3 credits): This is an opportunity to select a
course that has a global perspective or extends
your knowledge of other communities. These
courses will introduce you to different ways of
thinking and better prepare you to understand
a wide range of audiences. Understanding the
basic ideas associated with different world
religions is particularly valuable for gaining a
global perspective.
Life Sciences – USU 1350 Integrated Life
Science or BIOL 1010 Biology and the Citizen
(3 credits): Some theories of human
interaction reject and some embrace a cause
and effect view of human interaction that is
borrowed from the sciences. These life science
courses are grounded in this cause and effect
perspective. We encourage you to develop an
appreciation for how this causal model
approaches problems so that you can
recognize its strengths and limitations. BIOL
1010 is good for our majors because of its
explicit connection to people.
Physical Sciences – USU 1360 Integrated
Physical Sciences or PHYS 1200 Introduction
to Physics by Hands-on Exploration (3
credits): Progress in the sciences has made a
huge impact in the global community in which
we live. To communicate effectively in this
global community it is useful to have a broad
understanding of how both our physical and
social worlds impact us. Complement your
knowledge of the social world with an
increased understanding of the physical world.
The hands-on nature of the PHYS 1200 course
makes it ideal for our students who want
exposure to the tangible and practical nature of
science.
Social Sciences – USU 1340 Social Systems
and Issues or POLS 2200 Comparative
Politics (3 credits): The Asian Studies major
requires a person to make comparisons in
positive ways. The broad, yet comparative
nature of these courses can help you recognize
important factors in understanding differences
across communities.
Exploration – LANG 2100 Languages of the
World or ANTH 1010 Cultural Anthropology
or RELS 1010 Introduction to Religious
Studies (3 credits): Use the exploration
requirement as a way to explore ideas closely
tied to large scale issues related to
communication. These courses examine the
impact of culture and social structures on
human communities. Practice making
connections between the large-scale structures
discussed and individual behavior. Seeing
connections is an essential ability in this field.
to logically work through problems or use
statistics appropriately.
Depth Requirements:
Communication Intensive (CI) – (two courses)
There is a long list of possible CI courses to
choose from. We encourage you to choose one
that helps to build your understanding of
culture or that fits a particular career goal you
have.
Life and Physical Sciences – Open to your
interests (at least 2 credits). Consider
selecting a DSC course like PSC 3820 Climate
Change or 4600 Cereal Science that is also a
QI course, deepening your knowledge of two
skills at once.
Social Sciences – (at least two credits). We
suggest you take a DSS course CMST 3330
Intercultural Communication or something
that broads your understanding of various
cultures or countries.
Quantitative Intensive (QI) – PHIL 2200,
JCOM 2020, PSY 2800, POLS 3000 or a QI
course that also has a DSC designation (2+
credits): These courses will refine your ability
Learning to communicate effectively
and appropriately across a variety of
intercultural settings is an ongoing
process. Like communication,
developing life-long learning skills
impacts everything we do throughout
our lives. The quality of your life is
inherently tied to the quality of your
communication and your ability to
learn.
Learn to learn,
Learn to communicate,
Learn to communicate
globally!