Asian Studies Program Learning Outcomes

A student who completes the Asian studies program should be able to:

The Asian Studies program is a major contributor to the Seaver College General Education World Civilizations requirement, sharing the same goals and purposes of that requirement. As such, the Asian Studies program courses are designed to help students express broad cultural perspectives informed by their study of the history, literature, religion, philosophy, and artistic traditions of East Asian civilization.

The student who completes a course in the Asian Studies program will be able to demonstrate an open-mindedness and empathy toward global communities through a transformed awareness of self and a knowledge of cultures outside the West.

In all the courses which are offered in the Asian Studies program, students develop a knowledge and an understanding of, as well as an appreciation for, the cultures of East Asia. Along the way, students also develop a deeper knowledge and better understanding of the uniqueness of their own culture.

In our Asian Studies courses, students will:

1. Identify the major figures, institutions and events in the history of East Asia, and explain their historical significance. Lectures and readings will introduce and discuss these figures, institutions and events, and each exam will feature a section where you will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the same.
2. Describe on an elementary level the different philosophical and religious traditions of East Asia, and to reflect on how these traditions might, through comparison and contrast, illumine your own philosophical and religious traditions. Selected readings and homework assignments, together with class discussions, are designed to encourage these efforts.
3. Develop a sympathy for the perspective of the peoples of East Asia through the reflective reading of assigned primary sources. Most of the readings for this course have been chosen and the homework has been designed to encourage the student to understand issues from the perspective of the Asian participant, rather than the Western observer.
4. Begin to appreciate the literary, artistic and cultural achievements of East Asia, as selected course lectures, reading assignments and suggested field trips introduce students to these achievements.

Some of the Asian Studies courses emphasize one or two of the above objectives over the others, but each of the courses include some element of all of these objectives in their study.