Academic Advising Resource Center

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