• Skip to Content
  • AZ Index
  • Catalog Home
  • Institution Home
Northeastern University

Academic Catalog 2023-2024

  • Home›
  • Undergraduate›
  • College of Social Sciences and Humanities›
  • Interdisciplinary Programs›
  • Global Asian Studies, BA

Global Asian Studies, BA

2023-2024 Edition

  • Undergraduate
    • Admission
    • Information for Entering Students
    • Financial Information
    • Academic Policies and Procedures
    • University Academics
    • College of Arts, Media and Design
    • D'Amore-​McKim School of Business
    • Khoury College of Computer Sciences
    • College of Engineering
    • Bouvé College of Health Sciences
    • College of Science
    • College of Social Sciences and Humanities
      • Interdisciplinary Programs
        • Computer Science and Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, BS
        • Global Asian Studies, BA
        • Health Humanities and Health Science, BS
        • Health Humanities and Public Health, BA
        • History and Asian Studies, BA
        • History, Culture, and Law, BA
        • Human Services, BA
        • Human Services, BS
        • Human Services and Communication Studies, BA
        • Human Services and Criminal Justice, BS
        • Human Services and International Affairs, BA
        • Human Services and Psychology, BS
        • Human Services and Sociology, BA
        • Human Services and Sociology, BS
        • Jewish Studies and Religion, BA
        • Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, BS
        • Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and Business Administration, BS
        • Black Feminist Studies, Minor
        • Computational Social Science, Minor
        • Digital Methods in the Humanities, Minor
        • Food Systems Sustainability, Health, and Equity, Minor
        • Global Asian Studies, Minor
        • Global Health, Minor
        • Health, Humanities, and Society, Minor
        • Human Services, Minor
        • Jewish Studies, Minor
        • Latino/​a, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies, Minor
        • Law and Public Policy, Minor
        • Urban Studies, Minor
        • Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Minor
      • School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
      • Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies
      • Economics
      • English
      • History
      • International Affairs
      • Philosophy and Religion
      • Political Science
      • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Accelerated Bachelor/​Graduate Degree Programs
    • Student Handbook
    • Faculty
    • General Information
  • College of Professional Studies Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Course Descriptions
  • Catalog Archives
  • Overview
  • Program Requirements
  • Plan of Study

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Asian Studies offers undergraduates a broad liberal arts education in the histories, cultures, societies, politics, economies, and languages of Asia, Asian America, and the global Asian diaspora. Global Asian studies majors complete at least two years of an Asian language in addition to pursuing a rigorous course of study covering a number of disciplines. The core coursework provides foundational knowledge in the history, politics, and societies of East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Asian diaspora; the place of Asia and Asians within a globalizing world; and skills in research and analysis. Majors are also required to develop expertise in one of the following focus areas: history; society and politics; language, literature, and culture; or religious studies. Finally, students are required to complete academic study or a professional experience abroad.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

Universitywide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.

BA Language Requirements

All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in Additional Requirements for BA students. Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.

Global Asian Studies Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
Required Courses
ASNS 1150East Asian Studies4
or HIST 1150 East Asian Studies
HIST 1215Origins of Today: Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues4
or HIST 2211 The World Since 1945
Asia in Global Context
Complete one of the following:4
ASNS 2245
Introduction to Asian American Studies
ASNS 3482
East Asian Politics
ASNS 3485
China: Governance and Foreign Policy
ANTH 4350
Ethnography of Southeast Asia
ANTH 4515
Culture and Politics in Modern India
ANTH 4520
Chinese Society and Culture
ECON 3290
History of the Global Economy
ENGL 2470
Asian-American Literature
HIST 2011
Capitalism and Business: A Global History
PHIL 1275
Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond
PHIL 1290
Chinese Philosophy and Religion
PHIL 2395
Japanese Buddhism
POLS 3487
Politics of Developing Nations
SOCL 4526
Afro-Asian Relations in the Americas
Capstone
ASNS 4900Asian Studies Capstone Directed Study4
International Experience
Complete a professional or academic experience abroad in consultation with your advisor.

Global Asian Studies Elective Requirements

Course List
Code Title Hours
Elective Courses
Complete six courses from the following focus areas (choose at least three courses from one focus area):24
History Focus Area
ARCH 2320
Modern Chinese Architecture
ASNS 2245
Introduction to Asian American Studies
HIST 1246
World War II in the Pacific
HIST 1252
Japanese Literature and Culture
HIST 1500
Modern Chinese History and Culture
or CLTR 1500
Modern Chinese History and Culture
HIST 2011
Capitalism and Business: A Global History
HIST 2308
Law, Justice, and Society in Modern China (Law, Justice, and Society in Modern China)
HIST 2351
Modern Japan
HIST 2360
History of Capitalism in East Asia (History of Capitalism in East Asia)
HIST 3330
The Global Cold War
Society and Politics Focus Area
ANTH 2305
Global Markets and Local Culture
ANTH 4350
Ethnography of Southeast Asia
ANTH 4515
Culture and Politics in Modern India
ANTH 4520
Chinese Society and Culture
ARCH 2310
History of Chinese Architecture
ARCH 2320
Modern Chinese Architecture
ASNS 3482
East Asian Politics
or POLS 3482
East Asian Politics
ECON 1291
Development Economics
ECON 3290
History of the Global Economy
INTB 2501
Competing to Win in Emerging Markets
INTB 4983
Special Topics in International Business
POLS 3487
Politics of Developing Nations
SOCL 4526
Afro-Asian Relations in the Americas
Language, Literature, and Culture Focus Area
CLTR 1260
Japanese Film
CLTR 1506
Introduction to Chinese Popular Culture
CLTR 1700
Introduction to Japanese Pop Culture
ENGL 2470
Asian-American Literature
ENGL 3161
20th- and 21st-Century Literatures
Religious Studies Focus Area
PHIL 1130
Comparative Ethics
PHIL 1133
Selling Spirituality
PHIL 1275
Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond
PHIL 1280
Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates
PHIL 1290
Chinese Philosophy and Religion
PHIL 2395
Japanese Buddhism

Global Asian Studies Foreign Language Requirement

Complete coursework in an Asian language (Japanese or Chinese) through at least intermediate-level two. Note: Completing this requirement satisfies the language requirement for the BA degree. Students may test out of this requirement at the discretion of the director of global Asian studies. Those credits must be fulfilled through the electives listed under the global Asian studies electives. 

Global Asian Studies Major Credit Requirement

56 semester hours required in the major

Experiential Liberal Arts

All students in this College of Social Sciences and Humanities program are required to complete the Experiential Liberal Arts Requirement.

Program Requirements

128 total semester hours required

Four Years, Two Co-ops in Summer 2/Fall

Year 1
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
CLTR 10001Global Asian studies elective 14Elective4Elective4
ENGW 11114Global Asian studies elective 24Elective4Elective4
ASNS 11504Elective4  
HIST 12154Elementary language 24  
Elementary language 14   
 17 16 8 8
Year 2
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Global Asian studies elective 34EESH 20001Elective4Co-op
Elective4Asia in global context elective4Elective4 
Elective4Elective4  
Intermediate language 14Elective4  
 Intermediate language 24  
 16 17 8 0
Year 3
FallHoursSpringHoursSummer 1HoursSummer 2Hours
Co-opGlobal Asian studies elective 44Advanced Writing in the Discipline4Co-op
 Global Asian studies elective 54Elective4 
 Elective4  
 Elective4  
 0 16 8 0
Year 4
FallHoursSpringHours  
Co-opASNS 49004  
 Global Asian studies elective 64  
 Elective4  
 Elective4  
 0 16  
Total Hours: 130
  • Boston Opens New Window
  • Arlington Opens New Window
  • Burlington Opens New Window
  • Charlotte Opens New Window
  • London Opens New Window
  • Nahant Opens New Window
  • Oakland Opens New Window
  • Portland Opens New Window
  • San Francisco Opens New Window
  • Seattle Opens New Window
  • Silicon Valley Opens New Window
  • Toronto Opens New Window
  • Vancouver Opens New Window

360 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02115 Opens New Window | 617.373.2000 | TTY 617.373.3768 | Emergency Information
© 2023-2024 Northeastern University | myNortheastern Opens New Window

  • Facebook. Opens New Window
  • Twitter. Opens New Window
  • Youtube. Opens New Window
  • Linkedin. Opens New Window
  • Instagram. Opens New Window
  • Snapchat. Opens New Window

Privacy Policy Opens New Window

Back to top

Print Options

  • Send Page to Printer

    Print this page.

  • Download Page (PDF)

    The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

  • 2023-24 Undergraduate Day PDF

  • 2023-24 CPS Undergraduate PDF

  • 2023-24 Graduate/Law PDF

  • 2023-24 Course Descriptions PDF