PrincetonUniversity
Class of 2004 Sophomore Academic Handbook

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Department of East Asian Studies/Program in East Asian Studies

Would you like to be fluent in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean? Would you like to view East Asia from the inside and have access to the riches of East Asian civilization? With the increasing interest in East Asia and the Pacific Rim, the training available in the Department of East Asian Studies and the Program in East Asian Studies has become ever more relevant to people in all fields. The Department of East Asian Studies is well known in this country and in Asia for the quality of its training. Its graduates are now using their skills in journalism, banking, trade, and diplomacy, in addition to the more traditional path of academia. Not only is the language training in the Department of East Asian Studies considered to be among the best available in any university, but the department is also well known for its faculty in Chinese and Japanese history, literature, and culture There is very strong coverage of subjects from the very early periods right through to the present. In addition, associated faculty in art, comparative literature, economics, history, politics, religion, and sociology provide an excellent opportunity to combine strong language and cultural background with one of these disciplines.

It is possible to make East Asian studies a primary concentration or
to combine the Program in East Asian Studies with another field. The program requires a minimum of two years of either Chinese or Japanese and four courses on East Asia. Upon graduation, participants in the program receive a certificate for their study of East Asian language and culture. Many students studying engineering or natural sciences, in addition to those students in the more obviously related fields in the
social sciences and the humanities, have taken advantage of this program.

The East Asian studies department and program strongly encourage both summer language study and study abroad and provide financial support when possible. Some students spend an extra year studying in Asia and then bring their experiences and improved language skills to bear on their independent research.

All interested students are invited to consult with the faculty in the
East Asian studies department and program as early as possible. Because students can best profit from our course offerings if they have had good basic language training, early planning is important.

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