During your Asian Studies degree, you can choose to focus on Asian Language and Culture or Asian Area Studies. Asian Language and Culture combines advanced language study with a concentration in one of five areas: China, Chinese Literature, Japan, Korea, or South Asia. Asian Area Studies offers a comparative approach to studying traditional and contemporary Asian societies with less emphasis on advanced language study.
You’ll develop important skills while studying history, literary and religious traditions, gender relations, and languages.
These skills may include:
- Critical thinking and analysis of concepts related to major political, cultural, literary, historical, and/or religious movements in one or more Asian communities
- Applying problem solving to the examination of Asian-related topics considering multiple perspectives
- Intercultural understanding and competency
- Reflecting on and analyzing self-identity, influences, assumptions, and values
- Understanding and translating a wide range of texts, and recognizing implicit meanings
- Expressing ideas fluently and spontaneously in a foreign language
- Persuasive public speaking and reasoning abilities that are evidence-based
- Ability to perceive the influence different perspectives can have on facts
- Written and verbal communication skills used to identify and examine the historical, social, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of Canada’s relationship with Asia and the place of Asian communities in the history of North America and other regions of the world