East Asian Languages and Cultures Minor

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The core requirements for the EALC minor allow students flexibility in designing their own course of study. Students typically select one language and cultural area (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) in which they do most of their course work. For this reason, one frequently hears students on campus speaking about “minoring” in Japanese, Chinese, or Korean, though strictly speaking all these students are actually “minoring” in EALC. Minors are encouraged to explore beyond their individual language focus by enrolling in the full range of EALC courses available in literature, film, history, media, and other aspects of East Asian cultures.

Core requirements for EALC minors consist of a cross-cultural survey course, a cultural studies course, and a language requirement that may be waived by placement test. Students then also take two upper-division elective courses (8 units). One upper-division course on East Asia from another department may be used to count toward the 8 units, if approved by the adviser.

Cross-Cultural Survey Course (Choose One)

Cross-Cultural Survey courses offer students a broad, interregional introduction to East Asian philosophy, literature, film, and culture. All EALC minors are required to take at least one of these courses within the first two years of their study.

Cultural Studies Course (Choose One)

Cultural Studies courses provide students with an in-depth introduction to a cultural tradition within its regional context. Students are required to take one of these gateway courses preferably before advancing to more specialized, theme-specific courses.

EALC 150gw Global Chinese Cinema and Cultural Studies Units: 4
EALC 333g Introduction to Korean Film Units: 4
EALC 340gp Japanese Civilization Units: 4
EALC 342gp Japanese Literature and Culture Units: 4
EALC 344gp Korean Culture from Ancient to Modern Times Units: 4
EALC 350gp Chinese Civilization Units: 4

Language Requirement

This requirement may be waived by placement test.

Upper Division Electives (Choose Two)

Our faculty teach new courses every year. Please check the department’s Schedule of Classes to see the full range of courses. One upper-division course on East Asia from another department may likewise be used to count toward the 8 units with advisor’s approval.

EALC 332 Modern Korean Literature in Translation Units: 4
EALC 346g Hallyu, the Korean Wave Units: 4
EALC 358g Transnational Chinese Literature and Culture Units: 4
EALC 360g Performing Japan: Bodies, Media, and Textuality Units: 4
EALC 374 Language and Society in East Asia Units: 4
EALC 375 Women and Gender in China: Past and Present Units: 4
EALC 387 Early Japanese Art Units: 4
EALC 426 Classical Japanese Units: 4
EALC 428 Nature and the Ecological Imagination in Japanese Literature Units: 4
EALC 430 Gender and Sexuality in Korean Literature and Culture Units: 4
EALC 450 Contemporary Japanese Literature and Global Modernity Units: 4
EALC 455 Japanese Fiction Units: 4
EALC 460 Love, Self and Gender in Japanese Literature Units: 4
EALC 465 Topics in Korean Visual and Cultural Studies Units: 4
EALC 470 Introduction to East Asian Linguistics Units: 4
EALC 499 Special Topics Units: 2, 3, 4