BA in Asian Studies in Santa Barbara United States | University of California, Santa Barbara

Pursuing an Asian Studies degree equips you with proficiency in key Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, or Hindi). You'll gain interdisciplinary expertise across diverse Asian-related disciplines: literature, cinema, visual arts, history, anthropology, religious studies, political science, and economics. Additionally, you'll develop a comparative framework for analyzing Asia's global connections, particularly with the United States and other regions.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies provides fundamental resources for exploring the intricate cultures of China, Japan, and Korea. Our program teaches East Asian languages and writing systems while examining modernity, colonialism, nationalism, and state development in relation to traditional cultures. Students learn analytical methods to study both classical and contemporary literature, arts, cinema, media, and popular culture. We explore enduring religious traditions (Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism) and intellectual movements that have influenced East Asian worldviews for centuries - some diminished during modernization, others still vibrant in contemporary culture.