MA in Asian Studies - East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies in Santa Barbara United States | University of California, Santa Barbara

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies provides fundamental resources for exploring the intricate cultures of China, Japan, and Korea. Our program instructs students in East Asian languages and writing systems. We equip learners with frameworks to examine modernity, colonialism, nationalism, and state development in relation to historical traditions. Students gain analytical skills to explore both classical and contemporary literature, arts, cinema, media, and pop culture. Our curriculum examines enduring religious philosophies (such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism) and intellectual traditions (including political theory and scientific thought) that have influenced East Asian worldviews and daily practices for generations - some discarded during modernization, while others remain vibrant components of contemporary culture.