IMPORTANT NOTE

The requirements below apply to those students with a 2024-2025 catalog year. Students are required by college policy to follow the major (and minor) requirements found in the catalog in effect at the time they declared their first major. To find your catalog year, please visit your Grades and Academic Records found in myOxy and access the catalog that matches your catalog year.

 

Asian Studies

The study of an East Asian language is foundational to the major. The earlier you begin taking Chinese or Japanese the better. First-year students who are interested in the East Asian Studies major are encouraged to take an East Asian survey course (AMST 280, ARTH 160, HIST 141, POLS 227, or RELS 160) as a gateway course.

Placement Information

Students who have previously studied either Japanese or Chinese should take the placement exam for that language as early as possible.

Sample 4-Year Plan


Fall

Spring

Year 1

  • Spring FYS course

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • Core Requirement (4 units)

  • CHIN 101/JAPN 102

Year 2

Year 3

  • Asian Studies Elective

  • Asian Studies Elective

  • General Elective

  • General Elective

  • Asian Studies Elective

  • Seminar

  • General Elective

  • General Elective

Year 4

  • ASN 497 (Senior Seminar, 2 units)

  • Asian Studies Elective

  • General Elective

  • General Elective

  • Asian Studies Elective

  • General Elective

  • General Elective

  • General Elective

Curricular Notes

  • Asian Studies majors are required to take at least two semesters of Chinese or Japanese language courses number 201 or above.

  • See the Catalog for lists of courses that fulfill the major’s Survey Course, Seminar, and Elective requirements. 

Asian Studies Transfer Student Advice

Transfer Course Limit for Transfer Students: 6 courses/24 units

Designated Transfer Adviser


Expected preparation for transfer students wanting to major in Asian Studies:

  • The department does not accept any online courses in transfer toward the major.

  • Transfer students entering as Rising Juniors should have completed as many Core requirements as possible, and in particular, having completed the math/science Core requirements will be particularly helpful, since some of the culture and arts requirements can be met with major requirements.


General advice for transfer students wanting to major in Asian Studies:

  • Transfer students may transfer in at most 6 courses toward the major and at most 3 courses toward the minor.

  • The independent study course that is used to partially fulfill the comprehensive requirement, and any directed research courses, must be taken at Occidental.


What courses should a transfer student take during their first semester at Occidental?

  • All transfer students should start taking courses in Chinese or Japanese in their first semester if they have not transferred courses in one or both of these languages.

Chinese Studies

First-year students who are interested in the Chinese Studies major are advised to take CHIN 101 (Elementary Chinese I) and CHIN 102 (Elementary Chinese II) in their first year as gateway courses. Students who already have proficiency in Chinese should take the placement exam or submit a qualifying standardized test score (see Placement Information below) in order to identify the appropriate course to start their studies. Please contact Major Coordinator Prof. Meimei Zhang (mzhang2@oxy.edu) with any questions.

Placement Information

Students interested in the Chinese Studies major who have previous experience with the language should take the Chinese Placement Exam. Students studying Chinese for the first time can enroll in CHIN 101 without taking the exam. 

An exception: you do not need to take Occidental’s Placement exam if any of the following are true:  

  • Students who received a 4 on the AP Chinese exam are placed into CHIN 201.

  • Students who received a 5 on the AP Chinese exam are placed into CHIN 202.

  • Students who received a score of 550-679 on the Chinese SAT Subject Test are placed into CHIN 101

  • Students who received a score of 680 or above on the Chinese SAT Subject Test are placed into CHIN 102.  

Note: To use a standardized test score for placement you must have the official score report sent to the Registrar’s Office.

Sample 4-Year Plan


Fall

Spring

Year 1

  • Fall FYS course

  • CHIN 101

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Spring FYS course

  • CHIN 102 (Foreign Language)

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 2

  • CHIN 201 (CPRF)

  • Core Requirement

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • CHIN 202

  • Literature in Translation(CPRF or CPGC)

  • Core Requirement

  • Core Requirement

Year 3

  • 300-/400-level CHIN

  • Additional Elective

  • Methods/Theory

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • 300-/400-level CHIN

  • Additional Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 4

  • 300-/400-level CHIN
  • CHIN 497(2 units)
  • General Elective (2 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • 300-/400-level CHIN

  • Additional Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)


Chinese Studies Transfer Student Advice

Transfer Course Limit for Transfer Students: 6 courses/24 units

Designated Transfer Adviser


Expected preparation for transfer students wanting to major in Chinese Studies:

  • The department does not accept any online courses in transfer toward the major

  • Transfer students entering as Rising Juniors should have completed as many Core requirements as possible, and in particular, having completed the math/science Core requirements will be particularly helpful, since some of the culture and arts requirements can be met with major requirements.


General advice for transfer students wanting to major in Chinese Studies:

  • Transfer students may transfer in at most 6 courses toward the major and at most 3 courses toward the minor.

  • The independent study course that is used to partially fulfill the comprehensive requirement, and any directed research courses, must be taken at Occidental.


What courses should a transfer student take during their first semester at Occidental?

  • All transfer students should start taking courses in Chinese in their first semester if they have not transferred courses in this language.

Japanese Studies

First-year students who are new to the language and are interested in the Japanese Studies major are advised to take JAPN 101 (Elementary Japanese I) and JAPN 102 (Elementary Japanese II) in their first year as gateway courses. Students who already have proficiency in Japanese should take the placement exam or submit a qualifying standardized test score (see Placement Information below) in order to identify the appropriate course to start their studies.

Placement Information

Students interested in the Japanese Studies major who have previous experience with the language should take the Japanese Placement Exam. Students studying Japanese for the first time can enroll in JAPN 101 without taking the exam. 

Exception: you do not need to take Occidental’s Placement exam if any of the following are true:  

  • Students who received a 4 on the AP Japanese exam are placed into JAPN 201.
  • Students who received a 5 on the AP Japanese exam are placed into JAPN 202.
  • Students who received a score of 540-669 on the Japanese with Listening SAT Subject Test are placed into JAPN 101
  • Students who received a score of 670 or above on the Japanese with Listening SAT Subject Test are placed into JAPN 102.  

Note: To use a standardized test score for placement you must have the official score report sent to the Registrar’s Office.

Sample 4-Year Plan


Fall

Spring

Year 1

  • Fall FYS course

  • JAPN 101

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • Spring FYS course

  • JAPN 102 (Foreign Language)

  • Core Requirement

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 2

  • JAPN 201

  • Literature in Translation

  • Core Requirement

  • Core Requirement

  • JAPN 202 (CPRF)

  • Japan-related Elective

  • Core Requirement

  • Core Requirement

Year 3

  • 300-/400-level JAPN

  • Methods/Theory

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • 300-/400-level CHIN

  • Japan-related Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

Year 4

  • 300-/400-level JAPN
  • JAPN 497(2 units)
  • General Elective (2 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • 300-/400-level JAPN

  • Japan-related Elective

  • General Elective (4 units)

  • General Elective (4 units)


Japanese Studies Transfer Student Advice

Transfer Course Limit for Transfer Students: 6 courses/24 units

Designated Transfer Adviser


Expected preparation for transfer students wanting to major in Japanese Studies:

  • The department does not accept any online courses in transfer toward the major

  • Transfer students entering as Rising Juniors should have completed as many Core requirements as possible, and in particular, having completed the math/science Core requirements will be particularly helpful, since some of the culture and arts requirements can be met with major requirements.


General advice for transfer students wanting to major in Japanese Studies:

  • Transfer students may transfer in at most 6 courses toward the major and at most 3 courses toward the minor.

  • The independent study course that is used to partially fulfill the comprehensive requirement, and any directed research courses, must be taken at Occidental.


What courses should a transfer student take during their first semester at Occidental?

  • All transfer students should start taking courses in Japanese in their first semester if they have not transferred courses in this language.

Contact Asian Studies
Johnson Hall 311