Asian Studies

Students at Lafayette have the opportunity to study the culture, traditions, history, and politics of the major regions of Asia through a variety of course offerings and related programs.

Students may pursue an interdisciplinary major or minor in Asian studies.

For a complete list of Asian Studies elective courses offered in Spring 2025, click here.

For a complete list of Asian Studies elective courses offered in Fall 2024, click here.

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New course alert! AS256 course poster     

A&S 256: Social Change in China

     As the world’s most populous country and the second largest economy, China’s development trajectories from 1949 to the present offer important insights into core questions in the study of social change. We will discuss social transformations in contemporary China by focusing on the following domains—the formation of identities under China’s social and institutional contexts, the manifestations and politics that shape unequal life chances in China, and popular responses to widening social inequalities in Chinese society [GM2, CECS, GP].

Congratulations to Chris Byrnes (Asian Studies & Government and Law, ’26) for being awarded the prestigious Voyager Scholarship from the Obama Foundation! For more details, click here.

 

 

Courses

Core courses in the major are Introduction to Asian Studies, Capstone, and Honors Thesis, complemented by classes offered by academic departments.

Read our course list

Study Abroad

Asian studies students can experience other cultures firsthand through courses abroad over the January break and full semesters abroad.

Learn about study abroad opportunities

Faculty and Staff

Lafayette is fortunate to have renowned professors with Asian specialties in government and law, history, religion, music, art history, and Japanese and Chinese language.

See the list of faculty

Alumni Spotlight

Hear from our alumni about their experiences!

Events

The Asian Studies Program sponsors and collaborates with other departments, programs, and student organizations to plan and host campus events, such as the AAPI Heritage Month presentations in May.

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