The University of Washington is one of the few places in the United States which offers undergraduate and graduate training in Korean studies in a variety of disciplines. Courses are offered in Korean language, history, and society. The language program offers three full years of instruction in the modern language and in advanced reading. The history courses examine the full range of the Korean experience, from the origins of the Korean people in the archaeological record to contemporary times. Courses on Korean history include the period under Japanese colonial rule in the first half of the twentieth century, the liberation of Korea after 1945, the Korean War, and the political, economic, and social development of both South Korea and North Korea. The program of course offerings is supplemented by visiting professors from political science, economics and economic development, folklore, and literature.
The objective of the program is to provide students with a broad background which will be of use to them in a variety of professions, such as teaching, business and government. Through this program, students can prepare for graduate work in Asian studies, or in such disciplines as anthropology, political science, comparative literature, sociology, and history.
The program emphasizes the study of Korea in the context of East Asian and Asian civilization and the modern world economy, not simply as a single country in isolation from its neighbors. Students are encouraged to take related courses on China, on Japan, and in international studies, so that they will emerge from their experience at the University with comprehensive training. The B.A. degree is designed as preparation for graduate work in a discipline department or as a terminal degree for work in business, government, journalism, secondary school teaching, or similar career activity.
Any undergraduate in good standing may declare Asian Studies (Korea concentration) as a major.
30 credits or equivalent Korean language training; additional training recommended.
A minimum grade of 2.0 in all courses counted toward the major is required, except for first- and second-year Korean language courses, where grades must average at least 2.00. The "paper course" and 30 of the 35 credits required for the Korea concentration courses must be taken in residence at the University of Washington.
Overlapping credits: A maximum of 15 credits that are used to fulfill minimum requirements of any other UW major can be counted in this major.
*A list of courses approved for the
concentration is available in the Jackson
School Office of Student Services in Thomson 111 and by following
this
link.
30 credits, to include the following:
SISEA/HSTAS 212 and one additional introductory Asian civilization course chosen from SISA 209 (premodern Asia), SISA 210 (modern Asia), SISEA/HSTAS 241 (Japan), SISEA 242 (Japan), SISSE/HSTAS 221 (Southeast Asia), HSTAS 201 (India), 202 (India), 211 (China), 10 credits
20 credits of electives, 15 of which must be taken at the UW, to include:
a. 10 credits chosen from the list of core courses*
b. 5 credits chosen from the list of core courses or the list of electives*
c. 5 additional credits in Korean language beyond second-year level, or in upper-division transfer courses on Korea, or from the lists of core and electives*
3. Minimum grade of
2.0 required in each course applied toward the minor.
*Lists of approved core and elective courses: follow
this link.
Visit the Main Library-Korean
Studies Gateway
Visit
the East Asia Library-Korean Studies