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
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Curricular Notes
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Asian Studies majors are required to take at least two semesters of Chinese or Japanese language courses number 201 or above.
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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
Expected preparation for transfer students wanting to major in Asian Studies:
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The department does not accept any online courses in transfer toward the major.
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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:
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Transfer students may transfer in at most 6 courses toward the major and at most 3 courses toward the minor.
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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?
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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:
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Students who received a 4 on the AP Chinese exam are placed into CHIN 201.
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Students who received a 5 on the AP Chinese exam are placed into CHIN 202.
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Students who received a score of 550-679 on the Chinese SAT Subject Test are placed into CHIN 101.
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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
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Spring |
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Year 1 |
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Year 2 |
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Year 3 |
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Year 4 |
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Chinese Studies Transfer Student Advice
Transfer Course Limit for Transfer Students: 6 courses/24 units
Expected preparation for transfer students wanting to major in Chinese Studies:
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The department does not accept any online courses in transfer toward the major
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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:
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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?
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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 |
|
|
|
Year 2 |
|
|
|
Year 3 |
|
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Year 4 |
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Japanese Studies Transfer Student Advice
Transfer Course Limit for Transfer Students: 6 courses/24 units
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.