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Asian Languages and Cultures

Undergraduate Study

The department offers two majors in the study of Asian cultures -- B.A. in Asian Humanities and B.A. in Asian Religions -- and three majors in Asian literatures -- B.A. in Chinese, B.A. in Japanese, and B.A. in Korean. All courses in the majors must be taken for a letter grade.

The department also offers two minors -- Asian Humanities minor and Asian Languages minor. All courses in the minors must be taken for a letter grade.

Students considering a major or minor in the department should consult the departmental undergraduate adviser as soon as possible in their University career, but in no case later than the point at which they are about to begin taking upper division courses. Students should select courses to fulfill major or minor requirements in consultation with the undergraduate adviser. The approved list of courses for each category of major or minor requirements is available in the department office (290 Royce Hall) and at http://www.alc.ucla.edu.

At least 24 upper division units required for the majors must be completed successfully while in residence at UCLA.

Placement in Language Courses

Students are not placed in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language courses automatically according to their years of previous study. Students with any prior knowledge or study of an Asian language who wish to take courses in that language at UCLA are required to take the appropriate departmental language placement examination (see the Schedule of Classes or http://www.alc.ucla.edu for more information). The examination determines which course is most appropriate for the student's current level of proficiency. Students who have obtained college credit for Asian language courses may not repeat those same courses for credit. Prospective majors who place out of the upper division modern language requirement are expected to substitute an equivalent number of other units to be selected in consultation with the departmental undergraduate adviser.

Language Acquisition Courses

No credit is allowed for completing a less advanced course after successful completion of a more advanced Asian language course with focus on conversation, grammar, and/or composition.

Asian Humanities B.A.

Preparation for the Major

Required: Completion of the intermediate sequence in one Asian language offered by the department (e.g., Chinese 6, Japanese 6, Korean 6, South Asian 41C, Southeast Asian 51C, 61C, 71C, or 81C, or equivalent); one civilization course (e.g., Chinese 50, Japanese 50, 60, Korean 50) or one introduction to religions course (e.g., Asian 60, 60W, 61, South Asian 60, Southeast Asian 30) within the department.

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the Asian Humanities major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission to UCLA: two years of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Indonesian, Thai, or Vietnamese and either one civilization course on Asia or one introduction to Buddhism course or one introduction to Asian religions course.

Refer to the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide, at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr.htm for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

The Major

Required: Three upper division language courses in one Asian language offered by the department and eight upper division electives within the department, including at least one course from at least four of the following areas: China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, or Southeast Asia.

Asian Religions B.A.

Preparation for the Major

Required: Completion of the intermediate sequence in one Asian language offered by the department (e.g., Chinese 6, Japanese 6, Korean 6, South Asian 41C, 110C, Southeast Asian 51C, 61C, 71C, or 81C, or equivalent); one introduction to religions course from Asian 60, 60W, 61, South Asian 60, or Southeast Asian 30.

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the Asian Religions major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission to UCLA: two years of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Indonesian, Thai, or Vietnamese, or one year of Sanskrit, and one introduction to Buddhism course or one introduction to Asian religions course.

Refer to the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide, at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr.htm for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

The Major

Required: Three upper division language courses in one Asian language offered by the department; six upper division Asian religions courses within the department, including at least one course each concerning religions in China, Japan, Korea, and either South Asia or Southeast Asia; and two electives within the department.

Chinese B.A.

Preparation for the Major

Required: Chinese 6 or equivalent, 50.

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the Chinese major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission to UCLA: two years of Chinese and one Chinese civilization course.

Refer to the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide, at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr.htm for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

The Major

Required: Five upper division Chinese language courses (of which at least two must be in the premodern language or texts), three upper division Chinese literature courses, two upper division electives in Chinese, and one upper division elective within the department.

Japanese B.A.

Preparation for the Major

Required: Japanese 6 or equivalent, and 50 or 60.

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the Japanese major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission to UCLA: two years of Japanese and one Japanese civilization or images of Japan course.

Refer to the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide, at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr.htm for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

The Major

Required: Five upper division Japanese language courses (of which at least two must be in the premodern language or texts), three upper division Japanese literature courses, two upper division electives in Japanese, and one upper division elective within the department.

Korean B.A.

Preparation for the Major

Required: Korean 6 or equivalent, 50.

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants to the Korean major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission to UCLA: two years of Korean and one Korean civilization course.

Refer to the UCLA Transfer Admission Guide, at http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr.htm for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.

The Major

Required: Five upper division Korean language courses, three upper division Korean literature courses, two upper division electives in Korean, and one upper division elective within the department.

Study Abroad

Early acquisition of Asian language skills aids in the timely completion of major requirements and enriches appreciation of Asian cultures. Students are encouraged, therefore, to complete up to a year of language study in approved programs of study abroad.

Honors Program

Admission

The honors program is open to departmental majors with a 3.5 grade-point average in upper division courses in the major and a 3.0 overall GPA. Students should apply for admission by Winter Quarter of their junior year and, at the time of admission, must have completed at least two upper division courses in their major. For application forms and further information, contact the departmental undergraduate adviser.

Requirements

Two honors projects, a seminar, and an honors thesis are required. The honors project consists of special research on a topic in an upper division course in their major selected in consultation with the instructor, resulting in a written report to be completed with a grade of B+ or better, in addition to the normal course requirements. All honors students are required to demonstrate the ability to conduct research by writing an honors thesis. In preparation for this project, students must take Asian 191H, in which they write a seminar paper. At least one honors project must be completed prior to enrolling in course 191H. After completing the seminar, they must also take Asian 198 during which they revise their seminar paper into an honors thesis under the direction of a faculty member. Course 198 (4 units minimum) must be taken in addition to courses applied toward major requirements. Highest honors, honors, or no honors are awarded as determined by the faculty thesis director and the departmental honors committee.

To qualify for graduation with departmental honors, students must (1) complete all requirements for the major, (2) have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better in upper division courses required for the major and an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, (3) complete an honors project in each of two upper division courses within the department, (4) complete an undergraduate seminar within the department, and (5) complete Asian 198.

To qualify for graduation with departmental highest honors, students must (1) complete all requirements for the major, (2) have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.8 or better in upper division courses required for the major and an overall GPA of 3.5 or better, (3) complete an honors project in each of two upper division courses within the department, (4) complete an undergraduate seminar within the department, and (5) complete Asian 198 with a grade of A.

Asian Humanities Minor

The Asian Humanities minor is designed to recognize a serious commitment to the study of Asian cultures. Lower division survey courses in civilizations and religious traditions provide students with a solid foundation in the diverse cultural heritages of Asia. Students may fulfill upper division requirements from a wide variety of courses in all aspects and historical periods of Asian humanities.

To enter the minor, students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better, have completed 45 units at UCLA, and file a petition with the departmental undergraduate adviser.

Required Lower Division Courses (10 units): Two courses from Asian 60, 60W, 61, Chinese 50, Japanese 50, 60, Korean 50, South Asian 60, Southeast Asian 30.

Required Upper Division Courses (20 units): Five courses in the department concerning Asian culture (e.g., film, folklore, history, linguistics, literature, mythology, religious studies).

No more than 4 units may be applied toward both this minor and a major or minor in another department or program, and at least 16 units must be taken in residence at UCLA.

All minor courses must be taken for a letter grade, with an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better. Successful completion of the minor is indicated on the transcript and diploma.

Asian Languages Minor

The Asian Languages minor is designed to recognize a serious commitment to the study of Asian languages. It is especially suited for students who wish to augment their major program in the College of Letters and Science with mastery of an Asian language. The lower division survey course in civilization or religious tradition provides students with an essential introduction to the diverse cultural heritages of Asia. The upper division language courses provide students with advanced skills in speaking, aural comprehension, reading, and writing an Asian language.

To enter the minor, students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better, have completed 45 units at UCLA, and file a petition with the departmental undergraduate adviser.

Required Lower Division Courses (10 units): Completion of the intermediate sequence in one Asian language offered by the department (e.g., Chinese 6, Japanese 6, Korean 6, South Asian 41C, Southeast Asian 51C, 61C, 71C, or 81C, or equivalent); one civilization course (e.g., Chinese 50, Japanese 50, 60, Korean 50) or one introduction to religions course (e.g., Asian 60, 60W, 61, South Asian 60, Southeast Asian 30) within the department.

Required Upper Division Courses (20 units): Three language courses in one Asian language offered by the department and two electives within the department.

No more than 4 units may be applied toward both this minor and a major or minor in another department or program, and at least 16 units must be taken in residence at UCLA.

All minor courses must be taken for a letter grade, with an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better. Successful completion of the minor is indicated on the transcript and diploma.