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The study of Asia provides a broad understanding of civilizations that extend back thousands of years. You may study the ancient and modern languages, and the history, art, literature, politics, anthropology, geography, religion, and drama of China, India, and Japan.
Why
Study Asian Languages and Literature at Iowa?
To expand your opportunities for professional careers and future study, you can combine an Asian languages and literature major with a Certificate in International Business or with a second major or emphasis in a number of areas including art and art history, cinema and comparative literature, international studies, political science, pre-law, history, anthropology, religious studies, or women’s studies.
The degree program in Asian languages and literature is primarily for students who want to concentrate on one language and literature area. This program allows development of advanced Asian language skills.
The number of Americans who can speak the major modern languages of Asia—Chinese, Japanese, and Hindi—is still small, and there are many career opportunities for individuals trained in these areas. Students often enhance their employment opportunities by combining any Asian language with a degree in economics, political science, business, journalism, or linguistics.
BA
in Asian Languages and Literature
This major is for students who want to achieve a speaking proficiency and to understand, read, and write Chinese, Japanese, or Hindi, or to read Sanskrit. Students learn about the literature and culture of China, Japan, or South Asia and take additional courses in the literature and history of their chosen area. They study one language for three years. The BA requires 26-34 semester hours of course work. Teacher certification is possible in Chinese and Japanese.
Resources
The University’s Main Library contains approximately 80,000 volumes in Asian languages and about 140,000 Western-language volumes on Asian subjects, as well as periodicals, films, and a Chinese-Japanese computer terminal that gives students and faculty access to the growing Research Libraries Information Network in Asian languages. Since 1975, The University of Iowa has been a member of the Library of Congress acquisition program for Indian books and periodicals.
The Language Media Center in Phillips Hall contains programs to help you learn the language of your choice. Also, the UI Museum of Art has collections of Asian artwork.
Student
Activities
There are several active student and community organizations in which undergraduates may participate. They include the Asian American Coalition, Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Indian Student Alliance, Japanese Cultural Association, Thai Student Association, Taiwanese Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association, and Amnesty International. Groups observe holiday celebrations, sponsor international movie screenings and other cultural events, plan field trips, assist international students with making the transition to Iowa, and promote language learning.
For a complete
list of organizations and links to their individual web sites, go to the Office of Student Life web site.
Honors
Students with a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.33 or above are encouraged to enroll in the University of Iowa Honors Program. With the permission of the departmental chair and a faculty sponsor selected from Asian specialists in any department, students register for the Honors Tutorial and Senior Honors Thesis courses. To receive a BA with honors, students must complete an acceptable thesis based on original research in an appropriate area of Asian studies.
Study
Abroad
The department strongly encourages you to participate in study abroad programs in Asia. Agreements with several universities and institutes in Japan, China, Taiwan, and India will give you a choice of programs to consider. Among the well-established exchange programs are those through Nanyang University, National Chengchi University–Taipei, Nanjing University, Peking University, and Fudan University. The University of Iowa is a member of the American Institute of Indian Studies and runs a study abroad program in the city of Mysore. The Pomerantz Career Center also maintains lists of internship possibilities in Asia and the United States.
Careers
These programs offer solid career preparation. Graduates pursue careers in education, government, communication, business, and other fields in the United States and beyond. The undergraduate programs also provide an excellent background for advanced study in a variety of fields in the humanities and social sciences and in professional schools such as law and business.
Scholarships
Numerous scholarships are available for first-year and upper-level students, as well as financial resources for summer language study.
First-year students are eligible for the Cheng/Liu Scholarship, offering $1,000 to a student who studied Chinese in high school and who plans to pursue a major in Chinese language, literature, or culture. Awards are based on merit; you must have a 3.00 high school GPA and at least a 27 ACT or 1150 combined SAT SAT critical reading and math score.
The Helen K. Fairall Endowment awards $4,000 to a junior, senior, or graduate student born and educated in Iowa who has a minimum 3.00 UI cumulative GPA, with preference given to those in Japanese language study.
The department also offers a number of Stanley Summer Language Scholarships (up to $2,500 each) to be used for intensive summer language programs both in the United States and abroad.
Refer
to the Office of Student Financial Aid for
a complete list of available scholarships.
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