Minor in Asian Studies
Minor in Asian Studies
In our Minor in Asian Studies at UT Dallas, students embark on an enriching journey into the depths of East Asian history, language, literature, philosophy, art, and culture. Learners will explore the intricate tapestry of Asian civilizations with help from award-winning faculty members of the Bass School. Situated in DFW, a vibrant hub of Asian culture in the United States, our program offers a unique cultural immersion. Our students can gain hands-on experience through internship opportunities at the esteemed Crow Museum of Asian Art and have the opportunity to participate in transformative study abroad programs in Asia. By engaging with fellow students and alumni at both on-campus and off-campus events, they can forge lasting connections and networks. With a Minor in Asian Studies, students can unlock pathways to diverse career opportunities spanning business, public service, law, medicine, teaching, research, or graduate school, and more.
Requirements for the Minor in Asian Studies
The minor consists of six courses in total, equivalent to 18 semester credit hours, of which at least 9 hours must be upper-division semester credit hours (3000 level and 4000 level courses). Students must take a minimum of two sequential language courses (6 semester credit hours) in either Chinese, Korean, or Japanese at UT Dallas. Language course credits may also be obtained from other institutions upon approval. The remaining four courses (12 semester credit hours) must be other Asian Studies courses.
To obtain specific information about classes at The University of Texas at Dallas, visit the UT Dallas Coursebook, or for more general information, the UT Dallas catalog.
Resources for the Minor in Asian Studies
Upon approval, students in the Asian Studies minor can earn credits by holding an internship at the Crow Museum of Asian Art and opportunities to study abroad.
We have a number of scholarships available to students who are majoring in one of the Bass School’s programs, including the Ragen S. and Roy D. Elterman Endowed Scholarship, Gavin R. G. Hambly Endowed Scholarship (limited to History majors), and The Robert Plant Armstrong Endowed Scholarship Fund. However, we also have scholarships that students may apply for if they are only minoring in the Bass School, such as the Jonelle and Bryce Jordan Scholarship in the Arts.
Students pursuing their bachelor’s degree may be eligible to apply for Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA). UTD graduates who complete a bachelor’s degree with a minor in Asian Studies will have the opportunity to use their linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to apply for competitive opportunities such as the JET Program and Fulbright Scholarships.
Stay connected by networking with current students and alumni through the events hosted by the Center for Asian Studies at UT Dallas and the Bass School’s Anlin Ku Lecture Series. In addition, the Center for Asian Studies offers Non-Credit and Credit Asian Language Courses.
Enroll in the Minor in Asian Studies
For enrollment and questions about requirements, please contact your Bass School undergraduate advisor.
Questions about a specific course may be emailed to the specific faculty member teaching the course.
For more information about the Minor in Asian Studies or to share news regarding your achievement related to Asian Studies, please contact Dr. En Li, Associate Professor of Modern East Asian History, at en.li@utdallas.edu.
Student Testimonials
What’s been your favorite Asian Studies Course?
Intermediate Korean I and II. My professor has been so wonderful and accessible outside of class. The small class size also facilitates better understanding of topics, and I’m able to get personalized help from the professor. -Grayson Johosky, Biomedical Sciences 2027
I enjoyed VIET 2310, Vietnamese for Heritage Speakers. It catered to students like me that grew up Vietnamese American with little formal Vietnamese language education. I got to explore my culture with other students coming from the same place. I’ve also been enjoying HIST 3310, Modern East Asia. The topics are engaging and are connected to my research interests. They’ve made aspects of Early Modern-Modern East Asian history more familiar to me. -Ferris Le, History 2025
Love the research seminars that I’ve taken with Dr. Farmer: Women in Medieval China & Sima Qian! I love getting to really deeply interrogate texts and have a free flowing discussion about all different sorts of topics. -Maria Shaikh, Biochemistry 2026
CHIN 1311. It is my first exposure to the Chinese language and culture with Professor Bei Chen and I love it! -Hayagreev Jayaram, Global Business 2026
Which Asian Studies faculty would you recommend to your friends and fellow students?
Professor Evans and Professor Hoki have been absolutely amazing professors and I have loved everything I’ve learned. I really do feel conversationally fluent in Japanese, and I’m very much grateful to them. – Ian Voicu-Comendant, Finance 2025
I’ve had Dr. Li for HIST 2341 East Asian Civilizations. Learning about the long history of three major Asian countries was very interesting and she makes them very engaging. – Gabrieal Jimmy, Computer Science 2026
Why did you choose an Asian Studies Minor?
I’m interested in working in Asian financial markets in the near future so I believed a minor would help with my reaching my goals of obtaining cultural fluency to facilitate business. -Hayagreev Jayaram, Global Business 2026
I just really love all kinds of Asian history, and Chinese history dovetails really nicely with my previous experience studying Mandarin, and allows me access to poetry, political intrigue, fascinating historical figures and new philosophical modes of thinking! It has also been a a nice break from the horrors of my STEM degree. -Maria Shaikh, Biochemistry 2026
I enjoy pursuing languages and the AS minor has provided me with an outlet to study East Asian languages at UTD. -Nathan Vaughn, Computer Science 2028
Asian Studies Faculty
Contact Information
Dr. En Li
Associate Professor of Modern East Asian History
Email: en.li@utdallas.edu
Office: JO 4.902