Asian American Studies Minor

Program Requirements

  • Total Units Required: 18, at least 12 of which must be at the 3000 level or above

Required Courses

  • 3 credits of Introductory coursework
  • 3 credits of Asian American Focus coursework
  • 6 credits of Multiethnic and Transnational coursework
  • 6 credits of Context coursework

Introductory Courses

Students must complete one course that counts as an introduction to Asian American Studies (3 credits, any level). Course offerings vary every semester, but examples include the following:

AMCS 2071"Reading" Culture: The Visible and Invisible: Introduction to American Visual Culture3
AMCS 2700Topics in Asian American Studies: Introduction to Asian American & Pacific Islander Studies3
GLOBAL 1104First Year Seminar: Chinatown: Migration, Identity and Space3
HISTORY 1145Freedom, Citizenship and the Making of American Life3

Asian American Focus Courses

Students must complete one course that counts as an Asian American Focus (3 credits, any level). Course offerings vary every semester, but examples include the following:

AMCS 2003Doctors and Terrorists: The Fictions of South Asian America3
GLOBAL 3512"Model Minority": The Asian American Experience3
WGSS 3083Topics in Asian American Literature: Gender and Sexuality in American Asian Lit3

Multiethnic and Transnational Courses

Students must complete two courses (6 total credits, any level) that count in each section listed below. Course offerings vary every semester, but examples include the following:

1. Asian Americans in a Multiethnic/Multiracial Perspective

AMCS 3708The Real and Fake: Identity, Conflicts, and Racial Formation in Asian American Literatures3
GLOBAL 4036Children of Immigrants: Identity and Acculturation3

2. Global Asia and Asian Diasporas in a Transnational Perspective

AMCS 3716Topics in American Culture Studies: Is Colonialism Over? Global Power and Resistance3
ARTARCH 1109FYS: Collecting Art/Excluding People: The Contradictions of Chinese Art in U.S. Museums3
COMPLITTHT 4492Writing from the Periphery: The Question of Chineseness3
HISTORY 1124First-Year Seminar: The Meaning of Pakistan: History, Culture, Art3
WGSS 3740Imperialism and Sexuality: India, South Asia and the World: Writing-Intensive Seminar3

Context Courses

Students must complete two courses (6 total credits, any level) that count in each section listed below. Course offerings vary every semester, but examples include the following:

1. Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity

EDUC 4260Neighborhoods, Schools and Social Inequality3
POLSCI 3080Race and Ethnicity in American Politics3
SOC 2010The Roots of Ferguson: Understanding Racial Inequality in the Contemporary U.S.3
SOC 2040Social Inequality in America3

2. Asian Studies

ARTARCH 1510Introduction to Asian Art3
ARTARCH 4265The Forbidden City3
CHINA 3500U.S.-China Relations from 1949 to the Present3
FILM 3270Anime and Manga3
JAPAN 3330The Modern Voice in Japanese Literature3
KOREA 3550Topics in Korean Literature and Culture: Buddhist Culture of Korea3
WGSS 2101Sophomore Seminar: Globalization and Its Discontents3

Additional Information

  • Courses vary by semester and all minors must meet with their AAS minor advisor to determine which courses meet the requirements. See the requirements listed on this page with examples of courses for each requirement area. 
  • All advanced units must be unique to the Asian American Studies minor (i.e., not counted toward any other major or minor).
  • All courses counting toward the Asian American Studies minor must be taken for a letter grade, and students must receive a grade of C- or higher.
  • Students may use a study abroad course on any subject in Asian Studies to fulfill the Asian Studies category requirement. Such courses must be approved by the study abroad advisor for the Asian American Studies minor.   
  • Students may receive a maximum of 3 transfer credits from other universities toward the AAS minor (this includes Study Abroad credits).

Contact Info

Contact:Karen Skinner, Academic Coordinator
Phone:314-935-6991
Email:k.skinner@wustl.edu
Website:http://amcs.wustl.edu