The Asian Studies Program offers undergraduates at The University of Montana an opportunity to study Asian cultures and languages in depth. Although the program encompasses the geographic areas of Southeast, South, Central and West Asia, the focus is on East Asia, with particular emphasis on China and Japan.
The Asian Studies Program is affiliated with the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana-Missoula and is administered by the Asian Studies Committee, an interdisciplinary group of faculty with teaching and research interests in Asia. The committee works closely with the College of Arts and Sciences, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center and the Office of International Programs at The University of Montana-Missoula. The program draws faculty from the professional schools in addition to those from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Mansfield Center.
Students may choose from two programs. The first is a major in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Asian Studies . The second program is a minor in Asian Studies to be combined with a major in another discipline (for the emphasis, see the Liberal Studies section of this catalog. Requirements for the minor follow.)
Students admitted to either the emphasis or the minor program must register with the Asian studies chair, who will review the requirements and the course of study and where appropriate suggest another advisor. Students are encouraged to plan their course sequence at least one year in advance in consultation with the chair of Asian Studies.
Asian Studies Courses
Courses approved for the Asian studies emphasis and minor are listed under two designations Asian Studies and other disciplines. These courses are offered on a regular basis. In addition, new and/or experimental courses are offered each year in other departments under the 195, 395, and 495 designations.
Asian Studies
100H Introduction to Asian Studies
395 Special Topics
495 Problems in Asian Studies
Asian studies courses in other disciplines (for full descriptions of these courses, refer to the individual departments):
Anthropology
330H Peoples and Cultures of the World: Ethnology of Island Southeast Asia
340H Introduction to Far Eastern Culture
Chinese
101 Elementary Chinese
102 Elementary Chinese
201 Intermediate Chinese
202 Intermediate Chinese
301 Advanced Chinese
302 Advanced Chinese
386L Traditional Chinese Literature in English Translation
Economics
170 The Japanese Economy
336 U.S.-Asian Economic Relations
Foreign Languages and Literatures
280H Chinese Culture and
Civilization
281H East-West Cultural Relations
380L Chinese Folktales
382L Twentieth Century Chinese
Fiction
Geography
242S South Asia/Land and People
267S East Asia
269S Middle East
365S Japan
366S China
History
180H East Asian Civilization
283H Islamic Civilization
284H Islamic Civilization
380H Modern China
381H Modern Japan
Japanese
101 Elementary Japanese
102 Elementary Japanese
195 Special Topics
200 Introduction to Japanese
Culture
201 Intermediate Japanese
202 Intermediate Japanese
301 Advanced Japanese
302 Advanced Japanese
306 Japanese for Business and
Tourism
311L Classical Japanese Literature
312L Japanese Literature from
Medieval to Modern Times
386 Hstory of the Japanese
Language
395 Special Topics
398 Cooperative Education
Experience
411 Modern Japanese Writers and Thinkers
412 Introduction to Classical
Japanese
500 Directed Readings
Liberal Studies
161H introduction to Asian
Humanities
Mansfield Center
195 Special Topics
395 Special Topics
494 Mansfield Center Seminar
Philosophy
255H Introduction to the
Philosophical Traditions of India and China
375 Oriental Thought
Political Science
328H Politics of China
329H Politics of Japan
Religious Studies
100 Introduction to the Study of Religion
232H Buddhism
330H Religions of China
331H Religions of Japan
Sociology
240S Japanese Society
242S South Asia/Land and People
244S Southeast Asia: Cross-Cultural
Survey
Requirements for a Minor
The following are the requirements for the minor:
1. Completion of a minimum of 18 semester credits in approved Asian studies courses.
2. Completion of 9 of the 18 semester credits at the 300-level or above; completion of 6 of the 18 semester credits in the social sciences and 6 in the humanities.
Courses
U=for undergraduate credit only, UG=for undergraduate or graduate credit, G=for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.
U 100H Introduction to Asian Studies 3 cr. An introduction to Asian ways of thinking and realities today. Presented in historical context, with focus on China and Japan. Basic concepts include political and social organization, cultural themes as expressed in literature and art, and Asian interactions with the United States.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr.(R-12) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
UG 495 Problems in Asian Studies Variable cr. (R-6) Seminar designed for students with an emphasis in Asian Studies. Regional or temporal focus may vary, depending on the discipline and expertise of the instructor.
Faculty
Professors
C. Leroy Anderson, Ph.D., The Ohio State University, 1962 (Sociology)
William W. Bevis, Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 1969 (English)
Juliette T. Crump, M.A., George Washington University, 1975 (Drama/Dance)
Richard Dailey, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1968 (Management)
Evan Denney, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1970 (Geography)
Ron Dulaney, Ph.D., Columbia University, 1973 (Economics)
Maureen Fleming, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, 1969 (Management)
Louis D. Hayes, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1966 (Political Science)
Darshan Kang, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, 1975 (Geography)
Dennis O'Donnell, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1974 (Economics) Chair)
Judith Rabinovitch, Ph.D, Harvard University, 1981 (Foreign Languages and Literatures)
Fred Reed, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 1972 (Sociology)
Alan Sponberg, Ph.D., University of British Columbia, 1979 (Liberal Studies)
John Spores, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1976 (Social Work)
James Todd, M.F.A., The University of Montana, 1970 (Art)
Martin Weinstein, Ph.D., Columbia University, 1969 (Political Science)
Philip West, Ph.D., Harvard University, 191 (Mansfield Center)
Associate Professors
Timothy Bradstock, Ph.D., Harvard University, 1984 (Foreign Languages and Literatures)
Mehrdad Kia, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1986 (History)
Assistant Professors
Jill Belsky, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1991 (Sociology)
Jim Burfeind, Ph.D., Portland State University, 1984 (Sociology)
Sachiko Matsunaga, Ph.D., University of Hawaii, 1994 (Foreign Languages and Literatures)
Steven Siebert, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1990 (Forestry)
Adjunct Professor
Richard Gotshalk, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1957 (Philosophy)