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Studies & Degrees in Asian American Studies

Asian American studies is the interdisciplinary study of people of Asian descent in the United States: their history, culture and present-day experience. The Center for Asian American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin defines it as an interdisciplinary approach to the social, cultural and political study of people of Asian descent living in America, with topics that include immigration, diaspora, law and legislation, community formation and civil rights. The field looks mainly at the United States and Canada. It is a different subject from Asian studies, which deals with the countries and languages of Asia itself.

The subject belongs to the wider family of ethnic studies. The Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) places itself in the tradition of the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and 1970s and stresses the link between the university, the community and disadvantaged social groups. Its teaching covers the histories and present realities of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.

What students learn

Courses draw on history, sociology, literature, law, the arts and media studies. The introductory courses at UCLA show the usual starting points: the history of Asian Americans, contemporary Asian American communities, Asian American literature and culture, the Asian American movement and Asian American women. Later courses deal with immigration and diaspora, community development, race, gender and generational dynamics, interracial relations, social inequity and political participation. Methods range from empirical social science to cultural studies and community-based work.

Qualifications and levels

  • Major in a bachelor's degree. UCLA awards a Bachelor of Arts to students who major in Asian American Studies. The major consists of two lower-division courses and twelve upper-division courses, and it ends with a capstone: a community-based applied team research project or an independent scholarly or creative project.
  • Minor. Students of other subjects can add a minor. At UCLA this means two lower-division and five upper-division courses. Duke University established a minor in Asian American & Diaspora Studies in 2022, in partnership with its Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies.
  • Master's degree. UCLA offers a terminal Master of Arts built around 11 required courses and completed with a research thesis, a comprehensive examination or a creative project. The department also grants two concurrent MA degrees, one with the Fielding School of Public Health and one with the Social Welfare Department.
  • Single courses. Because many courses are cross-listed with other departments, exchange and visiting students can often take one or two courses without enrolling in the full programme. Ask the host university which courses are open to visiting students.

Where to study

This is an American discipline, and almost all programmes are in the United States. SpainExchange lists 10 active schools under Asian American studies: eight in the United States and two in Spain. The American entries are UCLA, the University of California campuses at Irvine, Davis and Santa Barbara, the University of Southern California, The University of Texas at Austin, Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania. Several are in California. According to UCLA, its department, founded in 2004, has 15 core faculty and more than 100 majors and minors, and teaches over 70 courses per year to more than 2,000 students from across the campus.

The two entries in Spain, Club de Español in Madrid and Colegio de España in Salamanca, are Spanish language schools and not degree programmes in this field. Teaching in the United States is in English, and each university sets its own English-language requirement for international applicants.

Careers

The degree does not lead to one regulated profession. The University of Texas at Austin names several directions for graduates: work with national and international organisations that need knowledge of American multicultural society, positions as area specialists with state and federal government agencies, careers with private companies that are active in the United States and the Pacific Rim, and service and leadership within Asian American communities. UCLA describes its BA as a general introduction for students who expect to continue to graduate study or to work in research, public service and community work. Graduates may also continue with professional or graduate studies.

Frequently asked questions

Is Asian American studies the same as Asian studies?

No. Asian American studies is about people of Asian descent in the United States and Canada. Asian studies is about the countries, languages and cultures of Asia.

Can I study Asian American studies outside the United States?

Full programmes are found almost only at universities in the United States. All the degree programmes in the SpainExchange list are at American universities.

Can I take it as a minor?

Yes, at many universities. UCLA offers a minor of two lower-division and five upper-division courses, and Duke University has offered a minor in Asian American & Diaspora Studies since 2022.

Is there a master's degree?

Yes. UCLA, for example, offers a Master of Arts in Asian American Studies with 11 required courses and a thesis, examination or creative project.