Students who minor in Asian Languages and Culture can tailor their studies within the discipline of Asian Languages and Literature to their interests and goals. This makes the degree highly versatile and valuable to combine with the study of another Asian language or culture, courses needed for pre-professional studies, or other disciplines. By pairing the minor with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences or a professional field, students find an advantage after graduation as they enter business and nonprofit work, STEM fields, graduate programs, and more across the globe.
As part of the minor, students study two years of Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Sanskrit, Urdu, or Vietnamese. Because most introductory language courses are available only in the fall, students should sign up for introductory courses as early as possible in order to fulfill the language requirement. If you have previous experience with one of the degree languages, see the department's information on proficiency exams and placement interviews.
Declaring a Minor in Asian Languages and Cultures
Students in good academic standing may declare the minor at any time by meeting with their major adviser. Please see Undergraduate Advising’s Minor page for additional considerations about earning a minor.
Minor Requirements
The Asian Languages and Culture minor requires a total of 30 credits. You must complete the requirements below with a minimum 2.00 GPA.
I. Primary language
15 credits Complete second-year level or above in one Asian Language. (Including Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Sanskrit, Urdu, Vietnamese)
II. Language, literature, culture, linguistics
15 credits Must include 10 credits of disciplinary (non-language) courses. 5 credits may be chosen from outside AL&L. Ask an advisor about approved courses.
III. Provisions
1) At least 15 credits must be at 300-400 level
2) Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA for courses applied to the major
3) Minimum 15 credits taken in residence through the UW