For Prospective Students

Students in Asian American Studies study issues such as:

• Film, literature, music, and dance
• Health and mental health
• Asian Americans’ fight for equality
• Community-engagement
• Refugee crises and resettlement
• War and military effects on Asian Americans
• Economic patterns
• The diversity within Asian American cultures
• Political involvement and the law
• Immigration patterns and policies
• The history of Asian Americans in the United States

A flexible, career-ready curriculum

The major has several components:

• Lower-division courses that provide baseline critical skills employers are seeking and knowledge about Asian American history and culture
• Upper-division courses
  • that focus on critical methodologies and skill building
  • that focus on community-engagement
  • that focus on crafting stories about Asian America
• Dedicated applied courses that allows students to apply their knowledge and skills to solving real-world community problems
• Integrated career-readiness programming
• Support for internships

The minor is a great complement to any major. It provides key skills and a solid foundation in the experiences of Asian Americans. Many of the minor courses count towards General Education. 

View the requirements for the major and the minor. 

Lifetime Skills Development

Our major is dedicated to developing a broad base of skills that you will use throughout your career. These include:

• Analyzing complex issues.
• Analyzing issues from multiple perspectives.
• Writing, speaking, and presenting clearly and concisely.
• Collaborating with peers to understand issues and achieve common goals.
• Applying skills to solve problems.
  
  

Careers for Asian American Studies Majors

Our broad skills basis prepares you for a wide variety of careers such as: 

• General business, marketing, or project management
• City, County, State, and Federal government jobs
• Non-profit organizations
• Small business management
• K-12 teachers and principals
• Law School
• Public health and public policy graduate programs
• Counseling graduate programs
  
  

Professional Certificates and Technical Skills

• Employers seek the critical thinking skills and writing skills learned in the Asian American Studies major.
• They also want the latest industry skills which rapidly change.
• Our students can complete professional certificates to acquire the key technical skills employers seek out of new grad. Below is a sample of certificates (out of over 40) that student can complete:
  • Google or IBM Project Management
  • HRCI Human Resources
  • Google Cyber Security
  • Microsoft Public Relations
  • Meta Social Media Marketing
    
    

Courses for Career Readiness

The College of Arts and Letters offers two career courses specifically targeted for majors in the social sciences and humanities. 

• CAL 100 helps lower-division liberal arts students explore the diverse career paths open to them. It also helps students learn about what they will need to do to get those careers. 
• CAL 400 teaches seniors how to develop an elevator pitch, how to write resumes, and how to interview for jobs.  Students also complete an online career certificate in a vocational field such as Human Resources or Project Management.