Asian and Asian American Studies, BA

Location(s): Main Campus

The Bachelor of Arts in Asian and Asian American Studies (AAAS) emphasizes studies of histories, languages, and cultures within Asia as geographically defined, as well as studies of Asian diasporas. Students benefit from the cross-national work and research agendas of both Asianists and Asian Americanists in productive dialogue. AAAS majors should choose 1 of the 3 following tracks:

Asian American and Diaspora Studies, with a particular focus on the social, cultural, and historical aspects of Asians in the U.S. and, more broadly, in the Americas.
Asian Comparative Studies, with a particular comparative focus on the histories, peoples, and societies of two or more Asian countries.
South Asian Studies, with a particular focus on the diverse cultures, peoples, and regions of South Asia.

Program Requirements

University General Education Requirements

All Binghamton University undergraduate students are required to fulfill this set of university-wide requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of a SUNY university undergraduate education. Please refer to the General Education page for more information.

Harpur College Requirements

All students in Harpur College must fulfill additional requirements designated by Harpur College to complement and extend the general education requirements. Please refer to the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences page for more information.

Major Requirements

Course Requirements

Students in all tracks must successfully complete 11 courses, as follows:

A. Major Track Courses

Students must complete 5 courses in their major track:

Courses in the Asian American and Diaspora Studies track include but are not limited to:
AAAS 200 - Intro to AsianAmerican Studies
AAAS 275 - History of Asian America
AAAS 321 - Mixed Race Families
AAAS 413 - Race & Citizenship in the U.S.
AAAS 448 - Race and Popular Culture
AAAS 495 - Internship in AAAS
Other courses found on the AAAS website list: Courses for AAAS Majors and Minors may count toward this track. Contact the Undergraduate Director to confirm your courses.

Courses in the Asian Comparative Studies track include but are not limited to:

AAAS 105 - Intro To Asian Philosophy
AAAS 355 - Aspects of Multilingualism
AAAS 376 - Science of Language and AI
AAAS 454 - Unresolved Issues:Wars in Asia
AAAS 106A - East Asian Civilizations
AAAS 463 - Medicine and Body in East Asia
AAAS 473 - Imperialism In East Asia
Other thematic courses, comparative courses, or courses that substantially cover two or more Asian countries or diasporas. Other courses may count; contact the Undergraduate Director to confirm your courses.

Courses in the South Asian Studies track include but are not limited to:

AAAS 344 - Buddhist Ethics
AAAS 445 - Buddhist Metaphysics
Other courses found on the AAAS website list: Courses for AAAS Majors and Minors may count toward this track. Contact the Undergraduate Director to confirm your courses.

B. Core Course in Asian American and Diaspora Studies

Students in all AAAS tracks are required to take 1 core course in Asian American and Diaspora Studies. Students can choose from the courses listed below and/or other approved Asian American and Diaspora courses as they become available.

AAAS 200 - Intro to AsianAmerican Studies
AAAS 275 - History of Asian America
Other courses found on the AAAS website list: Courses for AAAS Majors and Minors may count toward this track. Contact the Undergraduate Director to confirm your courses.

C. Core Course in Asian Studies

Students in all tracks are required to take 1 core course in Asian Studies. Students may choose from the courses listed below and/or from approved Asian Studies courses as they become available.

D. Elective Courses

Students in all tracks must complete 4 elective courses. Electives can include content courses (AAAS courses) and/or Asian language courses (CHIN, JPN, or KOR courses). There is no language requirement for the AAAS major. However, up to 4 Asian language courses may count as electives.

E. Upper Level Requirements

Of the 11 required courses, 6 courses must be at the 300 or 400 level. These 6 upper-level courses must include:

Two 400-level AAAS seminars, at least 1 of which must be in the major track. The two 400-level seminars must be:
- taught by DAAAS faculty members;
- AAAS content courses (not CHIN/ JPN/ KOR language courses); and
- chosen in consultation with the major advisor and/or the Undergraduate Director
Four other 300 or 400-level courses (AAAS content courses and/or CHIN/ JPN/ KOR language courses)

Note: If a student takes AAAS 491 (Practicum in Teaching), it may count as 1 of the 6 upper-level requirements. However, it will not count as 1 of the 2 required 400-level AAAS seminars.

Additional Information About the Program

Students must earn a C or better for a course to count toward the major.
A course must be 3 or more credits to count toward the major.
Language courses (CHIN/ JPN/ KOR) cannot be taken Pass/Fail.
No more than 1 non-language / AAAS course may be taken Pass/Fail.
No more than 1 course may be an independent study.
Residency Requirement: At least 6 courses must be taken at Binghamton University.

For more information on the Asian and Asian American Studies BA program, please visit the DAAAS website. To apply to the Asian and Asian American Studies BA program, please visit the University Admissions website.

Addendum: Removed duplicate information from top of Major Track Courses section; 5/4/2025.