Asian Studies Minor

Language, history, culture

The Asian studies minor at Loyola University New Orleans equips students with a multifaceted knowledge that will give them an academic and professional advantage in a world that is increasingly shaped by Asian nations like China, India, Japan and Korea. The diverse course offerings within the minor foster a deeper understanding of the regional and global complexities and address alternative answers to the great questions of the humanities and social sciences, including perspectives that are often overlooked in traditional Western curricula. The study of the history, philosophies, religions, languages, cultures, and political systems of Asian nations also gives students new insights into Western culture and leads them to an appreciation of the complexities of the social and political challenges in the world today.

Providing opportunities to expand horizons

The most important foreign policy and economic relationships in the world today involve the United States, China & Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. No university in the U.S. can afford to ignore the political and cultural interactions that are taking place in East Asia. China alone represents a full 20% of the population of the planet.

What topics can I explore in the Asian studies minor? 

The Asian studies minor is an integral part of the goal of Loyola to give students opportunities to deepen their interests and knowledge of Asian traditions, history, politics, religion, and literature. Course offerings have been organized into a coherent program that will cover a broad range of both historical and contemporary international issues. The Asian studies minor offers courses mainly covering East Asian and South Asian countries. 

This interdisciplinary program brings together students and faculty of the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Business. The minor allows students the flexibility to explore the interaction of various disciplines through courses chosen from the departments of Religious Studies, History, Languages and Cultures, Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science. Students may concentrate on a particular area of Asia or focus on the interaction of multiple cultural spheres on the continent.

Loyola students will be given the opportunity to prepare themselves to participate in the study abroad programs in China, Japan, and South Korea that are coordinated by the Center for International Education. The Asian studies minor also enhances the university’s efforts to seek students from throughout the region, the nation, and the world and to broaden student and faculty interest and understanding of broader global issues.