The Minor in Asian Studies is a multidisciplinary minor jointly offered by the following Asian Studies departments/programmes in FASS: Department of Southeast Asian Studies, Department of Malay Studies, South Asian Studies Programme, Department of Japanese Studies, and Department of Chinese Studies.

WHY MINOR IN ASIAN STUDIES?

The Minor in Asian Studies is for students who seek to develop a critical awareness of Asia in terms of it socio-economic, political, language and cultural features and trajectories. The programme utilises an array of multidisciplinary perspectives and intellectual traditions to bring a multifaceted, inter-Asia approach to the dynamics of Asia providing students the opportunity to take courses on a variety of topics concerning Asia based in the humanities, languages, and social sciences.

Students will develop a critical awareness of Asian society and culture, business histories and practices, and the historical, contemporary and the future political and economic dynamics of the vibrant region. Appreciating the value of language for students who intend to work in Asia, the Minor will also count one Asian Language module offered at the Centre of Language Studies (CLS).

CAREER PROSPECTS

Students who supplement their primary majors with training in the Minor in Asian Studies will be able to meet the needs of various industries. These include roles in governance, public service, media, business, technology, enterprise, and across domains from positions that require building clients’ trust through culturally sensitive interpersonal skills, to positions that require quick high-stakes decisions based on acute understanding of domestic and global issues.

Students with a Minor in Asian Studies would be assets in the government sector—Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Defence, etc.; the business sector—including multiple MNCs with bases in Asia or looking to expand operations in Asia, as well as organisations that help Singapore enterprise expand across Asia such as the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce; as well as to global organisations keen on addressing socio-political challenges in Asia—World Bank, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Wildlife Foundation, and more.

MINOR REQUIREMENTS

The Minor in Asian Studies is open to all NUS students.

To graduate with a Minor in Asian Studies, students must pass a minimum of 24 MCs of modules from a list of recognised modules, including:

• AA1201 Asian Challenges and Interconnections (See Note 1)
• 20 MCs of electives from the list of recognised modules, of which a minimum of 8 MCs is at Level-3000 (See Note 2 and 3)

Note 1: FASS students who completed AA1201 cannot count it towards the Faculty Core Asian Studies exposure requirement.

Note 2: The 20MCs of electives must be from three or more different Asian Studies departments/programmes. No more than 8MCs may be taken from any one Asian Studies department/programme.

Note 3: A maximum of 1 Asian language module, at any level, from the Centre of Language Studies (CLS) may be used to fulfil the electives requirement. These Asian languages are: Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Tamil, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Note 4: A maximum of 8MCs from the minor can be used to satisfy the requirements of a major or another minor. Where applicable, at least 12 MCs must be taken from outside the full set of modules that make up the student’s primary major.

MODULES RECOGNISED TOWARDS MINOR IN ASIAN STUDIES

Level 2000 Electives

Department of Chinese Studies
CH2274 Discovering the Chinese Business Environment
CH2275 Chinese Pop Music in East Asia
CH2291 Chinese Tradition
CH2293 Introduction to Chinese Art
CH2392 Chinese Women in Context

Department of Japanese Studies
JS2212  Introduction to Japanese Literature
JS2213  Popular Culture in Contemporary Japan
JS2225  Marketing and Consumer Culture in Japan
JS2228  Gender and Sexuality in Japan
JS2230  Itadakimasu – Food In Japan

Department of Malay Studies
MS2210 Malay Culture & Society
MS2212 Law and Malay Society
MS2213 Malay Families and Households
MS2216 Fieldwork in Studies on Malay Society

Department of Southeast Asian Studies
SE2210 Popular Culture in Southeast Asia
SE2212 Cities and Urban Life in Southeast Asia
SE2213 Politics in Southeast Asia
SE2225 Forbidden Pleasures: Vice in Southeast Asia

South Asian Studies Programmme
SN2234 Gender and Society in South Asia
SN2261 The Emergence of Contemporary South Asia
SN2271 Religion and Society in South Asia
SN2277 Indian Communities in Southeast Asia
SN2280 Marriage, Sex, Love in South Asia

Level 3000 Electives

Department of Chinese Studies
CH3227 Chinese Vernacular Stories
CH3291 Contemporary Chinese Culture
CH3298 Chinese in Southeast Asia

Department of Japanese Studies
JS3213 Alternative Lives in Contemporary Japan
JS3216 Japanese Film and Literature
JS3223 Japan and the Asia-Pacific Region

Department of Malay Studies
MS3209 The Malays of Singapore
MS3211 Political Culture of the Malays
MS3213 Ideology & Ideas on Malay Development
MS3216 Gender and Islam
MS3218 The Religious Life of the Malays

Department of Southeast Asian Studies
SE3211 Religion, Society & Politics in SE Asia
SE3214 Heritage and Heritagescapes in Southeast Asia
SE3216 Migration, Diaspora and Refugees in Southeast Asia
SE3218 Industrialising Singapore and SE Asia

South Asian Studies Programme
SN3232 South Asia: Development, Issues, Debates
SN3261 Exile, Indenture, IT: Global South Asians
SN3274 South Asian Cinema
SN3281 The Story of Indian Business

For the latest updates, please visit the Minor in Asian Studies website at: https://fass.nus.edu.sg/sea/minor-in-asian-studies/