The South Asian Studies named option offers a multidisciplinary range of courses that explore the diverse and vibrant cultures, arts, histories, political systems, and literatures of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. Students in the South Asian option can study Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan, or Urdu language; and probe the roots of Yoga; methods of Buddhist philosophy and meditation; South Asian religion and politics in the past and present of the Indian subcontinent; and medical history in South Asia.
To take advantage of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures’ many relationships with other departments and program units across campus, students may choose to double major or enhance their studies in Asian Languages and Cultures with one of the certificates offered at the university, such as the certificate in Global Health, the certificate in Health and the Humanities, or those offered by the area studies centers: Center for East Asian Studies; Center for South Asia; and Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
This major is interdisciplinary and offers a wealth of options. Careful planning and consultation with the Asian Languages and Cultures advisor is especially important.
Requirements for the South Asian Studies option
32 credits to include the Introductory and Residence and Quality of Work requirements of the general major, plus these requirements specific to the South Asian Option:
Gateway Course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| ASIAN 100 | Gateway to Asia: Special Topics | 3-4 |
Required Language Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Second Year South Asian Language Courses: | ||
| ASIALANG 233 & ASIALANG 234 | Third Semester Hindi and Fourth Semester Hindi | 8 |
| ASIALANG 237 & ASIALANG 238 | Third Semester Persian and Fourth Semester Persian | 8 |
| ASIALANG 235 & ASIALANG 236 | Third Semester Modern Tibetan and Fourth Semester Modern Tibetan | 8 |
| ASIALANG 239 & ASIALANG 240 | Third Semester Urdu and Fourth Semester Urdu | 8 |
| ASIALANG 241 & ASIALANG 242 | Third Semester Sanskrit and Fourth Semester Sanskrit | 8 |
South Asian Studies Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 6 classes from the following course options (at least 16 credits): | ||
| ASIAN 100 | Gateway to Asia: Special Topics | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/ART HIST 179 | Passage Through India: South Asia's Global Architectural Histories | 3 |
| ASIAN 205 | Animal Ethics in Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 206 | The Qur'an: Religious Scripture & Literature | 3 |
| ASIAN/LITTRANS 212 | Classical South Asian Literatures | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 218 | History of Medicine in South Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 236 | Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters | 3 |
| ASIAN 252 | Contemporary Indian Society | 3 |
| ASIAN 268 | Tibetan Cultures and Traditions | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 274 | Religion in South Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 303 | Jainism: Religion and Culture of Nonviolence | 3 |
| ASIAN/ANTHRO 305 | Anthropology of South Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 306 | Hinduism | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 307 | A Survey of Tibetan Buddhism | 3 |
| ASIAN/HISTORY/RELIG ST 308 | Introduction to Buddhism | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/AFRICAN/RELIG ST 370 | Islam: Religion and Culture | 3-4 |
| ASIAN/ART HIST 379 | Cities of Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 405 | Gods and Goddesses of South Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/ART HIST 428 | Visual Cultures of India | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 430 | Indian Traditions in the Modern Age | 3 |
| ASIAN/COM ARTS 443 | Indian Cinema in the U.S. and Beyond | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 444 | Introduction to Sufism (Islamic Mysticism) | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 460 | The History of Yoga | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 466 | Buddhist Thought | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 473 | Meditation in Indian Buddhism and Hinduism | 3 |
| ASIAN/ENGL 478 | Indian Writers Abroad: Literature, Diaspora and Globalization | 3 |
| ASIALANG 333 | Fifth Semester Hindi | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 334 | Sixth Semester Hindi | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 335 | Fifth Semester Tibetan | 4 |
| ASIALANG 336 | Sixth Semester Tibetan | 4 |
| ASIALANG 337 | Fifth Semester Persian | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 338 | Sixth Semester Persian | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 339 | Fifth Semester Urdu | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 340 | Sixth Semester Urdu | 3-4 |
| ASIALANG 675 | Advanced Readings in Sanskrit | 3 |
| ART HIST 305 | History of Islamic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ART HIST/RELIG ST 373 | Mecca, Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi: Great Cities of Islam | 3 |
| ENGL/ASIAN 478 | Indian Writers Abroad: Literature, Diaspora and Globalization | 3 |
| ENGL/THEATRE 577 | Postcolonial Theatre: Drama, Theory and Performance in the Global South | 3 |
| GEOG 340 | World Regions in Global Context | 3 |
| HISTORY 142 | History of South Asia to the Present | 3-4 |
| HISTORY/GNS 265 | An Introduction to Central Asia: From the Silk Route to Afghanistan | 3 |
| HISTORY 450 | Making of Modern South Asia | 3-4 |
| POLI SCI 370 | Islam and Politics | 3-4 |
Capstone Course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one course (at least 3 credits): | ||
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 505 | The Perfectible Body in Religions, Medicines, and Politics | 3 |
| ASIAN 600 | Capstone Seminar in Asian Humanities | 3 |
| ASIAN/ART HIST 621 | Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces | 3 |
| ASIAN 630 | Proseminar: Studies in Cultures of Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN/RELIG ST 650 | Proseminar in Buddhist Thought | 2-3 |
| ASIAN 655 | Ethnography in Asia | 3 |
| ASIAN 682 | Senior Honors Thesis (must be enrolled in Honors in the Major) | 3 |
| ASIAN 692 | Senior Thesis (must have permission from faculty) | 3 |
| ASIAN 699 | Directed Study (must have permission from faculty) | 2-3 |
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication A | 4 | Intermediate/Advanced COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) or Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level) | 4 |
| South Asian Language Course | 4 | Science Breadth | 4 |
| ASIAN 100 (Required Introductory Course) | 3 | Ethnic Studies Course | 3 |
| INTER-LS 145 | 1 | South Asian Language Course | 4 |
| South Asian Studies Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Intermediate/Advanced COMP SCI, MATH, or STAT (if BS) or Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level) | 4 | Science Breadth | 4 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | South Asian Language Course | 4 |
| South Asian Language Course | 4 | Communication B | 3 |
| ASIAN 252 (South Asian Studies Elective) | 3 | ASIAN/RELIG ST 306 (South Asian Studies Course) | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | INTL ST 275 | 1 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Science Breadth | 3 | INTER-LS 215 | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Elective (Intermediate/Advanced level) | 4 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | South Asian Studies Elective | 3 |
| South Asian Studies Elective | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Elective (Intermediate/Advanced level) | 3 | ASIAN 699 (Optional, may be required for Honors in the Major) | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| South Asian Advanced Language (optional) | 3 | ASIAN 682 or 692 (Optional, or may be required for Honors in the Major) | 3 |
| South Asian Studies Elective | 3 | Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level) | 8 |
| Electives (Intermediate/Advanced level) | 6 | South Asian Studies Elective | 3 |
| ASIAN 681 or 691 (Optional, may be required for Honors in the Major) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||