Elliott School homepage
1957 E Street, The Elliott School building

Regional Focus: Asia

Asian studies concentrators must take four courses from at least three of the following groupings:


Group 1: History of Modern Asia

HIST 6001 Special Topics Seminar

  • Gender and Subjectivity in East Asia
  • Geography and Politics of Afghanistan and South & Central Asia

HIST 6601 Topics in Asian History

  • History, Memory and Violence in Modern Asia: 1850–present

HIST 6611 Readings Seminar: 20th Century China

HIST 6621 Modern Japanese History

HIST 6630 Topics in Korean History

  • Modern Korea

HIST 6641 Modern Southeast Asia

Courses at Partner Universities Abroad:

Fudan University, China:

  • Chinese Modern History

Nanyang University, Singapore:

  • International History of Asia

Waseda University, Japan:

  • History of Modern Sino-Japanese Relations
  • Modern History of Asia
  • Asian Women in History
  • Historical Systems of East Asia
  • Modern and Contemporary History of Okinawa
  • Contemporary History of Japan

Group 2: Politics and Policy in Asia

A. Domestic Politics, Foreign Policy and Law

PSC 6368 Japanese Politics

PSC 6370 Politics of China I

PSC 6371 Politics of China II [Prerequisite: PSC 6370]

PSC 6374 Korean Politics

PSC 6388 Comparative Politics of Asia

IAFF 6302 Taiwan: Internal Development and Foreign Policy

IAFF 6318 Special Topics in Asian Studies:

  • Politics of Finance in India and China

LAW 6536 Law of Japan

LAW 6543 Law of the People's Republic of China

ENGL 6560 Postcolonialism

  • Representing Displacement

AH 6270 Special Topics in Art History

  • Textiles and Politics in South Asia

Courses at Partner Universities Abroad:

Fudan University, China:

  • Political Development in Modern China
  • Chinese Diplomacy
  • Chinese Public Administration
  • International Relations in East Asia
  • Political Economy in East Asia
  • Grassroots Democracy and Social Movement in China
  • China's Foreign Economic Policies

Hong Kong University:

  • Chinese Foreign Policy
  • International Security in East Asia
  • Intergovernmental Relations in Greater China
  • China's Governance in the Reform Era

Nanyang University, Singapore:

  • Government and Politics of Southeast Asia
  • Contemporary Maritime Security in Asia
  • State and Politics in Modern Indonesia
  • State, Society and Politics in Malaysia
  • State, Society and Politics in China
  • United States and Asia
  • Politics and Foreign Policy of Singapore
  • History and Development of Civil Society in China
  • Comparative Political Governance and Corruption in Asia

Waseda University, Japan:

  • Politics and Culture of Southeast Asian Ethnic Chinese
  • Politico-Economics of Ethnic Chinese in Asia
  • International Relations in the Asia-Pacific Region
  • ASEAN Regional Economic Integration
  • International Cooperation in the APEC Region
  • Agricultural and Food Economies in the Asia-Pacific Region
  • U.S. Foreign Policy to Asia-Pacific Region
  • Regionalism and Multilateralism in Asia
  • Japanese Politics and Diplomacy

B. Security and Military Policy

IAFF 6118 Special Topics in International Affairs:

IAFF 6186 Special Topics in Security Policy:

  • The Chinese Military

PSC 6467 Asian Security

PSC 8388 Selected Topics in Comparative Politics

  • Stability and Conflict in South Asia

Courses at Partner Universities Abroad:

Hong Kong University:

  • International Security in East Asia
  • War and Armed Conflict: Philosophical Issues

Nanyang University, Singapore:

  • Asian Security Order
  • Chinese Security and Foreign Policy
  • India's Foreign and Security Policy
  • Countering Religiously-Motivated Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Issues and Challenges
  • Nuclear Politics in Asia
  • Globalization, Maritime Security and Naval Development in the Asia Pacific
  • Jihadist Strategic Thought and Practice
  • Theoretical and Practical Approaches to the Future
  • Energy Security
  • Military Evolution and Revolution in Asia
  • Indian Ocean Security
  • Contemporary Maritime Security in Asia
  • Non-Traditional Security Issues in Asia

Waseda University, Japan:

  • Regional Conflicts and Preventive Diplomacy
  • International Human Rights and Human Security

Group 3: International Relations of Asia

IAFF 6302 Taiwan: Internal Development and Foreign Policy

IAFF 6305 US-South Asian Relations

IAFF 6318 Special Topics in Asian Studies

  • International Relations of South Asia

PSC 6372 Foreign Policy of China

PSC 6467 Asian Security

PSC 6475 International Politics of East Asia

PSC 8489 U.S. China Relations

Courses at Partner Universities Abroad:
Hong Kong University:

  • Understanding Global Problems: Theory and Practice

Nanyang University, Singapore:

  • International Relations of Northeast Asia
  • Nuclear Politics in Asia
  • Globalization, Maritime Security and Naval Development in the Asia Pacific

Group 4: Asian Business and Development

ECON 6269 Economy of China

ECON 6271 Economy of Japan

PSC 6373 Political Economy of Industrializing Asia

PSC 8336 Political Economy of Developing Areas

PSC 8388 Selected Topics in Comparative Politics

  • Politics of Development in South Asia

IAFF 6318 Special Topics in Asian Studies

  • Politics of Finance in India and China

Courses at Partner Universities Abroad:
Fudan University, China:

  • China's Foreign Economic Policies

Nanyang University, Singapore:

  • International Trade and China: Strategies and Issues
  • The Dynamics of Investment in Greater China
  • The Political Economy of Economic Development and Integration in Asia
  • Political Change and Political Development in East Asia

Waseda University, Japan:

  • Sociology of Development and Global Relations
  • Development Economics
  • Basics of Financial Economics
  • Development and Politics in Developing Countries
  • Sustainable Development and International Development Cooperation
  • Economic Development and Poverty
  • ASEAN Regional Economic Integration
  • International Co-operation in the APEC Region
  • East Asian Economic Development
  • Asia-Pacific Economic Studies
Back to top top of page