About

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC) serves as a home for the study of Asia, both for broad comparative and cultural studies of the history, literature, film, art, music, and society in Asia, and for the more focused study of Japanese or Chinese language and culture.

The Major is 32 credits which include Language Proficiency, Culture/Content courses such as Film, Religion, Linguistics, Translation, Study Away, and a Capstone course or Honors Thesis.

Students may choose to live in Chinese or Japanese language immersion houses.

Non-majors may take a variety of courses, taught in English, which concern the many cultures of South, Southeast, Central and East Asia.

The department’s objectives are

• To promote the study of Asian languages and cultures as an integral part of a liberal arts education
• To offer a wide range of language courses in Chinese and Japanese for majors, minors, and other students
• To provide students with a firm foundation in fields such as literature, film, linguistics, and translation studies
• To prepare students for graduate work and professional careers related to Asia
• To support the college’s mission of internationalism, multiculturalism, and civic engagement.