Berea College

Asian Studies is the interdisciplinary field of study that seeks to understand the diverse arts, histories, languages, politics, religions, and societies of Asia – the world’s largest landmass, which is home to the world’s oldest civilizations as well as its most cutting-edge technologies. 

• Courses in Asian Studies are taught by faculty who bring a variety of academic approaches to studying Asia, and typically are cross-listed with other departments while also fulfilling General Education requirements for all students. 
• Our Asian Studies faculty have lived, studied, and worked all over Asia, and many of our graduates’ career paths have led them to Asia. 
• While China and Japan are most emphasized in Berea’s Asian Studies curriculum, opportunities to study other cultures from South, Southeast, and East Asia are available on campus as well as through study abroad. 
• Asian Studies alumni may be found all over the world doing all kinds of things – from teaching English as a second language to collaborating with Asian video game designers, and from practicing law to curating art. Home to almost 2/3 of the world’s population, Asia is an academic destination big enough to encompass any possible career interest.

Asian Studies majors and minors typically study abroad, with most participating in programs based in Japan and South Korea. Competitive opportunities to intern in Japan are available each summer. From time to time, our students serve as interns at Asia-focused non-profit institutions in the United States, such as Crane House (Louisville, Kentucky) and the China Folk House Retreat (Jefferson County, West Virginia).

Asian Studies majors and minors who excel in Chinese or Japanese language have the opportunity to serve as teaching assistants for Berea faculty who teach in these areas.

Asian Studies alumni may be found all over the world doing all kinds of things –from teaching English as a second language to collaborating with Asian video game designers, and from practicing law to curating art. Home to almost 2/3 of the world’s population, Asia is an academic destination big enough to encompass any possible career interest. Here are some actual career paths pursued by recent Asian Studies alumni:

• Diplomat
• K-12 teacher
• Lawyer
• Librarian
• Museum/art gallery curator
• Professor
• Study abroad adviser
• Teacher of English as a Second Language
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner
• Translator/interpreter
• Video game designer
• Working for Asian companies, both in Asia and in the U.S