Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in Asian Studies degree at KPU will allow you to develop the competencies characteristic of a traditional BA program while preparing you to respond creatively to the challenges you will encounter in an increasingly interconnected world. In this four-year interdisciplinary program, you will not only acquire practical skills that you can employ in your multicultural communities locally, you will also develop the intellectual and cultural competencies required to operate successfully in a world where the nations of East and South Asia are increasingly influential. As an Asian Studies student you will begin your first year of studies with courses that introduce you to Asian Studies as a discipline and to the countries and cultures of East and South Asia. These courses will begin to build the critical thinking, communication, and intercultural competencies that will allow you to succeed in more advanced courses. As you progress to more narrowly defined regional and thematic courses, you will examine in greater depth the societies, cultures, political systems, economies, and histories of the peoples and nations of South and East Asia, as well as their interactions with Canada and the rest of the world. Students joining KPU's Asian Studies Program will be introduced to a variety of diverse cultures across Asia and their connections to Canada and its local communities. Asian Studies is a multidisciplinary program drawing on fields like anthropology, cultural studies, history, religious studies, and sociology. Students can choose an area focus - South Asia or East Asia - or a thematic focus, such as cinema, religion, diaspora studies, gender, or ethnicity. 

Career Path 

Studying Asian Studies at KPU enables students to gain valuable competencies including critical thinking, communication, intercultural awareness, and information literacy. Your ability to link what you learn in class to the needs of our communities and our world will prepare you for a career in public and community service, including: Local and international business, Social work, Primary and secondary education, Law or policing, Professional writing, NGOs, Government Program Assistant, Cultural Liaison Officer, Immigration Services Support Worker, Community Outreach Coordinator, Public Policy Clerk, Human Rights Advocacy Assistant, Global Education Outreach Worker.