Welcome to the Department of Asian Studies
The Department of Asian Studies is in the School of Pacific and Asian Studies (SPAS), in the College of Arts, Languages, and Letters (CALL) at UH Mānoa. We offer interdisciplinary BA and MA degree programs and Graduate Certificates in the study of China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Inter-Asia.
Asian Studies majors go on to successful careers in government service, teaching, research, law, journalism, non-profit work and business, in Asia and the US.
At UH Manoa, Asian Studies covers a broad geographical arc including South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. The approach to the study of these interrelated regions is interdisciplinary, taught by faculty trained in the geography, history, anthropology, political science, sociology, language and literature, ethnomusicology, performing arts, and urban and regional planning of Asia.
Faculty
Our faculty members have won awards locally, nationally and internationally for their teaching and research. In addition to the Asian Studies faculty, there are more than 200 faculty and staff who are Asia specialists in different departments and programs throughout the campus. Several hundred courses on Asia (or with substantive Asia content) are taught at UH Mānoa, a unique strength the Department of Asian Studies utilizes in crafting its BA and MA degrees.
Students
The Department of Asian Studies offers an unprecedented opportunity for students to study a wide range of topics, disciplines, and methodologies to design their individual programs to suit their particular interests. This interdisciplinary, holistic approach to the study of Asia, focused on the social sciences and humanities, is the heart of the program’s mission. Competency in an Asian language commensurate with the student’s focus and level is considered fundamental, and is a required part of the BA and MAAS programs, and strongly encouraged in the MAIA program.
Opportunity
The Department of Asian Studies is closely linked in terms of students, faculty, courses, fellowships, staff, and daily operations to all of SPAS Centers, which further coordinate links throughout the university. The possibilities are endless.
The following disciplines, fields, and programs serve Asian Studies’ interdisciplinary mission: American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, Business, East Asian Languages and Literatures, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Ethnomusicology, Geography and Environment, History, Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, Sociology, Theater and Dance, Urban and Regional Planning, Women’s Studies, and more.
Please Note
We do not offer a PhD in Asian Studies. Asia-focused PhD programs are available in Anthropology, East Asian Language and Literatures, Economics, Geography and Environment, History, Linguistics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Health, Sociology, Theater and Dance, and Tropical Agriculture. Our MA degrees can help prepare you for a PhD in another department; as a PhD student, you are also eligible to concurrently pursue a Graduate Certificate in an area of Asian Studies. If you are interested in applying for a PhD on an Asia-related topic at UH Mānoa, please contact the appropriate department.
Department of Asian Studies News
36th Annual Asian Studies Conference | 16-17 April 2025 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu…
Rongbin Han is Associate Professor in the Department of International Affairs at the University of…
From Northern Virginia to the Indo-Pacific: A Journey of Service and Scholarship Meet Jacob Oster,…
Assistant Professor, Asian Studies: The Department of Asian Studies in the College of Arts, Languages,…
Meet Alex, dedicated student of our MAIA program who brings a wealth of experience from…
Come and join us for a CAPA Technical Workshop on "Applying for Funding: Sources and…
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