Image
Classroom doors opening onto a view of a busy walkway in Asia

Every semester, Duke offers a variety of courses focused on East Asia in multiple academic disciplines. These courses can be used to meet minor, major, certificate, and degree requirements for programs such as the MA in East Asian Studies

Course descriptions and schedules for current and prospective students are available via DukeHub.

Explore APSI's curated list of East Asian Studies courses:

 

East Asian Studies course-related policies and forms

If a desired course is not listed below as an East Asia course, students can petition the DGS to count the course toward the MA in East Asian Studies degree requirements or East Asian Studies graduate certificate if at least 1/3 of the graded work (e.g.: exams, weekly writing assignments, major papers) is on East Asia. 

Students must fill out the Request to Take Unlisted East Asian Courses Form and submit it to the DGSA before 5:00 p.m. two business days before the last day of the drop/add period.

Students seeking to conduct an East Asian Studies Independent Study (EAS 791) should obtain instructor and DGS approval before submitting the Application for Research Independent Study in East Asian Studies.

Students pursuing an MA in East Asian Studies are given the option to either write an MA thesis or revise and submit two research papers originally developed during coursework to satisfy milestone requirements for the degree. 

Students must declare their milestone option by September 30th of the second year.

Up to two graduate-level language courses can be applied to the degree requirements for the Master of Arts in East Asian Studies.

Graduate students in the CAMEH or EAS programs who would like to study language through AMES and have graduate level credits count toward their degree must review the policy outlined on the AMES DUS website.

Students enrolled in any of Duke’s graduate degree programs are encouraged to document their area specialization by earning a Graduate Certificate in East Asian Studies.

Graduate students in any program wanting to enroll in an undergraduate-level course must meet with the DGS and gain approval.

Students must fill out the Permission to Enroll in a Course Below the 500 Level Form and submit it to the Graduate School before 5:00 p.m. two business days before the last day of the drop/add period.

Duke students are also eligible to enroll in classes at the University of North Carolina. 

Details on receiving credit via inter-institutional registration can be found on the Registrar's website.

East Asian Studies Courses, SPRING 2026

Courses on this list have been posted but are not yet fully confirmed. Details about the schedule are subject to change and should be confirmed in DukeHub. 

African & African American Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
AAAS 236S*China and the Black World: Similarities, Differences, and InterconnectionsJames MatoryAMES 238S, CULANTH 238S

 

Asian American & Diaspora Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
AADS 201Introduction to Asian American and Diaspora StudiesJonathan TranAMES 276-01, ENGLISH 275-01, GSF 203-01, HISTORY 274-01, ICS 286-01

 

Asian & Middle Eastern Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
AMES 124CNSGlobal JapanKimberly HasselN/A
AMES 147CNS*Border FictionsPreeti SinghENGLISH 147CNS, ICS 133CNS, LIT 147CNS
AMES 173CNSChinese Diasporas and Language: A Sociolinguistic ExpolorationYan LiuLINGUIST 173CNS
AMES 290SSpecial Topics: The SamuraiEric FunabashiN/A
AMES 336Chinese Science FictionCarlos RojasN/A
AMES 339Critical Militarism Studies across Asia/Pacific/AmericaSung Eun KimAADS 339, HIST 339, ICS 387, GSF 339
AMES 353SEast Asian languages as second languagesYunchuan ChenLINGUIST 353S
AMES 372Two Koreas: History, Society and CultureNayoung Aimee KwonCULANTH 473, HISTORY 473
AMES 390Special Topics: East Asian Genre FilmsXinyu DongICS 390, CINE 390
AMES 420S*Critical Digital StudiesKimberly HasselCMAC 420S, CULANTH 420S, ICS 439S, ISS 420S
AMES 436SEast Asia and Empire(s): Korean History as a Decentering PraxisSung Eun KimHISTORY 436S, ICS 433S
AMES 456SChinese Culture and Ideology in the 20th Century and NowKang LiuPOLSCI 456S
AMES 503S–01*Critical Digital StudiesKimberly HasselN/A
AMES 503S–03*East Asia & Empire(s)Sung Eun KimN/A
AMES 631SQuestions of National CinemasGuo-Juin HongCINE 632, LIT 632, VMS 632
AMES 738*Theories of Minority DiscourseCarlos RojasN/A

 

Art History
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ARTHIST 582S*Copies and DuplicationStanley AbeN/A

 

Chinese
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
CHINESE 98Learning Chinese Through Calligraphy: An Introduction to Chinese Culture and Chinese CharactersJiali GuoN/A
CHINESE 99Survival Chinese: Navigating Daily ConversationsJiali GuoN/A
CHINESE 101First-Year Chinese ITianshu He/Shasha YangN/A
CHINESE 102First-Year Chinese IIJiali Guo/Tianshu HeN/A
CHINESE 131First-Year Chinese for Bilingual LearnersKun Shan Carolyn LeeN/A
CHINESE 203Intermediate Chinese IYa-Chuan ChouN/A
CHINESE 204Intermediate Chinese IIShu ZhangN/A
CHINESE 232Intermediate Chinese for Bilingual LearnersYa-Chuan Chou/Shasha YangN/A
CHINESE 305Pre-advanced Chinese Shasha YangN/A
CHINESE 307Technology and Society in ChineseChi-Ju HsiehN/A
CHINESE 333Advanced Chinese for Bilingual Learners Jin–Wei HungN/A
CHINESE 334Eyes on Taiwan: Language, Culture, and SocietyJin–Wei HungN/A
CHINESE 382SBusiness and Interculturality in the Chinese SocietyJin–Wei HungN/A
CHINESE 408SChinese Language and Culture through FilmShu ZhangN/A
CHINESE 411SDebate in Chinese: Survey of Great Chinese ThinkersKun Shan Carolyn LeeN/A
CHINESE 434SChinese Traditional Culture in Modern LifeTianshu HeN/A
CHINESE 451SChina and the U.S. in the Age of Climate ChangeYan LiuN/A
CHINESE 456Aspects of Chinese Culture and SocietyKang LiuN/A

 

Cultural Anthropology
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
CULANTH 216S*Global Migration and EthicsJing Hao LiongETHICS 262S
CULANTH 290*Current Issues in AnthropologyHy V HuynhPUBPOL 290
CULATNH 409S*Social Space and TimeEngseng HoARTSVIS 409S, HISTORY 408S, ICS 405S
CULATNH 590S*Social Space and TimeEngseng HoHISTORY 590S, ICS 590S
CULATNH 707S*Precarity and AffectAnne AllisonGSF 707S, LIT 707S, LIT 361S, SOCIOL 771S

 

Dance
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
DANCE 141SChinese Contemporary Dance in the DiasporaJingqiu GuanN/A
DANCE 482*Social Justice ChoreographyJingqiu GuanN/A

 

East Asian Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
EAS 590Special Topics: Cultures of Energy in AsiaXingming WangN/A
EAS 791Independent StudyStaffN/A

 

Economics
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ECON 613*Applied Econometrics in MicroeconomicsDaniel XuN/A
FECON 379Emerging Markets: Finance, Trade, Institutions and the World EconomyGiovanni ZanaldaICS 379

 

 

English
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ENGLISH 208S*Criticism and the ArtsYeonwoo KooN/A
ENGLISH 290S–01*Special Topics: Comparative Cultural AnalysisRichard SoN/A
ENGLISH 290S–02*Special Topics: Critical Refugee StudiesMarguerite NguyenAADS 290S–02
ENGLISH 390–6–01*Special Topics in Film: Asian American/Asian Diasporic FilmsXinyu DongAADS 290–01; AMES 390–02; CINE 390–02; ICS 390–03
ENGLISH 390–6–02*Special Topics in Film: Vietnam War in Literature & FilmMarguerite NguyenAADS 390–02
ENGLISH 890S–02*Special Topics: Computational MethodsRichard SoN/A

 

Environmental Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ENVIRON 557*Environmental PoliticsKimberly Marion SuiseeyaICS 577, PUBPOL 577

 

French
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
FRENCH 426S*France–Asia: Cultural Transfers and Translations in a Globalized ContextAnne-Gaelle SailotAMES 426S, ARTHIST 426S, CULANTH 426S, ICS 413S, LIT 426S

 

Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
GSF 177CNS*Feminist ActivistmAnna StortiAADS 177CNS
GSF 364S*Race, Gender, and SexualityAnna StortiAAAS 242S, AADS 364S, SOCIOL 364S 

 

History
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
HISTORY 239History of Chinese MedicineNicole Elizabeth BarnesAMES 142, GLHLTH 142
HISTORY 548S*Global History of MedicineNicole Elizabeth BarnesGLHLTH 548S
HISTORY 790S*Special Topics in Global ConnectionsPrasenjit DuaraN/A

 

Japanese
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
JPN 102Elementary JapaneseNaoko KurokawaN/A
JPN 204Intermediate JapaneseAzusa SaitoN/A
JPN 215SExploring Japanese Through Tadoku (Extensive Reading) and BeyondNaoko KurokawaN/A
JPN 306Advanced JapaneseAzusa SaitoN/A
JPN 407SIssues in Japanese Language and SocietyYunchuan ChenN/A

 

Korean
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
KOREAN 101Elementary KoreanBarohny EunN/A
KOREAN 102Elementary KoreanSeojin YangN/A
KOREAN 203Intermediate KoreanHae-Young KimN/A
KOREAN 204Intermediate KoreanBarohny EunN/A
KOREAN 306Advanced KoreanEunyoung KimN/A

 

Linguistics
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
LINGUIST 372*Language and/in the MediaGareth O PriceCULANTH 372S, SOCIOL 372S
LINGUIST 471S*Language and Politics: Global PerspectivesGareth O PricePUBPOL 208S, SES 484S

 

Markets & Management
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
MMS 230*Game Changers: From Panda Diplomacy to ZipcarPikuei TuN/A

 

Music
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
MUSIC 150CNSAsian Diasporic MusickingJennifer ChangAADS 150CNS, CULANTH 160CNS
MUSIC 210–6Chinese Music EnsembleJennifer ChangAMES 145
MUSIC 235TVoices in Music: ChineseShasha YangCHINESE 235T
MUSIC 242S*Sound, Music, and GenderYun Emily WangGSF 243S
MUSIC 399*Music Community ConnectHsiao-Mei KuEDUC 399S

 

Philosophy
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
PHIL 263Chinese PhilosophyDavid WongAMES 275
PHIL 502S*Comparative EthicsDavid WongN/A

 

Political Science
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
POLSCI 128*Climate Change: A Political Economy PerspectiveClara ParkN/A
POLSCI 317*Global CorruptionMelanie ManionN/A
POLSCI 390–01Special Topics: China in the WorldMelanie ManionAMES 390–03
POLSCI 513STheory and China StudiesEmerson NiouN/A

 

Public Policy
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
PUBPOL 790–01Special Topics: China–U.S. Competition and Southeast AsiaJonathan StromsethN/A
PUBPOL 790–03Special Topics: Political Economy of Southeast AsiaEdmund MaleskyN/A
PUBPOL 790–04*Special Topics: Global Value Chain AnalysisGary GereffiN/A
PUBPOL 790–07*Special Topics: Authoritarian InstitutionsEdmund MaleskyN/A

 

Religion
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
RELIGION 303The Politics of Religion in AsiaNeena MahadevAMES 303, CULANTH 247
RELIGION 323S*Buddhist Meditation: Cultivation Practices and PsychologyRichard JaffeAMES 328S

 

Sociology
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
SOCIOL 341The United States and the Asian Pacific RegionBai GaoN/A
SOCIOL 354*Getting Rich: Financial Markets, Household FInance, and WealthLisa KeisterN/A
SOCIOL 541The United States and the Asian Pacific RegionBai GaoN/A

 

Theater Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
THEATERST 232S*Asian American TheaterEsther K LeeAADS 232S, AMES 182S, ENGLISH 387S, HISTORY 293S

 

Visual & Media Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
VMS 236Contemporary Japanese Visual CultureGennifer WeisenfeldAMES 262
* All assignments must be done on East Asia to be applied to the MA in East Asian Studies or the Graduate Certificate in East Asian Studies

 

East Asian Studies Courses, FALL 2025

Note: this list of Fall 2025 courses is a working draft, subject to change. Please verify all listings in DukeHub.

Asian & Middle Eastern Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
AMES 107Introduction to East Asian Cultures: Narrating East Asia through Word and ImageGuo-Juin HongICS 144
AMES 120CNAsian Foodways in MigrationEileen ChowAADS 120CN, ICS 127CN
AMES 121CNSex and Power in Asian DiasporasCarlos RojasAADS 121CN, GSF 121CN
AMES 152CNS*Visualizing and Liberating Minor Stories: Archives, Museums, HistoriesAimee KwonAADS 152CNS, ARTSVIS 152CNS, DOCST 152CNS, HISTORY 152CNS, ICS 155CNS
AMES 165SThe World of Japanese Pop CultureKimberly HasselCULANTH 365S
AMES 171World of Korean CinemaAimee KwonCINE 256, CULANTH 255, LIT 212, VMS 234
AMES 195S*Rethinking Asia and the Middle EastFadi BardawilCULANTH 195S
AMES 202SAfro-AsiaKimberly HasselAAAS 205S, CULANTH 286S, ICS 247S
AMES 254SUnsettling Modernity: Korea, Empire, DiasporaSung Eun KimAADS 254S, HIST 252S, LIT 254S
AMES 337SChinese SociolinguisticsYan LiuLINGUIST 337S
AMES 408S*The Geopolitics of Islamophobia from Bosnia to XinjiangErdag GoknarHIST 416S, ICS 421S, PUBPOL 413S
AMES 435SChinese Media and Popular Culture: Politics, Ideology, and Social ChangeKang LiuISS 435S, POLSCI 435S
AMES 511Documentary and East Asian CulturesGuo-Juin HongCINE 511, DOCST 511, ICS 513
AMES 790SSpecial Topics in Critical Asian Humanities MethodologiesCarlos RojasN/A
AMES 890SSpecial Topics in Critical Asian HumanitiesFadi BardawilN/A

 

Art History
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ARTHIST 432SFrom the Art of the Pleasure Quarters to Tokyo PopGennifer WeisenfeldAMES 452S, VMS 432S
ARTHIST 535SCamera AsiaGennifer WeisenfeldHIST 530S, ICS 531S, VMS 535S, PHOTO 535S

 

Chinese
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
CHINESE 99Survival Chinese: Navigating Daily ConversationsJiali GuoN/A
CHINESE 101First-Year Chinese ITianshu He/Shasha YangN/A
CHINESE 102First-Year Chinese IIJiali GuoN/A
CHINESE 105First-Year Chinese in Review IChi-Ju HsiehN/A
CHINESE 131First-Year Chinese for Bilingual LearnersYa-Chuan Chou/Shasha YangN/A
CHINESE 203Intermediate Chinese IJiali Guo/Ya-Chuan ChouN/A
CHINESE 204Intermediate Chinese IIShu ZhangN/A
CHINESE 232Intermediate Chinese for Bilingual LearnersKun Shan LeeN/A
CHINESE 305Pre-advanced Chinese Shu ZhangN/A
CHINESE 306Advanced Chinese IIChi-Ju HsiehN/A
CHINESE 331Modern Chinese Society and Culture through New MediaTianshu HeN/A
CHINESE 333Advanced Chinese for Bilingual Learners Jin–Wei HungN/A
CHINESE 370Debate in Chinese: Exploring Confucian and Daoist Values TodayKun Shan LeeN/A
CHINESE 407SIssues in Chinese Language and Society IJin-Wei HungN/A
CHINESE 455Modern Chinese Culture: Narratives of Home and AbroadKang LiuN/A

 

Cultural Anthropology
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
CULANTH 115CNS*Deathcare in the World TodayAnne AllisonETHICS 115CNS, ICS 114CNS, SOCIOL 115CNS
CULATNH 210*Global CultureEngseng HoVMS 247
CULATNH 360S*Global Apple: Life and Death and the Digital RevolutionRalph LitzingerAMES 360S, ICS 369S, LIT 361S, PUBPOL 358S, SOCIOL 360S
CULANTH 419S*Global Environmentalism and the Politics of NatureRalph LitzingerN/A

 

Dance
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
DANCE 472*Performance: Dance TheaterJingqiu GuanN/A
DANCE 771S*Graduate Seminar: Theories of CorporealityJingqiu GuanGSF 771S, MUSIC 771S

 

East Asian Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
EAS 508China Science and Technology Policy and InnovationDenis SimonAMES 523, POLSCI 523, PUBPOL 512, SCISOC 508
EAS 700East Asian Studies Core Course: Fields and MethodsEileen ChowAMES 700, HIST 707, RELIGION 700
EAS 791Independent Study StaffN/A

 

Economics
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ECON 390S*Space EconomicsGiovanni ZanaldaN/A
ECON 824*International Trade IDaniel XuN/A
ECON 825*Industrial OrganizationDaniel XuN/A

 

Environmental Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ENVIRON 269T-3Voices in the Environment: MandarinYan LiuN/A
ENVIRON 390*Scientific Knowledge and Global Climate GovernanceKimberly Marion SuiseeyaN/A
ENVIRON 605*Air Quality Management: Linking Science to PolicyJim ZhangGLHLTH 605
ENVIRON 790*Scientific Knowledge and Global Climate GovernanceKimberly Marion SuiseeyaN/A

 

Ethics
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ETHICS 129FS*Human Rights and World PoliticsJuliette DuaraICS 128FS, POLSCI 176FS, PUBPOL 181FS

 

Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
GSF 272S*Sexuality and the LawJuliette DuaraEthics 272S, PUBPOL 277S, SCISOC 272S, SOCIOL 272S
GSF 382S*Intimacies: Sexuality, Nation, and the StateAnna StortiAADS 382S
GSF 960S*Interdisciplinary DebatesAnna StortiN/A

 

Global Health
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
GLHLTH 571*Global Maternal and Child HealthPalmquist LoscalzoN/A
GLHLTH 720*Decolonizing Global HealthShanti NarayanasamyN/A
GLHLTH 761S*Introductory Demographic Measures and ConceptsGiovanna MerliN/A

 

History
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
HISTORY 226Ancient and Early Modern JapanSimon PartnerAMES 167
HISTORY 599SMeiji JapanSimon PartnerAMES 599S

 

Japanese
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
JPN 101Elementary JapaneseNaoko KurokawaN/A
JPN 203Intermediate JapaneseAzusa SaitoN/A
JPN 253Intermediate Conversational Japanese through Folktales and MangaYunchuan ChenN/A
JPN 305Advanced JapaneseAzusa SaitoN/A

 

Korean
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
KOREAN 101Elementary KoreanBarohny EunN/A
KOREAN 102Elementary KoreanEunyoung KimN/A
KOREAN 203Intermediate KoreanSeojin YangN/A
KOREAN 207High–Intermediate KoreanHae-Young KimN/A
KOREAN 305Advanced KoreanEunyoung KimN/A
KOREAN 408SIssues in Korean Language and Society IIHae-Young KimN/A

 

Linguistics
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
LINGUIST 125FS*Languages, Margins, Borders: Representations, Practices, and PoliciesGareth O PriceICS 125FS, SOCIOL 125FS
LINGUIST 201*Introduction to LinguisticsGareth O PriceCULANT 201

 

Literature
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
LIT 396S*East-West CinemaRey ChowAMES 396S, CINE 396S, ROMST 396S
LIT 490S–01*Power of the StoryRey ChowAMES 490S-01, CULANTH 490S–02, ENGLISH 490S-01, VMS 490S-01

 

Music
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
MUSIC 210Chinese Music EnsembleJennifer ChangAMES 275
MUSIC 290S*Ugly MusicYun Emily WangCULANTH 290S
MUSIC 590S*Gender in MusicYun Emily WangGSF 590S

 

Philosophy
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
PHIL 203*History of Ancient PhilosophyWenjin LiuCLST 271
PHIL 463S*Eastern & Western Conceptions of Human Nature, Ethics, & PoliticsWenjin LiuN/A

 

Political Science
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
POLSCI 160D*Introduction to International RelationsPeter FeaverPUBPOL 166D
POLSCI 168CNS*International Conflict ResolutionKyle BeardsleyN/A
POLSCI 333S*Democracy and Social ChoiceEmerson NiouN/A
POLSCI 725SResearch on Chinese Politics: Forefront and FoundationsMelanie ManionN/A
POLSCI 745*Core in Political EconomyEdmund MaleskyN/A

 

Public Policy
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
PUBPOL 790-01Climate Policy and Innovation in AsiaJonathan StromsethN/A
PUBPOL 820*Globalization and GovernanceJonathan StromsethN/A

 

Religion
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
RELIGION 101*Introduction to Religious StudiesAnna SunN/A
RELIGION 120*BuddhismRichard JaffeAMES 114
RELIGION 913S*Comparative Ritual TheoryAnna SunN/A

 

Slavic & Eurasian Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
SES 373S*Between Moscow, Beijing and Delhi: Narratives of Europe and AsiaMustafa O TunaHIST 216S, ICS 373S
SES 388S*Illiberal Nondemocracies: Focus on Eastern Europe and AsiaMustafa O TunaHIST 331S, ICS 346S, POLSCI 301S, PUBPOL 317S

 

Sociology
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
SOCIOL 341The United States and the Asian Pacific RegionBai GaoN/A
SOCIOL 344*Technology and Organizational EnvironmentsBai GaoN/A
SOCIOL 541The United States and the Asian Pacific RegionBai GaoN/A
* All assignments must be done on East Asia to be applied to the MA in East Asian Studies or the Graduate Certificate in East Asian Studies

 

For a look at past semesters’ offerings, see the course archives section, below.

 

Course Archives

Download a list of courses offered in Fall 2024

Download a list of courses offered in Spring 2025