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

Note: Graduate students must take courses at the 500-level or higher; undergraduate courses cannot be applied to the credits needed for a graduate degree.

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, FALL 2026

Note: this list of Fall 2026 courses is a working draft, subject to change. Please verify all listings, including instructors as well as course meeting dates and times, 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 254SUnsettling Modernity: Korea, Empire, DiasporaSung Eun KimAADS 254S, HIST 252S, LIT 254S
AMES 339Militarism Across Asia/Pacific/AmericaSung Eun KimAADS 339, GSF 339, HISTORY 339, ICS 387
AMES 408S*The Geopolitics of Islamophobia from Bosnia to XinjiangErdag GoknarHIST 416S, ICS 421S, PUBPOL 413S
AMES 420S*Critical Digital StudiesKimberly HasselCMAC 420S, CULANTH 420S, ICS 439S, ISS 420S
AMES 439Queer ChinaCarlos RojasCULANTH 439, GSF 439, LIT 439, VMS 439
AMES 503S-02*Critical Digital StudiesKimberly HasselN/A
AMES 551S*Translation: Theory/PraxisEileen ChowLIT 551S
AMES 747SThe Memory Project Archives: Theory and PracticeGuo-Juin HongMFAEDA 747S
AMES 790SSpecial Topics in Critical Asian Humanities MethodologiesCarlos RojasN/A

 

Art History
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ARTHIST 432SFrom the Art of the Pleasure Quarters to Tokyo PopGennifer WeisenfeldAMES 452S, VMS 432S
ARTHIST 723S*Grant Writing and ProspectusGennifer WeisenfeldN/A

 

Chinese
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
CHINESE 99Survival Chinese: Navigating Daily ConversationsJiali GuoN/A
CHINESE 101First-Year Chinese ITianshu HeN/A
CHINESE 102First-Year Chinese IIShasha YangN/A
CHINESE 105First-Year Chinese in Review IChi-Ju HsiehN/A
CHINESE 131First-Year Chinese for Bilingual LearnersYa-Chuan ChouN/A
CHINESE 203Intermediate Chinese IJiali Guo/Shu ZhangN/A
CHINESE 204Intermediate Chinese IIYa-Chuan ChouN/A
CHINESE 232Intermediate Chinese for Bilingual LearnersJin-Wei HungN/A
CHINESE 305Pre-advanced Chinese Shu ZhangN/A
CHINESE 306Advanced Chinese IIShasha YangN/A
CHINESE 331Modern Chinese Society and Culture through New MediaTianshu HeN/A
CHINESE 333Advanced Chinese for Bilingual Learners Chi-Ju HsiehN/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
CULATNH 744S*MobilityEngseng HoN/A

 

Dance
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
DANCE 165CCS*Let's Move! Dance as KnowingJingqiu GuanN/A
DANCE 307S*Dance Film: Documentary Aesthetics in Dance-Moving Image PracticeJingqiu GuanCINE 307S, DOCST 307S
DANCE 707S*Dance Film: Documentary Aesthetics in Dance-Moving Image PracticeJingqiu GuanN/A

 

East Asian Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
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 321*Space EconomicsGiovanni ZanaldaN/A
ECON 824*International Trade IRafael Dix Carneiro, Daniel XuN/A
ECON 825*Industrial OrganizationAllan Collard-Wexler, Daniel XuN/A

 

Energy
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ENERGY 590*Special Topics in EnergyJackson Ewing/SandeepN/A

 

English
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
ENGLISH 180CN*AI, Creativity, and SlopRichard J SoN/A
ENGLISH 390*Asian American and Asian Diaspora FilmsXinyu DongAADS 390, AMES 390, CINE 290, ICS 390
ENGLISH 890S*History Contemp Lit CriticismRichard J SoN/A

 

Experimental & Documentary Arts
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
MFAEDA 791*Thesis Writing WorkshopStanley AbeN/A

 

Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
GSF 202S*Introduction to LGBTQ StudiesAnna StortiN/A
GSF 361*Money, Sex, PowerAra WilsonRIGHTS 361
GSF 382S*Intimacies: Sexuality, Nation, and the StateAnna StortiAADS 382S

 

Global Health
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
GLHLTH 761S*Introductory Demographic Measures and ConceptsGiovanna MerliN/A

 

History
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
HISTORY 159S*Gateway Seminar: What Did Your Grandparents Do? A Global Exploration of Individual Life HistoriesSimon PartnerDOCST 159S
HISTORY 223Survey of Modern China: 1800–PresentYaming YouAMES 234
HISTORY 226Ancient and Early Modern JapanSimon PartnerAMES 167

 

Japanese
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
JPN 101Elementary JapaneseNaoko KurokawaN/A
JPN 203Intermediate JapaneseAzusa SaitoN/A
JPN 305Advanced JapaneseYunchuan ChenN/A

 

Korean
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
KOREAN 101Elementary KoreanBarohny EunN/A
KOREAN 102Elementary KoreanSeojin YangN/A
KOREAN 203Intermediate KoreanSeojin YangN/A
KOREAN 204Intermediate KoreanEunyoung KimN/A
KOREAN 303Literacy and speech register in KoreanHae-Young KimN/A
KOREAN 305Advanced KoreanHae-Young KimN/A
KOREAN 407SIssues in Korean Language and Society IEunyoung KimN/A

 

Linguistics
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
LINGUIST 125FS*Languages, Margins, Borders: Representations, Practices, and PoliciesGareth O PriceICS 125FS, SOCIOL 125FS
LINGUIST 372S*Language and/in the MediaGareth O PriceCULANTH 372S, SOCIOL 372S

 

Literature
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
LIT 614S*Power of the StoryRey ChowRELIGION 614S, VMS 619S

 

Music
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
MUSIC 138Popular Music of Asia and Asian AmericaYun Emily WangAADS 138S, AMES 137S, CULANTH 138S
MUSIC 398S*Meeting the World Through Chamber MusicCarolina Stinson, Hsiao-mei KuN/A
MUSIC 590–02*Sound ThinkingRoseen Giles, Yun Emily WangN/A

 

Political Science
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
POLSCI 317S*Global CorruptionMelanie ManionN/A
POLSCI 689L*Computational Methods and Causal AnalysisJiawei FuN/A
POLSCI 745*Core in Political EconomyEdmund MaleskyN/A

 

Public Policy
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
PUBPOL 790-05Climate Policy and Innovation in AsiaJonathan StromsethN/A
PUBPOL 820*Globalization and GovernanceJonathan StromsethN/A

 

Religious Studies
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
RELIGION 257Understanding Chinese ReligionsAnna SunAMES 257
RELIGION 780SAmerican Foreign Missions and Chinese ChristianityXi LianWXTIAN 813
WXTIAN 716*Christianity's Encounter with Other Religions and Cultures: The Case of East AsiaXi LianN/A
XTIANTHE 990*Mind, Minds, and GodJonathan TranN/A

 

Sociology
Course #TitleInstructorCross-listing
SOCIOL 344*Technology and Organizational EnvironmentsBai 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

 

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

 

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

 

Course Archives

Download a list of courses offered in Fall 2025 (forthcoming)

Download a list of courses offered in Spring 2026 (forthcoming)

Download a list of courses offered in Fall 2024

Download a list of courses offered in Spring 2025