Asian American Studies BA

The BA program in Asian American Studies provides a general introduction for students who anticipate advanced work at the graduate level or careers in research, public service, and community work related to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. The Asian American Studies major is a designated capstone major. Students are required to complete either a community-based applied team research project or an independent scholarly or creative expression project. Those who select the community-based project are expected to use their scholarly knowledge and analytical skills to examine problems facing Asian and Pacific Islander American populations, think creatively and innovatively about evidence-based solutions, and to produce reports that benefit community stakeholders. Those who select to design and complete an independent scholarly or creative expression project pursue a key idea or theme of personal interest that is related to their prior coursework and to the experiences and realities of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. Through their capstone work, all students are expected to demonstrate their skills in using and synthesizing knowledge gained in disparate courses and communicating effectively their findings and conclusions in a final paper, report, or project and in a public forum.