Frequently Asked Questions

A: Simply put, the East Asian Studies major (EASBA) is an interdisciplinary area studies major. the East Asian Languages and Cultures major (EALCBA) is a language-intensive major. Students wishing to study the culture, politics, linguistics, history, and society of East Asia as a region (China, Japan, and Korea) would be advised to declare the EAS major. Students with an interest in mastering one of the East Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean), while also exploring the culture of the chosen linguistic area would be advised to choose the EALC major. Upon declaration of the EALC major, students will need to choose either the Chinese, Japanese, or Korean subplan. Keep in mind that any student who tests into Chinese, Japanese, or Korean at the 4th-year level will not be admitted to the EALC major in that area, but will instead be encouraged to opt for the EASBA.

A: The Declaration of Major/Minor form is accessible in OPUS under the Course Planning and Enrollment Tile. You will need to select one of the three subplans: Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, depending on which area you wish to focus in.

A: Yes. Students who declared their Chinese or Japanese major by the last day of the Spring 2023 semester will be able to complete their studies under those plans. See the Course Catalog for requirements.

A: All students wishing to enroll in language classes in the Department of REALC will be required to complete a language placement exam to determine their appropriate course level. See the language placement page here.

A: If you are a senior planning to graduate during the spring semester, you will need to make an appointment to meet with your major/minor advisor during the preceding fall semester. Bring a copy of your Degree Tracker Advisement Report with you to the meeting. Your advisor will help you to identify any missing classes that you will need to take in the spring and will be able to adjust any incorrect information that may appear on the report. Please be aware that your REALC advisor will only be able to advise you on your REALC major or minor. General GER questions will need to be addressed by the OUE advisement staff.

A: Due to the flexible nature of our majors and minors, the Degree Tracker sometimes has difficulty matching electives or summer classes with the correct requirement areas. If, during your senior year, you still notice requirements that you believe you have satisfied but have not been marked as complete, please let your major/minor advisor know. Be sure to specify which requirements have not been satisfied, and note which class(es) you believe should be counted. Please accompany your message with a PDF of your Advisement Report.

A: Your major/minor advisor will be able to make that determination. Please supply a syllabus for the class in question.