East Asian Studies Certificate (SLLC)

College of Arts and Humanities
2106C Jimenez Hall
Phone: 301-405-2855
mlzhou@umd.edu
http://ceas.umd.edu/#certificate/

Program Director: Minglang Zhou, Ph.D.

The Undergraduate Certificate in East Asian Studies is a 24-credit course of instruction designed to provide specialized knowledge of the cultures, histories, and contemporary concerns of the peoples of China, Japan, and Korea.  It will complement and enrich a student's major.  The curriculum focuses on language instruction, civilization courses, and electives in several departments and programs of the university.  It is designed specifically for students who wish to expand their knowledge of East Asia and demonstrate to prospective employers, the public, and graduate and professional schools a special competence and set of skills in East Asian affairs.

Upon satisfactory completion of the courses, with a grade of "C-" or better in each course, and recommendation by the Coordinator of the Certificate Program, a certificate will be awarded.  Beginning with Fall 2012, to be awarded a baccalaureate degree, students must have a minimum C (2.0) cumulative grade point average across all courses used to satisfy undergraduate certificate requirements. A notation of the award of the certificate will be included on the student's transcript. The student must have a bachelor's degree awarded by Maryland (must be College Park campus) previous to or simultaneously with an award of the certificate.

Core Values of the Program

• Vision: See the U.S. and East Asia as parts of one globalized world with cultural varieties.
• Knowledge: Acquire language skills, spatial and chronological thinking skills, and creative prowess through interdisciplinary study.
• Integrity: Adhere to the University’s Code of Academic Integrity and professional ethics.

The Certificate will equip students to develop successful careers through teaching excellence and study abroad programs.

Interested students should contact the Coordinator of the Certificate Program, Dr. Minglang Zhou, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, 2106C Jimenez Hall, mlzhou@umd.edu (website at http://ceas.umd.edu/#certificate/). 

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Students with language competence equivalent to these language courses are exempted from the language requirement; such students are required to complete an additional six hours of electives in East Asian courses to fulfill the 24-credit requirement for the certificate.

Additional Requirements

• An overall GPA of 2.0 in the certificate is required for graduation.
• Nine of the 12 hours of electives must be upper division (3xx-4xx level courses). 
• A maximum of three credit hours of special topics courses on East Asia will be allowed with the approval of the certificate coordinator. 
• No more than nine credits from any one department or from the student's major may be applied toward the certificate.
• No more than nine credits of the courses applied toward the certificate may be transferred from other institutions. 
• Students are asked to work with the coordinator in ensuring that the electives maintain an intercollegiate and interdisciplinary focus (at least three disciplines are recommended), as well as a regional distribution to reflect the countries of East Asia. Ideally, students will select electives that, taken together, include China, Japan, and Korea.