The department offers instruction in the languages, literatures, religions, and cultures of China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, including courses in traditional and modern Chinese and Japanese literature; Chinese, Japanese, and Korean civilization; Chinese philosophy; courses in the literatures and cultures of South and Southeast Asia; and a sequence of courses on Buddhism in China, India, Japan, Korea, and Tibet.

The department’s core courses in the modern languages of East, South, and Southeast Asia are designed to develop proficiency in the basic skills of speaking, aural comprehension, reading, and writing. To speed a student’s progress toward a working knowledge of language, intensive work in Chinese and Japanese are usually offered during the summer (www.lsa.umich.edu/sli)

Waitlist Policy

Students are strongly encouraged to use the waitlist for any closed course. Students should register on the waitlist according to their preferred section. Overrides will be issued automatically, in waitlist order, up to the first day of class, as space becomes available. Students are notified by email if receiving an override; the seat may go to an alternate student on the waitlist if the override is allowed to expire. Unused overrides will result in the student being removed from the waitlist completely. Overrides are not issued automatically after the first day of class for ASIANLAN courses. For ASIAN courses, overrides are issued automatically until the end of the first full week of classes. Ultimately, students are encouraged to contact the instructor to obtain an override after the start of the term.

ASIAN Course Numbering

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures does not have any courses at the 100-level. Our 200-level courses are introductory and designed for students with no background in Asian studies. At the 300-level, our courses are designed for students with some background in Asian studies, such as one or two previous courses. At the 400-level, topics are more in-depth and study a specific concept. A solid background in Asian studies is expected. Courses at the 500-level and above are primarily meant for graduate students, though high level undergraduate students with a very strong background in Asian studies are eligible to enroll as well.

Placement and Proficiency Tests

Language exams are for University of Michigan students who are planning on furthering their language study or want to test out of a language requirement. No preparation is necessary for the placement test – it is intended to be a tool to place you in the course most appropriate for your level. For more information on language exams, please see the department website: https://lsa.umich.edu/asian/language-and-academic-programs/placement-and-proficiency-tests.html