Asian Studies (Associate Degree)

Applications available

Fall 2026: Apply now!

Winter 2027: Apply now!

On Education Planner BC select the program "Asian Studies - Associate of Arts Degree".

Overview

Take the first step toward a career in international trade, consular or diplomatic services, immigration, tourism, journalism, finance, marketing, intercultural communication and more with this two-year Associate of Arts Degree in Asian Studies.

In this program, you will explore topics in religion, history, politics and culture, as well as take several language courses to develop an intermediate proficiency in either Chinese (Mandarin) or Japanese.

Asia is the fastest growing economic region globally, and Canada’s second largest trading partner. It’s also the most populous and diverse continent in the world. Asian Studies graduates offer employers valuable knowledge and insights into this rich region.

Get work experience – before you graduate

Students enrolled in this program may be eligible to apply for Co-operative Education work terms. After completing 18 credits of a diploma, degree or university transfer program, Co-op students alternate semesters of classroom studies with semesters of paid, full-time employment. To participate in Co-op you need to plan two semesters in advance, so we strongly recommend contacting the Co-op Office at the start of your program.

Transfer your credits to university

All Asian Studies courses and their credits are fully transferable to the main research universities in B.C., as well as many universities across Canada. They can also be applied to other Douglas College programs.

Get math-ready before taking your stats class

Refresh your mathematics skills before taking the required statistics course for your credential. Start with MATU 0500 Set for Stats. It’s tuition-free for domestic students, offered fully online and can be completed in just six weeks. You’ll learn through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, discussions and problem solving practice. No assessment is required. Applicants must have Foundations of Math 11 or Precalculus 11 with a C or better.

Program Requirements

Curriculum framework

Graduation Requirements

Successful completion of 60.00 University Transfer (UT) credits
Credits must satisfy the requirements of the Associate of Arts Degree framework (see Table 1), including a minimum of 18.00 Arts credits at the 2000-level or higher taken in two or more subject areas.
Credits must also satisfy the Thematic Emphasis framework for this credential (See Table 2).
A minimum of 50% (30.00 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
A minimum program GPA of 2.00 is required
Time limit to complete program graduation requirements: seven (7) years. Any courses completed outside of that time limit will not be usable. Students may seek permission from the Department/Program to complete a credential outside the approved time limits.

Additional Graduation Requirements with Cooperative Education Option

Successful completion of 9.00 additional credits through Cooperative Education (COOP 1100)
Students completing the Cooperative Education designation will graduate with 69.00 credits
50% (34.50 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College

Course Requirements

Table 1 - Associate of Arts Degree Framework (See Notes 1, 2, and 3)

Course Number	Course Description	Credits
First-year English	Three credits in ENGL at the 1000-level or higher.	3.00
First-year English	Three credits in English at the 1000-level or higher that transfer to one of the Research Universities as ENGL credit, which could include courses in CMNS, CRWR, and ENGL.	3.00
Science	Three credits in Mathematics, Computing Science, or Statistics at the 1000-level or higher, which could include courses in BUSN, CMPT, CSIS, GEOG, MATH, and PSYC.	3.00
	Three credits in a Laboratory Science at the 1000-level or higher, which could include courses in ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, EAES, GEOG, and PHYS	3.00
	Three credits in Science at the 1000-level or higher, which could include courses in ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, CMPT, CSIS, EAES, GEOG, MATH, PHYS, and SPSC	3.00
Arts (See Note 4)	Six credits in Social Sciences at the 1000-level or higher, which could include courses in ANTH, CRIM, GEOG, GSWS, INST, POLI, PSYC, SOCI, and SOSC	36.00
	Six credits in Humanities (other than English) at the 1000-level or higher, which could include courses in CMNS, CRWR, GSWS, HIST, HUMS, MODL, MUSC, PEFA, PHIL, STGE, and THEA.
	24 credits in Arts at the 1000-level or higher, which could include courses in ANTH, CMNS, CRWR, CRIM, ECON, GEOG, GLGC, GSWS, HIST, HUMS, INST, LING, MATH, MODL, MUSC, PEFA, PHIL, POLI, PSYC, SOCI, SOSC, STGE, and THEA.
Electives	Nine credits in Arts, Science, or other subject areas at the 1000-level or higher.	9.00
Total Credits		60.00

Table 2 - Thematic Emphasis: Asian Studies (See Note 1)

All 24.00 credits required for Thematic Emphasis may be used to satisfy requirements in the Associate of Arts Degree framework. See Note 2.

Course Number	Course Description	Credits
Choose four courses from the following eight options:
HIST 1155	Asian History: An Introduction	3.00
HUMS 1171	World Religions: Oriental	3.00
MODL 2273	Introduction to Japan: Language, Culture and Society	3.00
PHIL 1135	Asian Philosophy	3.00
HIST 2250 (See Note 5)	Modern China: An Introduction	3.00
GEOG 2281 (See Note 5)	Contemporary Geographies of Monsoon Asia	3.00
HIST 2251 (See Note 5)	Modern Japan: An Introduction	3.00
HIST 2252 (See Note 5)	Modern South Asia: An Introduction	3.00
Choose 12 credits Japanese or Chinese language courses with at least 6.00 credits at the 2000-level or higher (see note 5):
MODL 1171	Basic Japanese I	3.00
MODL 1172	Basic Japanese II	3.00
MODL 2271	Intermediate Japanese I	3.00
MODL 2272	Intermediate Japanese II	3.00
MODL 1191	Basic Chinese (Mandarin) I	3.00
MODL 1192	Basic Chinese (Mandarin) II	3.00
MODL 2291	Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin) I	3.00
MODL 2292	Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin) II	3.00

Cooperative Education Designation

Course Number	Course Description	Credits
COOP 1100 (see Note 6)	Cooperative Education	9.00
Total Credits with Cooperative Education Designation		69.00

Notes:

1. All courses must be University Transferable - a University Transferable course is a course that transfers to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC, or UVIC in the BC Transfer Guide.

2. While example course areas have been provided in Table 1, the definitions below clarify expectations for each category. As the course transfer information changes, it is important that students work with Advising Services and reference the BC Transfer Guide information regarding course transferability and the Associate of Arts. Doing so will: (a) ensure they meet the program requirements and (b) maximize the credits that transfer to their desired program at the receiving institutions.

First-year English – English can include courses in written Communications (CMNS), Creative Writing (CRWR), and English (ENGL) that transfer to one of the Research Universities as assigned or unassigned 100-level or higher English credits. A minimum of 3.00 credits must be from an English (ENGL) course.
Science: Mathematics, Statistics, or Computing Science – Mathematics, Statistics, or Computing Science can include 1000-level or higher courses that transfer to one of the Research Universities as assigned or unassigned credits in Mathematics, Statistics, Computing Science. Quantitative courses from other subject areas such as Business (e.g. BUSN 2429, BUSN 3431), Psychology (PSYC 2300), or Geography (GEOG 2251) might also satisfy this requirement.
Science: Laboratory Science – A laboratory science course is one in which a substantial component of student instruction involves the study of natural phenomena, either in the laboratory or in the field. At Douglas College, this includes designated courses within the subject codes: ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, EAES, GEOG, and PHYS.
Science - Science courses must be in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Science degree or Baccalaureate of Applied Science degree at one of the Research Universities. This can include most course subject areas offered by the Faculty of Science and Technology, as well as some CSIS and GEOG courses.
Arts - Arts courses must be in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate of Arts degree at one of the Research Universities. This can include most course subject areas offered by the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Performing Arts and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as ECON and some MATH courses.

Arts: Social Sciences - Courses in Social Sciences normally refer to those taken in disciplines such as Anthropology, Criminology, Economics, Human Geography (courses in Physical Geography are often classified as a Science), International Studies, Psychology, Social Sciences and Sociology). Courses in Gender, Sexualities, and Women’s Studies may be classified as either Social Science or Humanities.
Arts: Humanities - Courses in Humanities normally refer to those taken in disciplines such as History, Humanities, Modern Languages, Music, Performing & Fine Arts, Philosophy, Political Sciences, Stagecraft & Event Tech and Theatre. Courses in disciplines such as Women’s Studies may be classified as either Social Science or Humanities. For purposes of the Associate of Arts degree, English courses cannot be counted as Humanities courses.

Electives – An elective course is any UT course in a subject area for which there is a Baccalaureate Degree in Arts, Science, or Applied Science at one of the Research Universities. It can be a UT Arts course, a UT Science course, or a UT course in another area.

3. No course may be used to meet more than one of the specific requirements in the Associate of Arts Degree framework.

4. A second-year course is one that transfers to one of the Research Universities as assigned or unassigned credits at 200-level or higher.

5. Course may have prerequisites. Please check the Program and Course Catalogue.

6. Students in this program have the option to participate in Cooperative Education, COOP 1100. Each Co-Op work term is a minimum of 420 hours of work and must be taken through Douglas College’s Co-Op program. The timing of the work terms is restricted to the following:

Can be undertaken only after completion of a minimum of two semesters, 18.00 credits.
Cannot be taken in the last semester of the program.

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

September 2026 (Current)