Asian American Studies Minor
The Asian American Studies Program offers a 15-credit minor program for students who wish to develop a specialization in Asian American Studies alongside their degree pursuits.
Through an interdisciplinary approach, students examine the histories, communities, and cultures of Asian Americans as both distinctive from and connected to the broader themes of diversity, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, and migration in the Americas. AAST minors have the opportunity to develop and build upon a meaningful community of peers and mentors in the field, while engaging in critical dialogue around current issues facing Asian Americans.
Students receive experiential learning opportunities through internships and research courses, and are encouraged to apply their learning in their respective leadership roles. Our students pursue various career paths, and are each prepared with the knowledge to navigate and lead in a diverse environment.
Minor Enrollment/Inquiry Form
Minor Requirements
Requirement 1:
Lower Division Foundational Courses
3 credits
AAST200 Introduction to Asian American Studies or AAST201 Asian American History.
Requirement 2:
Elective Courses
9 credits
Two (2) AAST electives and one (1) Comparative Marginalizations or Global/Transnational/International course (CM/GTI). See list of approved CM/GTI elective courses. Of these three (3) elective courses, at least two (2) must be upper-division (300- or 400-level).
Requirement 3:
Upper Division Courses
3 credits
400-level AAST course or AAST499 Advanced Colloquium in Asian American Studies (offered in Spring).
Notes:
Other courses not on the approved CM/GTI elective courses list may be approved by the AAST Director, upon request.
If taking a 200-level elective, the remaining 2 electives must be at the 300- or 400-level.
Up to one language class may count as a CM/GTI course (i.e. 300-Level Asian Language course).
To view a list of our course offerings, please visit Testudo.
Policy on Minors
No more than six credits (or two courses) may be applied to satisfy both the requirements of a minor and a major program*. No course may be used to satisfy the requirements of more than one minor. All courses taken for a minor must be completed with a minimum grade of C- or better.
*Computer Science Majors: CMSC Upper Level Concentration (ULC) is an exception to this University Policy. Computer Science students completing the AAST minor can use up to 12 credits of courses to fulfill the ULC, and it is not considered overlap.
Students should understand that if they attempt to enroll in more than one minor, irresolvable scheduling conflicts may occur. Should a scheduling conflict arise that makes it impossible for a student to enroll in a required minor course, the minor program is under no obligation to offer an alternative course or exception since a minor is not a degree requirement.
When submitting an application for graduation, a student must include the minor(s) in the diploma application. If a student decides not to complete a minor, the student must contact the minor advisor to have the minor dropped. The completion of a minor is posted on the student's official transcript only if and when the student completes all requirements for the bachelor's degree.
UMD Academic Policies and Procedures- Degree Information, Minors