Frequently Asked Questions
The Asian American Studies Program and Resource Center at the University of Maryland is a top ethnic studies program in the eastern United States focusing on the histories, identities, and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Each year, about 750 students take courses in Asian American Studies. Asian Americans are the largest ethnic minority group at the University of Maryland, comprising more than 20 percent of the campus population. We are building a program as diverse as our community through new courses that seek to better understand Asian Americans in a transnational and comparative racial and ethnic context.
Some of our most popular courses include AAST351 (Asian Americans and Media), AAST355 (Asian Americans in Film), AAST394 (Growing Up Asian American: The Asian Immigrant Family and the Second Generation), and AAST440 (South Asian American Literature & Culture). We also offer opportunities for student to participate in internships for course credit. The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is home to many national Asian American organizations and an internship with one of these organizations represents a truly unique opportunity to learn about issues facing and advocacy for Asian Americans in the United States.
Yes! AAST offers a range of courses that fulfill university General Education requirements. For Phones, Flip Screen Horizontally to view full table.
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Distributive |
Distributive Studies: |
Distributive |
Diversity: |
Diversity: |
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| AAST200- Introduction to Asian American Studies |
X |
x | |||
| AAST201- Asian American History |
X |
x | |||
| AAST222- Immigration and Ethnicity |
X |
x | |||
| AAST233- Introduction to Asian American Literature |
X |
x | |||
| AAST310- Introduction to Comparative Ethnic and Racial Studies | x | x | |||
| AAST350- South Asian American Experiences |
X |
x | |||
| AAST351- Asian Americans and Media | x | x | |||
| AAST355- Asian American in Film | x | x | |||
| AAST363- Filipino American History and Biography | x | x | |||
| AAST394- Growing Up Asian American: The Asian Immigrant Family and the Second Generation | x | ||||
| AAST421- Asian American Public Policy | x | ||||
| AAST440- South Asian American Literature & Culture | x | x | |||
| AAST443- Asian American Politics | x | x |
More courses will be approved for General Education over time, so be sure to check Testudo for the latest offerings.
The vast majority of AAST courses do not require prior coursework, but a few cross-listed courses do require pre-requisites or permission from the AAST instructor. Please contact our office at 301.405.0996 or aast-advising@umd.edu for more information.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly emails during the academic year. This will allow you to stay updated with internship opportunities and more! At the bottom of this page, you can enter your information to subscribe.
Asian American Studies minor requires a total of 15 credits, which has three main requirements. They include one of two foundational courses (AAST200 or AAST201), two AAST electives and one Comparative Marginalizations or Global/Transnational/International course (CM/GTI), and at least one 400-level AAST course. For more information on the minor program, go to the AAST Minor page.
To enroll in the Asian American Studies (AAST) minor, simply fill out the enrollment/inquiry form here and schedule an advising appointment.
You can subscribe to the AAST Weekly Newsletter to receive information bi-weekly about upcoming events, scholarships and internships, and volunteer opportunities in the Asian American community. At the bottom of our main page, you can sign up to subscribe. You can also follow us on our instagram @aastumd. Don't forget you can also stop by our office at 2117 Susquehanna Hall.