Asian American Studies is an interdisciplinary field that critically examines social issues and axes of power through the experiences and lenses of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian experiences. Our Asian American Studies students have gone on to pursue careers in health care, engineering, law, education, labor and community organizing, non-profit, government, urban planning, museums, the arts, and more. You complete the major in 45 units (~15 courses, or two years), and the minor in 15 units (~5 courses, or one year).
Many of our courses fulfill general education requirements (including Area 3, Area 6, US123, and Upper Division Areas 2/5, 3, and 4). If you finish your GEs with us, you can pick up the minor with one or two additional classes!
A common path for the minor while maximizing the GEs is to do the following:
complete Area D and US123 with us (AAS 33A and AAS 33B)
complete Area 6 with us (AAS 001)
complete one or two of your upper division courses with us (AAS 163, AAS 175, or AAS 177)
complete any additional upper division elective in AAS!
Interested in the major/minor? Want to learn more? Ready to declare? Or just want to check in on your progress? Contact any one of our advisors for an advising appointment.
Dr. Joanne Rondilla
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Undergraduate Advisor
joanne.rondilla@sjsu.edu
Dr. Yvonne Kwan
Associate Professor, Undergraduate Advisor
yvonne.y.kwan@sjsu.edu
Dr. Trung PQ Nguyen
Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Advisor
trung.p.nguyen@sjsu.edu
Core Courses (15 units)
AAS 1*, 33B*, 184, 185, 100W
Major Electives (3o units)
Choose from courses* in AAS, AFAM, CCS, WGSS, Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences
*Satisfies GE Requirements
**Students with high unit majors can work directly with the AAS Program Coordinator to create a unique pathway to best accommodate their course of study
Core Courses (9 units)
AAS 1, 33B, 184 or 185
Minor Electives (6 units)
2 Other AAS classes, including AAS 33A*
*Satisfies GE Requirements
**Students with high unit majors can work directly with the AAS Program Coordinator to create a unique pathway to best accommodate their course of study
social justice
people power
labor
community organizing
teaching & education
resistance
radical perspectives
activism
untold stories & hidden histories
film, media & arts
cultural criticism
questioning norms
transforming society
imagining & enacting more just futures
challenging anti-Asian violence
immigration
transformative justice
healing work
and more!