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See Courses & Program Info
View a complete list of program courses, program-specific and degree-level requirements, and more.
This program requires a total of 120 credits.
- 30 Required Major Credits: Review the required major courses outlined below or view the recommended course sequence to progress through this program.
- 41 General Education Credits: Review the options available to fulfill the 41 credits of general education coursework requirements for bachelor's degrees.
- 49 Minor & Elective Credits: Review a list of available academic minors or see the course catalog or Schedule of Classes to help you select elective courses.
Required Major Courses
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Not ready to get started on a bachelor’s degree? You can pair a 15-credit minor in East Asian Studies with another major at UMGC.
Develop Career-Ready Skills in East Asian Studies
Build a valuable base of knowledge and develop practical skills in the online East Asian Studies bachelor’s degree program. This program is designed to help graduates build skills in critical thinking, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, and understanding cultural diversity and global perspectives.
Our program directors refresh and update the curriculum regularly, with a focus on helping students achieve the following:
42%
Degree Requirement
About 42 percent of all new jobs in the United States will require at least a bachelor’s degree.
Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce | After Everything: Protections of Jobs, Education, and Training Requirements through 2031 | 2023
7K+
Job Openings
Approximately 7,500 openings for interpreters and translators are projected each year, on average, over the next decade.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | “Occupational Outlook Handbook” | Last Reviewed: September 9, 2024
88K+
Job Openings
Approximately 88,500 openings for market research analysts are projected each year, on average, over the next decade.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | “Occupational Outlook Handbook” | Last Reviewed: September 9, 2024
$5T+
Lifetime Earnings
Between 2010 and 2020, those who earned a bachelor’s degree attained additional net lifetime earnings of $5.9 trillion.
Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce | "Learning and Earning by Degrees" | 2024
Practice Real-World Skills in Your East Asian Studies Courses
Throughout your curriculum, your instructors will assign coursework that will help you prioritize real-world skills and experience. In past courses, students have been able to complete the following course projects:
- Create a website for a language learning portfolio that can show what tasks they can perform using the target East Asian language and reflect on their learning progress. Students are encouraged to share the portfolio with prospective employers to demonstrate their language skills.
- Write a recommendation paper to provide advice and options for a decision-maker about how to deal with an East Asian country's political, social, diplomatic, or economic initiative. Sections of the paper include recommendations, key factors, options, potential obstacles. and potential opportunities.
- Propose a plan for a program or one-time activity linking East Asia to people outside the region.
- Create a PowerPoint/video presentation in an East Asian language (including audio recording, images, and texts/captions) that can demonstrate their linguistic and cultural skills learned in the class.
FAQs
Get answers to questions that current and prospective students are asking about program admission, credibility, cost, and more.
An online bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies is a college degree that students can earn online that can help them hone their communication skills and cultural knowledge. In the online bachelor's program in East Asian studies at UMGC, you’ll examine East Asia's rich past and continuing contributions to the world. Our 120-credit program provides an overview of the history, economics, politics, culture, and languages of the region. The curriculum, designed with input from employers, industry experts, and scholars, combines theories with practical skills that will be valuable if you live or work in East Asia, know East Asian languages, or regularly interact or work with people from East Asian countries.
Throughout the curriculum, you'll have the opportunity to take focused coursework in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language, literature, and culture.
UMGC's online bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies is a 120-credit program with courses offered year-round. The time it will take you to complete your degree will depend on several factors, including your goals, how many transfer credits you have, your course load each semester, and whether you are able to benefit from one or more of our fast paths to credit, including credit for prior learning and credit for military education and training.
Tuition rates for the online bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies from UMGC are very competitive and appear at the top of this page. We offer a low in-state rate for Maryland residents and a reduced tuition rate for military service members and their spouses and dependent children. We also offer scholarships for those who qualify, an interest-free monthly payment plan, and no-cost digital materials in place of most textbooks to help make online bachelor's degrees even more affordable.
You do not need any background or experience to apply for and graduate with an online bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies As long as you meet our undergraduate admission requirements, you can enroll in this program.
You do not need any prior certifications to enroll in or complete this program.