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Global Asia Program | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Simon Fraser University Calendar | Spring 2025

Global Asia Minor

This minor program offers an interdisciplinary study of Asia, focusing on the region's historical, political, economic, and cultural interconnections with other parts of the world.

Program Requirements

This minor program may be completed in conjunction with any major or honours bachelor’s degree, or within the bachelor of arts degree program that requires two minors.

Total Units: at least 30

Lower Division Requirements

Students must complete at least 15 units, including

GA 101 - Introduction to Global Asia (3)

and two language courses from*

CHIN 100 - Mandarin Chinese I (3)
CHIN 110 - Mandarin Chinese II (3)
CHIN 200 - Mandarin Chinese III (3)
JAPN 100 - Japanese I (3)
JAPN 110 - Japanese II (3)
JAPN 200 - Japanese III (3)
PUNJ 100 - Introductory Punjabi I (3)
PUNJ 110 - Introductory Punjabi II (3)

and one of

GA 210 - How Asia Became Global: Empire, Migration, and Globalization in the Making of Modern Asia (3) **
GA 211 - Asian Migrations Across the Globe (3) **

and one of

GA 202 - Studies in Global Asia (3)
GA 210 - How Asia Became Global: Empire, Migration, and Globalization in the Making of Modern Asia (3) **
GA 211 - Asian Migrations Across the Globe (3) **
GSWS 212 - Gender and Sexualities in Asia (3)
HIST 206 - Imperial Japan (ca. 1868-1952) (3)
HIST 243 - A Brief History of Modern India - from British Colony to Independent Republic (3)
HIST 252 - Islamic India (3)
HIST 254 - China to 1800 (3)
HIST 255 - China since 1800 (3)
HUM 203 - Great Texts: Asian Thought and Literature (3)
IS 210 - Comparative World Politics: Trajectories, Regimes, Challenges (3) ***
IS 220 - Wealth and Poverty of Nations (3) ***
IS 230 - Beyond the Nation-State: Identity and Belonging in a Globalized World (3) ***
SA 275 - China in Transition (SA) (4)
WL 201 - East/West Encounters (3)

Students who are fluent in any of the above languages, who possess fluency in a language not offered at SFU, or who wish to fulfil the language requirement by taking language courses elsewhere should get in touch with the program director to discuss alternatives.

* We recommend that students take language and non-language courses concurrently.

** Students who complete both GA 210 and GA 211 may count one as an elective.

*** Students must consult their program advisor/Departmental Undergraduate Chair to ensure that content is appropriate.

Upper Division Requirements

At least seven upper division units used toward satisfying the upper division requirement must be completed at Simon Fraser University.

Students complete a total of at least 15 units and may complete other courses with variable appropriate content that do not appear below.

Global Asia

GA 301 - Asian Canadian Culture and Activism Across Borders (3)
GA 302 - Selected Topics in Global Chinese Studies (3)
GA 303 - Selected Topics in Global Japanese Studies (3)
GA 388 - Topics in Queer Global Asias (4)
GA 400 - Selected Topics in Global Asia (3)

Other

BUS 431 - Business with East Asian Countries (3)
CMNS 443 - Comparative Asian Media Systems (4)
CMNS 445 - Media and Popular Culture in China (4)
ENGL 361 - Diaspora Literatures in English (4) *
GSWS 312 - Gendering Borders and Belonging in Migration (4) *
HIST 358 - Development, Aid and Difference in Historical Perspective (4) *
HIST 366 - Social and Cultural History of Modern China (4)
HIST 367 - History of the People's Republic of China (4)
HIST 368W - Selected Topics in the History of the Wider World (4) *
HIST 371 - The Asia-Pacific War in Modern Japanese History (4)
HIST 425W - Gender and History (4) *
HIST 447W - The Nikkei Experience in North America (4)
HIST 464 - Problems in Modern Asian History (4)
HIST 471W - Women in Japanese History (1600-1952) (4)
HIST 479W - Contentious Problems in Modern Chinese History (4)
HUM 331 - Asian Religious Traditions (4)
HUM 382 - Selected Topics in Asian Art and Cultures (4)
IS 303 - Ethnic Minorities, Identity Politics, and Conflict in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 313W - Nationalism, Democracy and Development in Modern India (4)
IS 314 - National, Regional, and International Politics in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 333 - Chinese Development and Its Discontents (4)
IS 365 - Surveillance Capitalism in Global Context (4)
IS 373 - Global Environmental Politics (4)
IS 414 - Current Regional Issues in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 465 - China in the World: Chinese International Development and Politics (4)
POL 339 - Selected Topics in Comparative Government and Politics (4) *
POL 342 - Developing Countries in Global Politics (4) *
POL 381 - Japanese Politics (4)
POL 446W - International Relations in East Asia (4)
SA 345 - Race, Immigration and the Canadian State (S) (4)
SA 388 - Indigenous Social Movements Across the Globe (A) (4)
WL 304 - Exile and Migration (4)
WL 306 - Transnational Literary Rebellions (4) *

* Students must consult their program advisor/Departmental Undergraduate Chair to ensure that content is appropriate.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Degree Requirements

For all bachelor of arts (BA) programs, students complete 120 units, which includes

  • at least 60 units that must be completed at Simon Fraser University
  • at least 45 upper division units, of which at least 30 upper division units must be completed at Simon Fraser University
  • at least 60 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
  • satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
  • an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division overall CGPA of at least 2.0, and program CGPA and upper division program CGPA of at least 2.0 on the course work used to satisfy the minimum program requirements. FASS departments may define additional GPA requirements for their respective programs.

For students in other faculties, please check your faculty's overall degree requirements: https://www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/faculties-research.html

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to Simon Fraser University beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit

Requirement

Units

Notes
W - Writing

6

Must include at least one upper division course, taken at Simon Fraser University within the student's major subject; two courses (minimum three units each)

Q - Quantitative

6

Q courses may be lower or upper division; two courses (total six units or more)
B - Breadth

18

Designated Breadth

Must be outside the student's major subject, and may be lower or upper division:

Two courses (total six units or more) Social Sciences: B-Soc
Two courses (total six units or more) Humanities: B-Hum
Two courses (total six units or more) Sciences: B-Sci

6

Additional Breadth

Two courses (total six units or more) outside the student's major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements).

Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.