Restructured Program, September 2009
The Department of Pacific and Asian Studies is excited about this time of renewal as a single, unified, balanced program, and we look forward to working with our students to explore the fascinating past, present, and future of the Asian-Pacific region.
- Why do we need to restructure our program?
- How does the Restructured Program differ from the current program?
- How does it affect me as a student who are currently enrolled in Honours, Major, or General/Minor program in Pacific and Asian Studies?
- Newly-developed courses
- Course selection guide for currently enrolled students
Why do we need to restructure our program?
In September, 2009, the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies will introduce a redesigned program for Honours, Majors, and General/Minors. This redesign is the result of suggestions made during a Departmental Review in 2005, and something which we have been actively planning over the past four years. The restructured program structure will be fairer and more flexible for all of our students, clearer, and more logical. It will unify the current seven-stream structure into a single Major program, therefore simplifying the presently complex process of satisfying very diverse requirements.
One of the problems with the current program structure-and one about which students have expressed concern for years-is the fact that our courses have been listed in many different places throughout the Calendar. Courses related to China have been listed under 'CHIN', for example, while courses related to Japan have been under 'JAPA', courses related to Southeast Asia have been under 'SEA', and so on. In the redesigned program, all of our courses will be listed together under the new heading, 'PAAS', for 'Pacific and Asian Studies'.
TopHow does the Restructured Program differ from the current program?
The restructured Major program will contain an Asian-language component for all students, as well as a set of four core, required courses (100, 200, one of 300, 301, or 302, and 400). The remainder of the program's required units will be electives, which our students will be able to choose according to their own specific and varied interests.
Most of our current courses will maintain their existing content, but we'll be amalgamating some existing ones better to group their content thematically, and eliminating some courses in order to make room for many new, innovative ones which reflect our research interests, and the interests of our students.
How does it affect me as a student who is currently enrolled in Honours, Major, or General/Minor program in Pacific and Asian Studies?
New students will declare their Majors under the restructured program through Advising. Students currently enrolled in Honours, Major, or General/Minor programs in Pacific and Asian Studies will be able to choose to continue on with their particular streams, or to move over to the restructured program without losing any credit for courses they have already completed. In most cases this means their degree requirements will probably already have been met, and they'll be able to focus on expanding their knowledge in Pacific and Asian Studies according to their own interests.
In order to choose the restructured program, students will (through Advising) 'undeclare' their Major, and then re-declare with the restructured, more straightforward requirements. This is a procedure that can be done after a discussion with an advisor. Please consult the Advising Centre to decide whether to remain with your current program or switch over to the restructured program. They will be happy to assist you to choose the best program for you.
Newly-developed Courses
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Course selection guide for currently enrolled students
Course Number Conversion chart from the current course number
Course Number Conversion chart from the new course number