Businesses, governments, international organizations, NGOs, and universities all need people with deep contextual knowledge about Asia. Founded in the humanities and the humanistic social sciences, the Asian Studies major is an interdisciplinary program dedicated to the study of the histories, literatures, cultures, and societies of Asia. For some students, the Asian Studies major will provide the intellectual foundations necessary for graduate study. For others, it will serve as a springboard to professional careers boosted by cosmopolitan perspectives on intellectual, literary, and political endeavors, of the past and present. For all students, this major will provide opportunities for deep critical inquiry into political, cultural, and social issues that are of vital importance to Asia and the world.