Undergraduates

The undergraduate community served by DEALL is large and diverse. Students can major or minor in Chinese or Japanese and may choose to take courses in Korean language and culture. At any given quarter, approximately fifty enrolled undergraduates major in Japanese and about thirty major in Chinese. Students who enter the program are highly motivated. Their average GPA is 3.2 and 20% are honors students. The proportion of male to female students is roughly one to one. This indicates a positive change as more women are entering the traditionally male-dominated field of East Asian studies. Many of our students are dual or double majors, with the other major typically being Business or International Studies.

The excellence of DEALL's undergraduate programs shows up in the success of its students. One recently received first prize in the Regional Japanese Speech Contest in Chicago and second prize in the National in Washington, D.C. Several have received Fulbright and Mombusho scholarships to conduct research in Asia. One undergraduate, Daniel Katz, founder of the Rainforest Alliance, was recipient of a 1996 OSU Alumni Award. In the past several years, undergraduate majors have gone on to distinguished careers both here and abroad. Some have found employment in a variety of companies and agencies, including: the Washington law firm of Baker and McKenzie (Beijing and Hong Kong), General Electric, Honda, and Nissan. Others have gone on to graduate programs, either continuing their education at The Ohio State University, or at institutions such as MIT, Princeton, Yale, and the University of Sydney.

Students interested in a major or minor in our Department should consult with our Undergraduate Director, Naomi Fukumori. General questions concerning our Undergraduate Programs may also be directed to DEALL Office Assistant, Soyoung Han. For information on financial aid, the work-study program, and government loans, visit the Office of Financial Aid. The East Asian Studies Center offers scholarships to undergraduates studying East Asian languages. For more information on these and a list of external funding opportunities, visit easc.osu.edu. For more information on NSEP funding, visit the OSU Chinese Flagship Program.