Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2008

Single degrees

Bachelor of Asian Studies (ABAS) – Melbourne (Bundoora)

This is a three-year degree for students who wish to specialise in Asian languages and Asian studies. The degree can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis. An honours program is also available. The pass degree requires completion of 360 credit points and, if taken full-time, is designed to be completed in three years, with students completing 120 credit points at each year level. It has been especially designed to allow students who are commencing study of an Asian language or continuing from VCE level to achieve relatively high proficiency within the space of a three-year degree. This degree also enables students to design a course drawing upon other degree programs including the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality and Bachelor of Laws. The core languages available are Chinese, Indonesian, and Japanese. In their second and third years, students draw Electives from the list of Asian studies Electives.

Students may not take Chinese dialect speakers units as core language in the Bachelor of Asian Studies.

First year (120 credit points)

In their first year, students study:

  • three core units AST1BCE, AST1IJI, and AST1ICI
  • 30 credit points of the core Asian language units
  • 15 credit points chosen from the Asian studies Elective list below, and
  • 30 credit points of Electives from anywhere in the faculty.
Teaching period
TE-SEM-1 Core Language AST1BCE AST1IJI Elective
TE-SEM-2 Core Language Asian Studies Elective AST1ICI Elective
Core Asian language units (30 credit points)

Chinese Stream: First year Chinese language units (see entry for Chinese).

Indonesian Stream: First year Indonesian language units (see entry for Indonesian).

Japanese Stream: First year Japanese language units (see entry for Japanese).

Core Asian studies units (45 credit points)
Teaching period Unit name Unit code
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Asia: Japan and Indonesia AST1IJI
TE-SEM-1 Introduction to Asian Culture and Traditions AST1BCE
TE-SEM-2 Introduction to Asia: China and India AST1ICI
Asian studies Electives (First year) (15 credit points)

Select at least one Elective drawn from the following list or an additional Asian language (Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, or Sanskrit).

Teaching period Unit name Unit code
TE-SEM-1 Culture and Globalisation: introduction to anthropology ANT1CAG
TE-SEM-1 Long-term Economic Change ECO1LEC
TE-SEM-1 States, Nations and Security POL1SNS
TE-SEM-1 The Nature of Language and Communication A LIN1NLA
TE-SEM-2 Economy, Environment and Human Rights POL1EEH
TE-SEM-2 Our Global Village: introduction to anthropology ANT1FET
TE-SEM-2 Globalisation: the Rise of the Modern World HIS1DEV
TE-SEM-2 The Nature of Language and Communication B LIN1NLB

Second year (120 credit points)

  • 60 credit points of the core Asian language units
  • 20 credit points chosen from the Asian studies Elective list below, and
  • 40 credit points of Electives from anywhere in the faculty.
Teaching period
TE-SEM-1 Core Language Core Language Elective
TE-SEM-2 Core Language Asian Studies Elective Elective
Core Asian language units (60 credit points)

Chinese Stream: Second year Chinese language units (see entry for Chinese).

Indonesian Stream: Second year Indonesian language units (see entry for Indonesian).

Japanese Stream: Second year Japanese language units (see entry for Japanese).

Third year (120 credit points)

  • 60 or 80 credit points of the core Asian language units
  • 20 credit points chosen from the Asian studies Elective list below, and
  • 20 or 40 credit points of Electives from anywhere in the faculty.
Teaching period Requirements
TE-SEM-1 Core language Core language Asian Studies Elective
TE-SEM-2 Core language Core language or Elective Elective
Core Asian language units (60 credit points)

Chinese Stream: Third year Chinese language units (see entry for Chinese).

Indonesian Stream: Third year Indonesian language units (see entry for Indonesian).

Japanese Stream: Third year Japanese language units (see entry for Japanese).

Asian studies Electives (Second and Third year)
Students should check individual discipline listings for availability of the following units.
Unit name Unit code
Animated Film CST2ANF/CST3ANF
Applied Anthropology ANT2APA/ANT3APA
Archaeology of East Asia ARC2AEA/ARC3AEA
Australia, Asia and the World POL2AAW/POL3AAW
Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition LIN2BSA/LIN3BSA
Cities and People SOC2CAP/SOC3CAP
Contemporary Film CST2CFI/CST3CFI
Cross-cultural Communication LIN2CCC/LIN3CCC
Culture, Race and Difference ANT2CRD/ANT3CRD
Development, Globalisation and Culture ANT2DGC/ANT3DGC
Economic Growth and Development ECO2EGD
Emergence of Chinese Civilisation ARC2ECC/ARC3ECC
Goddesses, Sexuality and Liberation: India and Beyond AST2GSL/AST3GSL
India in English ENG2IIE/ENG3IIE
Intercultural Performance DRA2IPF/DRA3IPF
International Relations: the Cold War and the great power POL2INR/POL3INR
Introduction to Buddhism AST2INB/AST3INB
Introduction to Hinduism AST2INH/AST3INH
Language in Asia LIN2LIA/LIN3LIA
Love and Eroticism in Asian Literature AST2LEA/AST3LEA
Popular Asian Cinema AST2PAC/AST3PAC
Postcolonial Perspectives ANT2PCP/ANT3PCP
Second Asian language
Society and State in Japan and China AST2EAS/AST3EAS
South-East Asian Politics: change and conflict POL2SEA/POL3SEA

Honours degree

The Bachelor of Asian Studies honours year comprises coursework (50%) and the writing of a thesis (50%). The coursework component will reflect the student’s previous training:

  • (a) one unit in the appropriate language (Chinese, Indonesian, or Japanese)
  • (b) one unit in the discipline area previously selected by the student, and
  • (c) one methodology unit relating to Asian studies.

Students will also complete a thesis in English of 12000 to 15000 words on a topic related to Asian language, society, or culture. With permission, students may alternatively submit a substantial research essay in English, plus an annotated translation of an approved text in a relevant language, to a combined total of 12000 to 15000 words.

In all cases, students wishing to enrol in the Bachelor of Asian Studies honours year should apply to the Program Convener by October of the third year of their course.

Back to top