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440 Herter Hall Box 39312 | Asian Languages and Literaturesa unit of the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at UMass Amherst Asian Languages and Literatures became part of the established curriculum at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1969 with the founding of degree progams in Chinese and Japanese by the late Professor William E. Naff. After more than three decades of growth we still take very seriously our founding mission--to share knowledge and understanding of the rich cultures of Asia with the students of this land-grant university as an essential part of their preparation to participate in a global society. Founded as Massachusetts Agricultural College in 1863, when the U.S. was just becoming aware of the importance of East Asia in the modern world, UMass Amherst is the only public institution of higher education in New England to offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Chinese and Japanese. Because of this we attract students from the entire Northeast region; the Regional Student Program makes our programs particularly good value for New England students from outside of Massachusetts. Students and faculty also benefit from the excellent library that UMass Amherst offers--visit our East Asian Collection online to see for yourself. Finally, the University's membership in the Five College Consortium leads to further opportunities in the Amherst area for learning about Asia, many coordinated through the Center for East Asian Studies. Our major programs offer students a sound command of the languages as well as a solid background in literature, linguistics, culture, and civilization. Our minor programs offer a combination of skills which can greatly enrich the undergraduate experience and increase postgraduate possibilities. Our study-abroad programs are aimed at increasing students' fluency in Chinese and Japanese as well as deepening their understanding of those cultures. Students attaining the Bachelor of Arts degree have gone on to graduate school, to positions in various businesses (banking, marketing, exporting, investing) in the United States and in Asia, to teaching in Japan and Taiwan, to careers in journalism, diplomacy, government agencies, library science, museums, writing and more. Our graduate programs are still relatively young. Students attaining the Master of Arts degree to date have gone on to Ph.D. programs (including University of California, Columbia, Princeton, Harvard) or to law school; others work for investment firms, cross-cultural programs, or in teaching. Two of our current faculty members, one each in Chinese and Japanese, are graduates of our M.A. program.
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