Foreign Area Studies (new major)

commando530

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Does anybody have any information on the new Foreign Area Studies major? It is on the USNA website now but it does not have its own link yet, likely because it is still very new and being worked on. All I have heard is that it will be like political science, you will be able to concentrate on a specific region, and that the c/o' 2024 and beyond will be able to take it. I assume it might also be similar to USAFA's FAS major. Any new information or corrections to my knowledge would be awesome as I think this sounds like a very interesting major.
 
Does anybody have any information on the new Foreign Area Studies major? It is on the USNA website now but it does not have its own link yet, likely because it is still very new and being worked on. All I have heard is that it will be like political science, you will be able to concentrate on a specific region, and that the c/o' 2024 and beyond will be able to take it. I assume it might also be similar to USAFA's FAS major. Any new information or corrections to my knowledge would be awesome as I think this sounds like a very interesting major.
What was old is new again.

There used to be a whole group of majors such as this. One of my roommates majored in one of these (Latin American Area Studies).
There were also Far Eastern Area Studies (Chinese), Soviet Area Studies and some others.
 
Information

Clementine Fujimura, Ph.D.
Professor & Lead Coordinator
Area Studies Program
Languages and Cultures Department
U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD 21402

Objective: The new Area Studies Major will support midshipmen

1) as they become leaders who value diversity and create an ethical command climate;
2) who are effective communicators in foreign languages;
3) who are knowledgeable about various regions of the world;
4) who are adaptable,understanding and appreciate global cross-cultural dynamics;
5) who are critical and creative thinkers.

Learning Outcomes of the major:

1) Demonstrate an understanding of the field of Area Studies, its interdisciplinary nature and application to a naval officer’s career.
2) Demonstrate knowledge of common quantitative and qualitative social scientific methods and how they are applied to Area Studies ( to include, for example, cluster analysis, item response theory, survey methodology and sampling, ethnographic methods, and interview and narrative analysis).
3) Demonstrate knowledge about current discussions of the value of knowledge of languages and cultures (including their belief and value systems, economies, geography, governments, histories, literatures and arts) as the bases of Area Studies.
4) Demonstrate an ability to independently and critically analyze relevant examples of Area Studies, with a special focus on empirical studies that deal with societal developments in selected regions of the world.
5) Communicate, via oral and written presentation, substantial knowledge on one area/region of the world utilizing methods learned in the major.

Regions of Study: Currently we are only offering Asia/Pacific and Middle East/Africa

AREA LANGUAGES

1. Africa* Arabic, French and Portuguese
2. Europe* French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish
3. Asia/Pacific Chinese, Japanese and Russian
4. Latin America* Spanish and Portuguese
5. Middle East/North Africa Arabic and French

Program Summary:

● Three disciplinary concentrations to choose from: Cultural, Historical, or Political
● Six Language Courses (plus one to earn a language minor)
● Area Studies Introductory Course
● Methods and Capstone courses in selected discipline
● Minimum of three regionally focused major electives
 
Information

Clementine Fujimura, Ph.D.
Professor & Lead Coordinator
Area Studies Program
Languages and Cultures Department
U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD 21402

Objective: The new Area Studies Major will support midshipmen

1) as they become leaders who value diversity and create an ethical command climate;
2) who are effective communicators in foreign languages;
3) who are knowledgeable about various regions of the world;
4) who are adaptable,understanding and appreciate global cross-cultural dynamics;
5) who are critical and creative thinkers.

Learning Outcomes of the major:

1) Demonstrate an understanding of the field of Area Studies, its interdisciplinary nature and application to a naval officer’s career.
2) Demonstrate knowledge of common quantitative and qualitative social scientific methods and how they are applied to Area Studies ( to include, for example, cluster analysis, item response theory, survey methodology and sampling, ethnographic methods, and interview and narrative analysis).
3) Demonstrate knowledge about current discussions of the value of knowledge of languages and cultures (including their belief and value systems, economies, geography, governments, histories, literatures and arts) as the bases of Area Studies.
4) Demonstrate an ability to independently and critically analyze relevant examples of Area Studies, with a special focus on empirical studies that deal with societal developments in selected regions of the world.
5) Communicate, via oral and written presentation, substantial knowledge on one area/region of the world utilizing methods learned in the major.

Regions of Study: Currently we are only offering Asia/Pacific and Middle East/Africa

AREA LANGUAGES

1. Africa* Arabic, French and Portuguese
2. Europe* French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish
3. Asia/Pacific Chinese, Japanese and Russian
4. Latin America* Spanish and Portuguese
5. Middle East/North Africa Arabic and French

Program Summary:

● Three disciplinary concentrations to choose from: Cultural, Historical, or Political
● Six Language Courses (plus one to earn a language minor)
● Area Studies Introductory Course
● Methods and Capstone courses in selected discipline
● Minimum of three regionally focused major electives
Wow, very helpful thank you so much for that!
 
Are the areas with an asterisk not offered? Or will they be apart of the new major and are not currently offered?
I think the plan is to introduce those Regions of Study but I don't know what will determine when that happens. I would assume they will also add Portuguese to the languages offered at USNA.
 
I think the plan is to introduce those Regions of Study but I don't know what will determine when that happens. I would assume they will also add Portuguese to the languages offered at USNA.
Thank you for all your help!
 
Interestingly about this new major: supposedly it’s a lottery this year for plebes who selected it, bc it was such a popular choice! They are supposed to find out their majors Friday 🙌
 
I think the plan is to introduce those Regions of Study but I don't know what will determine when that happens. I would assume they will also add Portuguese to the languages offered at USNA.
USNA has begun to offer Portuguese--currently a two-semester sequence limited to midshipmen who have already achieved at least intermediate-level competence in Spanish. The new Areas Studies major right now is limited to two regions: Middle East and Asia-Pacific, and limited to a specific quota of midshipmen (18, I think), for the next few years. The plan is to include the remaining areas (Africa, Latin America, Europe) in the future; part of what limits the major now is the number of faculty in the various departments (Poli Sci, History, Econ) who are experts in these respective regions.
 
For prospective MIDS considering the new Area Studies Major, please know that Dr. Fujimura -- the USNA lead on this new initiative has been a long-tenured USNA Professor -- and is widely considered one of the absolute best, brightest, most positive, supportive, connected and well-regarded professors on the yard.

If interested, here are two links worth checking out:


And even more interesting - here's a fantastic USNA Prebble Hall podcast she's on with one of her students who did his cultural anthropology class project on graffiti history & culture on the yard:


Was fortunate to taker her cultural anthropology class as an elective and it was valuable and rewarding.

Sharing for prospective MIDS because while the return of the Area Studies Major is "new," you can have 110% confidence that any and everything Dr. Fujimura is involved in, or leading, will be fantastic.
 
For prospective MIDS considering the new Area Studies Major, please know that Dr. Fujimura -- the USNA lead on this new initiative has been a long-tenured USNA Professor -- and is widely considered one of the absolute best, brightest, most positive, supportive, connected and well-regarded professors on the yard.

If interested, here are two links worth checking out:


And even more interesting - here's a fantastic USNA Prebble Hall podcast she's on with one of her students who did his cultural anthropology class project on graffiti history & culture on the yard:


Was fortunate to taker her cultural anthropology class as an elective and it was valuable and rewarding.

Sharing for prospective MIDS because while the return of the Area Studies Major is "new," you can have 110% confidence that any and everything Dr. Fujimura is involved in, or leading, will be fantastic.

Does anyone know if this major is still lottery based?
 
My favorite politician Ron Paul was marginalized for his promotion of this mindset and emphasis on empathy. Glad the times are catching up with him.
 
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