To help you fulfill the major in AAS education requirements, please refer to the Asian American Studies & Ethnic Studies Roadmap. Students must meet with their advisor prior to registering for courses. This roadmap is designed for general planning only. Roadmaps for more than five years plan may vary; please consult with your advisor and/or department.
For more information on the individual courses, please refer to the list below, which lists all AAS course offerings that fulfill the B.A.+M.A. in AAS education requirements. Each course includes applicable course prerequisites, description and attributes.
Courses Applicable to the BA Degree for the SF State Scholars Program
AA S 210 History of Asians in the United States (Units: 3) Comparative analysis of the experience of different Asian American groups and their place in the general history and development of American society. [Formerly AA S 200]
Course Attributes:
- U.S. History
- D2: Social Sciences: U.S. Hist
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
AA S 211 Contemporary Asian Americans (Units: 3) Examination of factors that define minority groups and their positions in contemporary U.S. society, using Asian Americans as a case study. [Formerly ETHS 220]
Course Attributes:
- D1: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 213 Asian Americans and American Ideals and Institutions (Units: 3) The Asian American experience in the U.S., focusing on basic governmental ideals and institutions. Impact of Asian Americans on legal-constitutional America and the countervailing impact of political-legal structures imposed on Asian Americans. [Formerly AA S 205]
Course Attributes:
- U.S. Govt CA State Local Govt
- D3: Social Sciences: US CA Gov
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 212 Asian Americans and Mass Media (Units: 3) Images and treatment of Asian Americans in mass media, especially motion pictures, television, advertising, popular literature and commercial art. American minorities in the entertainment industry. [Formerly AA S 518 and AA S 693]
Course Attributes:
- C1: Arts
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
AA S 216 Introduction to Asian American Literature (Units: 3)
Reading and analysis of Asian American literature. Appreciation of literature from a literary standpoint, with a focus on history, identity and representation. [Formerly AA S 206]
Course Attributes:
- C3: Humanities: Literature
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
AA S 218 Asian American Culture (Units: 3)
Ethnic values and cultures in America using Asian American arts, languages and literatures. How these works reflect and express the character of the Asian American experience and the forces that have shaped that experience. [Formerly ETHS 210]
Course Attributes:
- E1: Lifelong Learning Develop
- C2: Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
ETHS 300GW Writing in Ethnic Studies - GWAR (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Asian American Studies, American Indian Studies, Africana Studies and Latina/Latino Studies majors; GE Area A2.
Foundations of writing in the disciplines of Ethnic Studies: Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies and Latina/Latino Studies. Draws on the behavioral and social sciences, the humanities and the creative arts to prepare students for advanced work in Ethnic Studies and careers requiring breadth and depth of knowledge. (ABC/NC grading only)
Course Attributes:
Graduation Writing Assessment
AA S 510 Asian Americans in California (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Asian American contributions to the building of the state from their first arrival in the 19th century to their role within California's multiracial racial formation and their growing influence on contemporary California. [Formerly AA S 300]
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Environmental Sustainability
- Social Justice
AA S 512 Asian American Children's/Adolescent Literature (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Literary works with Asian American themes that are written for youth (preschool to middle school). How Asian Americans are depicted from the 19th century to the present in this literature. [CSL may be available] [Formerly AA S 502]
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 514 Asian American Community Arts Workshop (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Interdisciplinary collaboration in a variety of Asian American creative art forms through community-based workshops. Classwork, 2 units; activity, 1 unit. [Formerly AA S 304]
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
AA S 516 Asian American Photographic Explorations (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Photography as a personal tool for the exploration, recording, understanding and expression of Asian American life. Classwork, 2 units; laboratory, 1 unit. [Formerly AA S 308]
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
AA S 540 South Asians in the United States (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
History of South Asian immigration to the U.S., and how South Asian Americans negotiate ethnic belonging and national citizenship. Topics include racialization, class divides, gender, inequalities, queer politics and youth culture. [Formerly AA S 340]
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
AA S 541 South Asian Diaspora (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Uses transnational and comparative frameworks to examine South Asian immigration to various countries; how colonialism, nationalism and the politics of race, gender, class and sexuality shape diasporic identities and communities. [CSL may be available] [Formerly ETHS 657]
(This course is offered as RRS 657 and AA S 541. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
AA S 570 Southeast Asians in the United States (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Comparative exploration of Southeast Asian America by examining the histories and experiences of Burmese, Cambodian, Filipina/o/x, Hmong, Indonesian, Lao, Mien, Hmong, Vietnamese and Thai Americans. [Formerly AA S 390]
Course Attributes:
- E1: Lifelong Learning Develop
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
AA S 581 Asian American Women (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Social, political and economic situation of Asian American women within the family, their communities and the larger society. [Formerly AA S 603]
Course Attributes:
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 582 Asian American Women's Literature and the Arts (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Works by Asian American women writers and artists; how Asian American women are depicted in literature and the arts. [Formerly AA S 622]
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 584 Asian American Sexualities (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Introduction to Asian American queer theory and sexuality studies. Examination of how sexuality impacts the lived experience of immigration, race, gender, class and generational difference among Asian Americans.
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
AA S 585 Asian American Religiosities (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Major issues particular to the predicaments of Asian Americans and their religions; interdisciplinary and anchored in critical Asian American Studies perspectives constructed within the context of the intersections of race and religion.
Course Attributes:
- E1: Lifelong Learning Develop
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
AA S 587 Asian Americans and Environmental Justice (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of the environmental racism issues faced by Asian Americans and how their communities have organized for justice.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Environmental Sustainability
- Social Justice
AA S 588 Asian American Media Workshop (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Film and media arts as self-expression, reflection of community and a tool for activism in the Asian American community. Classwork, 2 units; activity, 1 unit.
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
AA S 591 Asian American Community Health Issues (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Examination of community health concepts and needs specific to the Asian American communities; practical skills in community health issues and service. [Formerly AA S 575]
Course Attributes:
- E1: Lifelong Learning Develop
- UD-B: Physical Life Science
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 593 Asian Americans in Education (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Exploration of the historical and contemporary narratives and counter-narratives of Asian Americans in education, development of Asian American Studies, pedagogical issues and interventions that have shaped their identities and communities, and the duality of education as a tool for oppression and as a means toward liberation. (Plus-minus ABC/NC, CR/NC) [Formerly AA S 684]
AA S 595 Asian American Communities and Public Policy (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper division standing or consent of instructor.
Public policy issues, their impact on and the responses from the Asian American communities; relationship and complexities of local, state and federal policies facing the Asian American communities. [CSL may be available] [Formerly ETHS 665]
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 681 Asian American Community Changes and Development (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Upper division Asian American Studies majors and minors only; 6 units of AA S GE courses or consent of instructor.
Asian American community origins, changes, economics; trends in residential and community patterns; and effects of immigration and population growth. [CSL may be available] [Formerly AA S 680]
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Social Justice
AA S 696 Critical Approaches to Asian American Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to Asian American Studies majors; 24 upper-division units in AA S courses; or consent of the instructor.
Study of fundamental tools of critical thinking and theorization through the lens of Asian American Studies. Focus on reading, thinking and writing critically by exposing topics and theories of Asian and Ethnic Studies. (Plus-minus letter grade only)
AA S 697 Proseminar in Asian American Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Asian American Studies majors with 24 upper division units in AA S classes or consent of instructor.
Practical application of research methodology in Asian American Studies through critical examination, analysis and peer critique to develop a publishable product. [CSL may be available]
Please note, students must meet with their advisors for finalizing their course selections. For a full list of all AAS courses applicable to the BA degree, please visit Undergraduate BA Pathway [crosslink to Undergraduate BA Pathway].
Courses Applicable to the Graduate MA Degree for the SF State Scholars Program
Please note, students must meet with their advisors for finalizing their course selections. For a full list of all AAS courses applicable to the MA degree, please visit Graduate MA Pathway.
AA S 800 Theory and History in Asian American Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
Integration of historical review with contemporary theory relating to Asian Americans.
AFRS 705 Seminar in Africana Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
The historical and intellectual foundation of the Africana Studies discipline: critical knowledge base, cultural grounding and intellectual orientation. Major philosophical, cultural, political, economic and social developments and traditions found in African and African American society.
AIS 701 Seminar in American Indian Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
Issues in the study of American Indians: understanding of the Indian tribes and nations as sovereign political entities; political, economic and social developments of self-determination and its implications for Indian tribes.
ETHS 710 Theories and Issues in Ethnic Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate Ethnic Studies students and consent of the instructor.
Concepts and theories in ethnic studies. Identifies, analyzes and critically reviews American history and the experiences of people of color.
ETHS 720 Research Methods in Ethnic Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: A basic statistics course and consent of the instructor.
Research methods pertaining to African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos/Latinas and American Indians in Third World critical perspective: a research proposal, data collection analysis, interpretation and statistical summarization. Includes examples from the Third World experience.
ETHS 750 Ethnic Studies Community Practicum (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
Philosophies, strategies and methods in community studies. Evaluation of alternatives in terms of issues facing Third World communities. Internship in a community-based agency or organization. Seminar, 2 units; activity, 1 unit.
ETHS 885 Graduate Projects in the Teaching of Ethnic Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Restricted to graduate Ethnic Studies students and consent of the instructor.
Academic service-learning practicum/internship experience as an undergraduate instructional aide. Participation in the teaching of a regular instructionally related class.
ETHS 895 Field Study (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor and graduate major advisor; approval of Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Culminating Experience (CE) forms by Graduate Studies prior to registration.
(CR/NC, RP grading only)
ETHS 898 Master's Thesis (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and approval of graduate major adviser. ATC and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration.
(CR/NC grading only)
LTNS 707 Seminar in Latina/o Studies (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
Introduction to the scholarly literature in Latina/Latino Studies. While interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in scope, it is largely anchored in the social sciences and history.
Explore Gator Resources
To view the full course list, please visit B.A.+M.A. Degrees Scholars Program.
Planning Sheet Forms
Supervision Course Forms
To enroll in an AAS supervision course, a registration form is required. Please fill out and email completed forms to your instructor. Add codes will be released to you upon review/approval by your instructor. Be sure to use the add code to enroll in the class online before the add deadline.
AAS Major/Minor Declaration!
Download the Asian American Studies declaration form.
Meet with an advisor, please contact:
Jason Ferreira, Ph.D., cheo@sfsu.edu
Available advising centers
Ethnic Studies Advising Center
The Ethnic Studies Advising Center (ESAC) serves all Ethnic Studies majors/minors and all students taking courses within the College with their academic, professional and personal goals, from the time of admission to the time of graduation.
Advising Hub
The Advising Hub is a one-stop-shop of all advising needs to ensure students are on a successful path to graduation with support from General Education and minor advisors.
Undergraduate Advising Center
UAC is the home base for freshmen during their first year and undeclared students at SF State.
Undergraduate admissions counselors are available to provide guidance?
Visit the Admissions FAQ page for more information. Undergraduate admissions counselors are available to guide you through the admission process. If you still need help, please email ugadmit@sfsu.edu or call (415) 338-6486.
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