East Asian Studies is a multidisciplinary department teaching and creating new knowledge about that part of the world geographically located in East Asia, embracing the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, and whose society is based on the Confucian tradition.

Its mission is to provide rigorous and varied exposure to East Asia through the teaching of three languages - Chinese, Japanese, and Korean - and substantive courses on these cultures, both individually and in comparative contexts. East Asian Studies is committed to the study of Chinese, Japanese and Korean as the essential foundation of expertise on these cultures. Courses on cultural issues draw upon many disciplines, particularly the humanities and social sciences.

Students of East Asian Studies are not only concentrators, but also students who see their fields increasingly concerned with Asia, and believe their opportunities lay there. East Asian Studies is a key component in the partnering of international studies with individual cultures.