Thai Studies

II Language II UM Courses that include Thailand II Special courses on the Thailand II Independent studies and thesis supervision II Undergraduate concentration II Graduate Degree Program II Exchange programs in Thailand II Internship Opportunities II Funding II Other resources II

Language

The University (Asian Languages and Cultures-ALC and Center for Southeast Asian Studies-CSEAS) offers three years of Thai language instruction during the regular academic year, with additional years of advanced tutoring, including for independent study credits. Instructor: Montatip Krishnamra, Asian Languages and Cultures.

Instruction in Thai language is also offered at the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) at University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as accredited language programs and exchange programs in Thailand itself. Check with the CSEAS Student Services Coordinator for more information on these programs.

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UM Courses that include Thailand

Many of our Southeast Asia courses include coverage of Thailand e.g. in History (Victor Lieberman, graduate and undergraduate), Political Science (Allen Hicken, graduate and undergraduate), Business (Linda Lim, graduate only), Urban Planning (Gavin Shatkin, graduate only). In these region-wide courses, students can focus their individual term or research papers on Thai topics.

Students can also explore the option of Thai-focused term papers for disciplinary non-area courses in particular disciplines or professional schools, by arrangement with the faculty member involved.

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Special UM Courses on Thailand

CSEAS will offer a special interdisciplinary course on Thailand in the winter semester of 2005, coordinated by visiting professor Sununta Siengthai from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok. This will feature UM and visiting guest lecturers covering Thai history, culture, politics, economics, business, population studies, environmental studies, public health and other fields. We anticipate offering such a course, open to both undergraduate and graduate students with different requirements, roughly once every three years.

From time to time, CSEAS may also host visiting professors who can teach mini-courses focused on Thailand.

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Independent Study and Thesis Supervision

Students may take independent study courses either with professors who are Southeast Asia or Thai specialists or professors in particular disciplines or professional schools who are willing to supervise Thai-focused independent study and theses in their particular subject area or topic of research interest. UM Library has an excellent collection of materials on Thailand, and our Librarian, Susan Go, can help students and faculty come up with suitable reading lists for independent study and thesis research.

Thai- or Southeast Asia-specialist faculty willing to supervise independent study and theses on Thailand include:
Judith Becker, Ethnomusicology (Southeast Asia music specialist)
Peter Gosling, Anthropology (emeritus) (Thai and Southeast Asia specialist)
Allen Hicken, Political Science (Thai and Southeast Asia specialist)
John Knodel, Sociology (emeritus) (Thai specialist)
Victor Lieberman, History (Southeast Asia specialist)
Linda Lim, Business (Southeast Asia specialist)
Gayl Ness, Sociology (emeritus) (Thai and Southeast Asia specialist)
Gavin Shatkin, Urban Planning (Thai and Southeast Asia specialist)

Note that whereas emeritus professors do not teach courses, they are available to
supervise students in their specific disciplines or research areas.

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Undergraduate Concentration

Undergraduate concentrations on Thailand are available through American Culture or through Asian Languages and Cultures, where the concentration advisor (Nancy Florida) determines the courses which may fulfill the concentration requirement in consultation with the student.

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Graduate Degree Programs

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies offers an M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies degree which requires a minimum of two years of a Southeast Asian language (in this case, most likely Thai), 24 credits of Southeast Asia area courses at the graduate level, and a Master’s thesis.Students pursuing Master’s programs in the professional schools e.g. Business, Social Work, Urban Planning, may take Thai language and area courses as part of or adjuncts to their professional course-work requirements. Some schools (Business, Law) also offer a professional degree/M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies dual degree program.

Students pursuing a Ph.D. enroll in their particular disciplinary department (e.g. History, Political Science) and may take Thai language and area courses as part of or adjuncts to their disciplinary course-work requirements.

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Exchange Programs in Thailand

At the undergraduate level, we have an established exchange program with Khon Kaen University, run by the Council for International Educational Exchange, which students can access through the UM Office of International Programs (Director: Carol Dickerman). Every winter semester, 1-2 UM students join this program which offers them opportunity to take language and other courses at Khon Kaen University (in the Northeast)

CSEAS is currently involved in developing other exchange programs and short courses in Thailand. It is very likely that such programs with language and cultural course offerings will be available at Chiangmai University (in the North) and at Prince of Songkhla University (in Pattani in the South), which has special expertise in Islamic studies, via the Office of International Programs, by the academic year 2004-2005.

Graduate students may structure individual exchanges with these and other universities based on their interests and CSEAS faculty contacts.

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Internship Opportunities

In summer 2003, Thai language lecturer Montatip Krishnamra led a group of undergraduates on a month-long internship and cultural immersion program in Thailand, under the Global Intercultural Experience for Undergraduates initiative.

Students can work with CSEAS faculty and UM alumni to develop individual internship experiences in Thailand.

Competitive funding for overseas internships is available through the International Institute (II) (for graduate students only), the UM Center for International Business Education, and other UM and external sources. The CSEAS student services coordinator will collect this information.

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Funding

CSEAS administers US Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship awards and awards for summer language study, for graduate students. Students studying Thai are eligible to apply for these awards.

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Other Resources

The Southeast Asian Studies Librarian Susan Go is available to counsel students and suggest resources for independent study.

Several times a year, CSEAS and other UM units host visiting speakers from and on Thailand.

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The center is committed to promoting a broader and deeper understanding of Southeast Asia and its peoples, cultures, and historiesby providing resources for faculty, students and the community to learn and disseminate knowledge about the region.

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