Vietnam Studies

II Language II UM Courses that include Vietnam II Special courses on Vietnam II Independent studies and thesis supervision II Undergraduate concentration II Graduate Degree Program II Exchange programs in Vietnam 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 two years of Vietnamese language instruction during the regular academic year, with additional years of advanced tutoring, including for independent study credits, an option Instructor: Nguyen Thi Nga, Asian Languages and Cultures.

· Instruction in Vietnamese language is also offered at the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) at University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as other accredited language and exchange programs in the U.S. and Vietnam.

UM Courses that include Vietnam

· Many of our Southeast Asia courses include coverage of Vietnam e.g. in History (Victor Lieberman, Rudolf Mrazek, graduate and undergraduate), Political Science (Allen Hicken, graduate and undergraduate), Anthropology (Ann Stoler), Business (Linda Lim, graduate only). In these region-wide courses, students can focus their individual term or research papers on Vietnam topics.

· Students can undertake independent study work with John Whitmore (CSEAS/History), Emily Lawsin (Women's Studies), Maria Sarita See, Susan Najita (American Culture/Literature), David Porter (English).

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

Special UM Courses on Vietnam

· CSEAS occasionally offers a special interdisciplinary course on Vietnam. This will feature UM and visiting guest lecturers covering Vietnamese 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.

· CSEAS will occasionally collaborate with the Joiner Center to bring a Vietnamese writer/historian to UM as a visiting scholar who will offer courses in the scholar's area of interest.

· From time to time, CSEAS may also host visiting professors who can teach mini-courses focused on Vietnam, or give public lectures on their Vietnamese research.


Independent Study and Thesis Supervision

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

· Southeast Asia-specialist faculty willing to supervise independent study and theses on Vietnam include:
Allen Hicken, Political Science (Southeast Asia specialist)
Victor Lieberman, History (Southeast Asia specialist)
Linda Lim, Business (Southeast Asia specialist)
Rudolf Mrazek, History (Southeast Asia specialist)
Gavin Shatkin, Urban Planning (Southeast Asia specialist)
John Whitmore, CSEAS (Vietnam specialist)

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Undergraduate Concentration

· An undergraduate concentration on Vietnam is available 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.

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, Vietnamese), 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 Vietnamese 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 Vietnamese language and area courses as part of or adjuncts to their disciplinary course-work requirements.

Exchange Programs in Vietnam

· Non-UM opportunities for study in Vietnam include: School for International Training Study Abroad program, Vietnam Summer Study program at Hue University by the Joiner Center, CET Academic Vietnam Immersion Program in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, CIEE Study Abroad Program.

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

Internship Opportunities

· Students can work with CSEAS faculty and UM alumni to develop individual internship experiences in Vietnam. The International Institute for Cooperation and Development in Michigan sponsors volunteers in Vietnam.

· 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.

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 Vietnamese are eligible to apply for these awards.

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 Vietnam.

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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