This course seeks to be a broad introduction. It introduces students to the diversity of doctrines held and practices performed, and art produced about "the fantastic" from earliest times to the present. The fantastic (the uncanny or supernatural) is a fundamental category in the scholarly study of religion, art, anthropology, and literature. This course fill focus both theoretical approaches to studying supernatural beings from a Religious Studies perspective while drawing examples from Buddhist, Shinto, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Zoroastrian, Egyptian, Central Asian, Native American, and Afro-Caribbean sources from earliest examples to the present including mural, image, manuscript, film, codex, and even comic books. It will also introduce students to related humanistic categories of study: material and visual culture, theodicy, cosmology, shamanism, transcendentalism, soteriology, eschatology, phantasmagoria, spiritualism, mysticism, theophany, and the historical power of rumor. It will serve as a gateway course into the study of Religion among numerous Asian, and East Asian Studies, as well as Visual Culture and Film Studies. It will include guest lectures from professors from several departments, as well as an extensive hands-on use of the collections of the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the manuscripts held in the Schoenberg Collection of Van Pelt Library. It aims to not only introduce students to major, approaches, and terms in the study of religion and the supernatural, but inspire them to take more advanced courses by Ilya Vinitsky, Liliane Weissberg, Projit Mukharji, Talya Fishman, Annette Reed,David Barnes, David Spafford, Frank Chance, Michael Meister, Paul Goldin, Renata Holod, Paul Rozin, among several others.

Independent study in courses with East Asian content for MA students

Students will further develop their speaking and listening skills and will be able to communicate with ease and confidence when dealing with everyday routine tasks. Students will also gain skills to process and seek information in Taiwanese. Conversation topics include New Year, folk songs, and Tang poetry. Authentic materials are used for enhancing reading, listening, and speaking practices.

Offered through the Penn Language Center. This course aims to develop a deeper understanding of the contemporary Korean society through critical analysis of language use and viewpoints expressed in various types of media including the internet, TV, films and newspapers. This course will provide students with a rich opportunity to relate what they have learned in previous Korean language courses to the larger context of Korean culture and society. The course is conducted entirely in Korean and utilizes both written and audiovisual materials to develop students' reading/listening comprehension and critical thinking. The course also involves in-depth class discussion and writing short compositions to enhance conversation and writing skills.

Offered through the Penn Language Center. This course is designed to help students improve their Korean language proficiency by learning essential communication skills necessary to engage in business in Korea. Students will also develop their knowledge of and competence in Korean business culture and practice. The course objectives include: (1) to learn essential business terms, advanced grammar structures and communication strategies in business transactions; (2) to learn Korean business customs and culture, work norms, and business etiquette that students need to successfully communicate in a Korean business context. Topics include job application, business correspondence and reports, discussion and presentation in business meetings, communication styles and strategies in business contexts, current business culture, etc.

This class is for those that have little to no knowledge of Korean. The main focus is the development of Korean communication skills by exploring a variety of everyday topics beyond school settings. Students will improve their Korean communication skills by engaging in a variety of interactive activities, role plays, and presentations. Class topics include, but are not limited to, introducing oneself, describing one's surroundings, discussing daily activities and past events, talking about common objects and people, etc. We will also introduce cultural topics in order to deepen students' understanding of Korea's culture and language. NOTE: This course does not count toward the language requirement or the EALC major or minor. Offered through the Penn Language Center.

An intermediate level course of Japanese language focusing on workplace-related topics. Intended for students who will use Japanese in the professions. Textbook: Powering Up Your Japanese Through Case Studies: Intermediate and Advanced Japanese.

Intended for students who have no Japanese background. The major emphasis is on oral communication skills, although some reading and writing instructions are given. Japanese pop-culture will also be incorporated.

“Advanced Medical Chinese” is a specialized language course tailored for medical, nursing, and other healthcare-related professionals. It offers Mandarin language instruction to individuals who anticipate interactions with Chinese-speaking patients, either during visits to China or while serving patients with limited English proficiency. This course specifically targets students with a minimum of three years of Chinese language study in a standard college program or an equivalent language competency level. Its primary focus is on facilitating effective physician and nurse communication with patients.
The course’s ultimate aim extends beyond language proficiency to positively impact patient care within the Chinese community by mitigating language and cultural barriers. By honing language skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking within clinical healthcare contexts, participants will be better equipped to engage in meaningful interactions. The curriculum covers a wide spectrum of subjects, spanning from foundational rapport-building and medical terminology to exploring Chinese cultural attitudes toward health-related matters.

This course is designed for students who have completed at least the intermediate level Chinese language course, or have studied the language for at least three years. The objective of this course is to consolidate the knowledge and skills students have acquired from their previous Mandarin Chinese classes and to enhance their oral expressive skills. By the end of the semester, students are expected to be able to carry on a conversation with a native Mandarin speaker on various common topics, including the current issues in China on education, society, politics, culture and history. Students will also learn how to gather information necessary for conducting oral presentations and speeches.