The many countries of Asia and the Near East are among the oldest civilizations in the world. The study of the languages and cultures of these nations gives students access to some of the richest and most varied traditions of thought, belief, and behavior to be found. A large percentage of the vast, essentially non-Christian segment of the world's population resides in these two zones: Asiawith its diverse heritage of belief in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and other systems of thoughtcontinues to retain its exotic image for most Westerners, even though many nations in the region are at the forefront of contemporary politics and economics. The Near East, birthplace of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, remains a little-understood, often stereotyped area of considerable economic, strategic, and religious importance today. Korean is a difficult language, and at BYU we emphasize reading and writing the language as well as speaking and listening. Basic course work emphasizes linguistic skill and the language's literary value and tradition.
Most of the jobs available for students with a Korean major are in government (NSA, CIA, FBI, etc.), but Korean majors also have all the advantages of a liberal arts degree. Many of our graduates go on to professional schools, law, business, or medicine. Korean is an excellent complement, either as a major or minor, to studies in prelaw, political science, accounting, English, international relations, and many other majors available on campus. Korean is an important language in the world of diplomacy and defense, as well as the world of international business. (Korea is the eighth largest trading partner of the U.S.) Our graduates have been hired by the U.S. government and by U.S., international, and Korean businesses. They work in technical areas as well, involving everything from computers to broadcasting to medicine.
It is strongly recommended that StDev 317 be taken at the end of the sophomore year or the beginning of the junior year. Because liberal arts degrees provide preparation in a variety of useful fields rather than a single career track, this course is recommended to help liberal arts students focus on specific educational and occupational goals and to identify the career options or educational opportunities available to them. The course will introduce them to the resources needed for accessing information about graduate schools, internships, careers, and career development. Students will learn basic employment strategies, including the steps necessary for obtaining employment related to their own specialty.
