The Master of Arts with a major in Asian studies is an interdisciplinary degree with a regional concentration on East Asia (China, Japan, Korea), South Asia, or both. The degree is intended primarily for those preparing for careers in fields such as business, communication, government, information studies, law, the military, and teaching, or to prepare for further advanced study in another discipline or area studies program.

The Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with a major in Asian cultures and languages are intended for students whose career objective is college or university teaching. For these degrees, students concentrate in Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, or Urdu.