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The educational component of the Thai and Southeast Asian Studies Certificate Program is based on 3 required core-courses in Thai language and culture, as well as elective courses that students can choose from depending upon their particular interests.

  • Please note that each credit hour awarded corresponds to 15 hours of instruction. A 3.0 credit course involves 45 hours of instruction, and a 6.0 credit course involves 90 hours of instruction.
  • Elective Course Drop/Add Deadline: Monday, 15 February 2010
Required Courses (7 or 10 credits)

1.) Buddhism and Thai Society (3 credits)

This course introduces students to Thailand, a Buddhist Kingdom, through an in-depth look at Theravada Buddhism. Particular attention is given to the practice of Buddhism in Thailand with some references to the Indian roots and influence on Thai Buddhism. A small portion of the course also covers the development of the Mahayana tradition. There is a built-in component of field trips to selected Buddhist temples and monasteries within Thailand.

2.) Thai Language (3 or 6 credits)

An introduction to spoken and written Thai. The emphasis is on spoken language competency as it relates to daily life: pronunciation and listening comprehension with additional skills in elementary reading and writing. The course is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Thai language. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to communicate effectively, utilizing everyday spoken Thai and should be able to read consonants, vowels, simple words and short sentences.

3.) Intercultural Understanding (1 credit)

This course is designed to assist students during their intercultural experience in Thailand. Students examine the interplay between their own cultural background and the capacity to understand and interact with the host culture. Students will develop greater appreciation for the diversity and complexity of culture, as well as increase skill in facing the communication and adjustment challenges inherent in living and studying in a cultural environment different from their own.


 
Elective Courses - Spring 2010

1.) Gender Identity, Sexuality and Transformation in Thai Society

Gender and sexual identity are central to our sense of self, to our individuality. As an expression of femininity and masculinity our gender identity is not biologically fixed but influenced by social understandings of what it means to be a man or a woman in any given culture or social site. Consequently, gender and sexuality are in a constant state of change as fluid, contingent and adaptable performances. This is especially so in contemporary conditions of globalisation where tradition meets, sometimes confronts, modernity. Thailand is a particularly interesting site for exploring such transformations in gender and sexual expression. In a relatively brief period Thailand has moved from being a highly traditional, isolated, agrarian society to becoming a key nation state in South East Asia with an increasingly diverse population and an expanding, educated middle class. Globalisation, tourism, technology, and the information society have all impacted on Thailand in recent decades to create a fascinating space within which to explore reformed, emergent and traditional expressions of gender and sexuality. It is within this gendered space, with its many myths and mystiques, that this course journeys.

2.) Globalization and the Information Economy in Asia Pacific (3 credits)

Thailand lies at the heart of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) and this course will examine the countries of the GMS and their growing interdependency through globalization. It will examine trade and other development projects and international organizations working in the GMS.

3.) Understanding Thai Art By Creating It (1 credit)

This course introduces students to Thai culture's past and present using the medium of visual images. The course specifically focuses on drawing and painting practices from Thai traditional to contemporary visual culture. In investigating "Thainess" through Thai arts in each era, this course recognizes the necessity of understanding and appreciating Thai art through creating Thai art works and witnessing the work of experienced Thai artists.

4.) Lanna Dance (1 credit)

This course is an applied study of the dance traditions of Northern Thailand, a region traditionally known of as "Lanna." After a brief look at the history and traditions of Lanna dance, the majority of the course will focus on learning Lanna dance form and expression. The course will culminate with a student performance in Lanna costume.

 

Please note:

Click here to see a list of courses that have been offered in past years in the Thai and Southeast Asian Studies Certificate Program. Elective courses depend upon faculty availability and can only be confirmed approximately two to three months prior to the start of each term.

Students enrolling for a second term may work with a Payap University faculty member to develop an independent study. Preparation for such study must begin mid-way through the first term.

The courses and curriculum of the Thai and Southeast Asian Studies Certificate Program have been approved and are fully accredited by the Ministry of University Affairs of the Royal Thai Government.