The University of Toronto offers a wide range of courses related to Southeast Asia, in disciplines such as anthropology, geography and political science. Students are invited to peruse departmental course guides and the University’s Course Finder tool for more recent course offerings on or relating to Southeast Asia.

Students interested in a specialized area studies program should inquire about the programs supported by the Asian Institute: the Contemporary Asian Studies program at the undergraduate level, and the Collaborative Master’s Program in Asia-Pacific Studies.

The Department of Geography has an undergraduate minor Asian Geographies, jointly offered with the National University of Singapore. In recent years, the departments of anthropology and geography & planning have offered summer field courses and research opportunities in both rural and urban Indonesia. New opportunities will be posted here as they arise.

LANGUAGE EDUCATION

The Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, along with the Asian Institute’s established programs, places a strong emphasis on the acquisition of Southeast Asian languages in the pursuit of a regional specialization. The University of Toronto does not currently offer courses in Southeast Asian languages. Students are encouraged, particularly at the graduate level, to seek external programs for language education during the course of their program. The Faculty of Arts and Science provides some funding for this purpose. The Asian Institute has also been developing funding opportunities to support students for these purposes, including the Dr. David Chu Scholarships in Asia-Pacific Studies.

Some of the programs that have a special focus on Southeast Asian languages include: the Cornell Southeast Asia Program and SEASSI: the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin.

student publications

Synergy: the Journal of Contemporary Asian Studies is an undergraduate journal published by students affiliated with the Asian Institute at the University of Toronto.