South and Southeast Asian Studies

Undergraduate Program

Introduction to the Major

The South and Southeast Asian Studies major is a flexible, interdisciplinary program offering opportunities for both wide and comparative study of South and Southeast Asian cultures, literature, religion, and history. Students may choose from 13 languages for language study, including Bengali, Burmese, Filipino, Hindi, Indonesian, Khmer, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Additional Options

  • It is possible to create a mixed South/Southeast Asian combination in the major; please see the undergraduate faculty adviser to discuss this possibility.

  • Already have an intended major but interested in South and Southeast Asian Studies? Consider adding a double major or minor.

Amplify Your Major

Without my SSEAS degree I never would've have interned at Wedu in Bangkok, and never would've realized that my desired career path is to help international students study in the US.
Blair Dishon, SSEAS alumna

Four-Year Student Timeline

First Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

Second Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

Third Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

Fourth Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

What Can I Do With My Major?

Jobs and Employers

  • Asst. Professor, Peking University

  • Asst. Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa

  • Associate Professor, UC Berkeley

  • Associate Professor, UW-La Crosse

  • Business Dev. Associate, SF City and County

  • Category Specialist, Walmart E-Commerce

  • Coordinator, AmeriCorps

  • External Relations Specialist, Year Up

  • Foreign Service Officer - US Dept. of State

  • Musician

  • Paralegal, Los Angeles

  • Principle Investigator, ACHEE for S. Asian Americans

  • Student Services Assistant, UC Berkeley

  • Visiting Professor, Brown University 

Graduate Programs

  • Asian Studies, PhD

  • International Education, Masters

  • Public Health, Masters 

Examples gathered from the First Destination Survey of recent Berkeley graduates and South and Southeast Asian Studies department.

Learn More

Connect With Us

Cal Day

Come to Berkeley’s annual Open House in April for information sessions, campus tours, special talks, and more.

Golden Bear Orientation

Join your peers in the campus-wide UC Berkeley orientation program for all new students.

Events

Attend department events with students, staff, and faculty. Visit sseas.berkeley.edu for news and updates.

Advising

For questions and advising about the South and Southeast Asian studies major and minor, please contact the Student Advisor at kristenbrooks@berkeley.edu

How to Use this Map

Use this map to help plan and guide your experience at UC Berkeley, including academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities. Everyone’s Berkeley experience is different and activities in this map are suggestions. Always consult with your advisors whenever possible for new opportunities and updates.