In 1982, the Department of Oriental Languages and Literatures was established as an independent academic unit of the College of Arts and Sciences. The department offered undergraduate majors in Chinese and Japanese Language and Literature, as well as Chinese and Japanese Language and Civilization.
In 1986, Chinese M.A. degree was implemented.
In 1991, the department first awarded its M.A. in Chinese.
In 1997, the department changed its name to Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations (EALC).
In 1998, the department first awarded its M.A. in Japanese.
In 2000, the Dual MA programs, where graduate students can earn an MA in History or Religious Studies were implemented.
In 2001, Korean language courses were added.
In 2006, Hindi language courses were added.
In 2008, the department changed its name to Asian Languages and Civilizations (ALC).
In 2009, Arabic courses were added.
In 2017, minors in Arabic and Hindi/Urdu were approved.
In 2018, minor in Korean Language and Culture was approved.
