Master of Arts Program
The Master of Arts (MA) program of the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies (DAAAS) offers six fields of study: Chinese studies, Japanese studies, Korean studies, Asian American and Diaspora studies, Global Asia studies and South Asia studies. The DAAAS master's degree program encourages approaches that are interdisciplinary, comparative and/or global in methodology and theory, including work that examines the intersection of social, economic, political, historical, intellectual, linguistic, psychological and other factors in the study of Asia and Asian diasporas, both regionally and across national and other boundaries.
Admission
Applicants for admission to the MA program are required to submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts, a writing sample, three letters of recommendation, a one-page statement of purpose and Graduate Record Examination scores. For international students, proof of English proficiency is required. A minimum score of 80 on the internet-based version, 213 on the computerized version or 550 on the paper version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for admission. The department will accept IELTS scores in lieu of TOEFL scores, with a minimum requirement of 6.5 with no band below 5.0. The department will also accept PTE Academic scores in lieu of TOEFL scores, with a minimum requirement of 53. If a student received a college or university degree from an institution in the United States, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or some Canadian provinces, they are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic scores. Immigration and financial documentation are also required. See the Graduate School website for details.
Requirements
Students choose one of the six fields and then take a minimum of eight graduate courses for a total of 32 credits. The eight courses must include: four courses that relate directly to the student’s chosen field of study; and four approved elective courses. Approval of elective courses will be made by the advisor, in consultation with the graduate committee. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better is required for graduation.
Language Requirements
Students choosing the Chinese, Japanese or Korean studies fields must reach proficiency in the relevant language equivalent through the third-year level of study by the time of completion of the MA. Students admitted to one of these fields will already have had at least two, and in many cases, three or even four years of undergraduate language training.
The Asian American and Diaspora studies and Global Asia studies fields have no explicit language requirement, but, if a particular language is necessary for the student's course of study, that student will be expected to develop competence in it by the time of completion of the MA. Proficiency levels can be satisfied in one of two ways: transcript with six or eight semesters of college-level study of a single language with a grade of B or better, or a satisfactory completion of a proficiency examination administered by DAAAS faculty or by DAAAS-approved specialists elsewhere.
It is expected that students enrolled in the South Asian studies field will have second-year level proficiency in an Asian language relevant to their course of study by the completion of the MA. This requirement can be waived in some cases, based on the student’s particular course of study.
Thesis/Examiniation
All graduate students are required to complete a thesis or sit for a written examination at the end of their course of study. Both the thesis and written examination require an oral defense.
Advising and Guidance
All incoming students are assigned a temporary advisor upon enrolling in the MA program. By the end of their first year, students select an advisor who will serve as the supervisor for their thesis or field examination. Thesis and field exam committees consist of the advisor and at least two other faculty members.
Asian and Asian American Studies Graduate Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Asian and Asian American Studies (AAAS) provides a means for graduate students who are already enrolled in existing graduate programs the opportunity to enhance their studies with a focus on topics related to Asian and Asian American Studies. The AAAS graduate certificate seeks to produce research and scholarship that engages "Asia Across the World" in its many forms, including consideration of hybridity, trans-nationalism and global/local tensions.
Objectives
Students will learn how Asian and Asian diasporic societies, cultures, histories and migrations mutually engage with global processes of social and cultural change. They will become conversant in the comparative study of different Asian cultures and regions and learn how social, cultural and historical phenomena in Asia and Asian diasporic societies have appeared, developed and interacted with the rest of the world.
Requirements
Certificate students will be required to take a minimum of three graduate courses (12 credits). At least two of the three courses must be chosen in consultation with the student's graduate advisor, based upon the student's primary interests and previous background. In addition, students concentrating on Asian Studies must take one Asian American studies and diasporic studies course and students concentrating on Asian American and diasporic studies must take one Asian studies course.
No transfer credit will apply to the certificate. In addition, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and all courses used to complete the certificate must be taken with a normal grading option.
Application
Students apply for the AAAS graduate certificate through the °®¶¹´«Ã½ Graduate School's application process.