phd in asian studies

Ph.D. in Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture

Introduction.

The Field of Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture at Cornell University offers the Ph.D. degree to students who wish to major in the literature, religion(s), and intellectual history of countries in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Only on-line applications are accepted at Cornell University. A link to the online application  is available on the Graduate School web site.

The absolute deadline for completed applications and test scores to reach the Graduate School is  January 10 . However, earlier applications are encouraged to enable us to consider each applicant carefully.

The Field of Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture is designed primarily for students who wish to obtain a Ph.D. degree. Students entering with only a B.A. degree (or with an M.A. degree in another field) may be required by their faculty advisor to earn their M.A. degree in Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture in the course of working towards the Ph.D. degree. A written M.A. thesis is not required before proceeding to the Ph.D. degree. Students whose faculty advisor requires the M.A. degree may receive a non-thesis M.A. when they take their oral A exam. Highly qualified students wishing to work only toward an M.A. degree are sometimes accepted, but Cornell funding for such students is rare.

Applicants should have a good reading and speaking knowledge (a minimum of three years of course work) of an Asian language relevant for proposed specialization. Prior work in literature, religious studies, or cultural history is desirable. Applicants with less language training might consider entering the M.A. program in Asian Studies at Cornell, and then applying to Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture for the Ph.D. degree after the M.A. program has been completed.

The Graduate Records Exam (GRE) is not required for application to the Ph.D. program.

The English Language Proficiency requirement has changed for all applicants. Please see a full description of the requirement on the Graduate School's web site.

Each applicant must submit an  on-line application ; which includes a statement of purpose, a personal statement, CV/Resume, three letters of recommendation, college transcripts, and a sample of academic writing of approximately 25 pages (in English). It is not necessary to mail a hard copy of these materials to the field office. All foreign transcripts must be translated to English by the institution or university that issues them before they are scanned. The Selection Committee will weigh all of these materials in addition to the student's academic background in making decisions on admission to the field. If the Selection Committee needs additional information or materials, we will contact the applicant.

Since all fields of graduate study at Cornell are competitive, you are advised to write a clear, thoughtful statement of purpose, select your referees carefully and inform them of your goals, request your undergraduate records early, and complete your application as soon as possible.

The Director of Graduate Studies and appropriate faculty members are happy to talk to or meet with applicants, but interviews are not required for admission. We encourage applicants to make direct contact to learn more about our program. Please visit our on-line list of faculty for a brief description of their research interests and e-mail addresses at  Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture Faculty.

Financial Aid

Most students who are accepted into the Ph.D. program are offered a multi-year financial aid package that combines guaranteed fellowships and teaching assistantships. In order to apply for fellowships (which are highly competitive) simply check the appropriate boxes in the "Financial Support Application" part of the application form. Students are also urged to apply for any national or regional fellowships for which they may be eligible (Mellon Fellowships, Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) awards).

If an applicant is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident they may be eligible to apply for a FLAS award. FLAS awards are administered by the Asian area programs at Cornell: South Asia Program and Southeast Asia Program. The FLAS is an academic year award which covers tuition, individual medical insurance, and a living stipend.

For more information about the FLAS awards, other funding opportunities, or for a FLAS application please see the relevant area program web page.

Courses of Study

Students will form a three-member Special Committee that will enable them to focus their studies on a major field, a minor field, and an emphasis on theory and method. The Graduate School requires that a student's Special Committee be constituted by the end of the third semester of graduate study. The major field will be designated by specialization in a literary, religious, or intellectual tradition or traditions within a single cultural or linguistic zone. The minor field will provide a basis for comparative work with at least one tradition or discipline ancillary to the major field. The theory and methods emphasis will provide competence in one or more theoretical orientations appropriate to the chosen area of specialization.

The first two to three years of the Ph.D. course are spent taking classes, learning to teach, and preparing for the A exams (both written and oral). Students take four or five general courses covering both pre-modern and modern aspects of their chosen major field and eight or nine specialized seminars in areas of interest. Courses should be chosen in consultation with, and with the approval of, the student's Special Committee. Students have the opportunity to participate in teacher training workshops and to teach for at least two semesters in introductory courses, language courses and first-year writing seminars. At least one year of experience as a teaching assistant is required as part of the Ph.D. training. Teaching assistantships cover tuition, living stipend, and individual medical insurance.

Students in the Graduate Field of Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture will be expected to give a short, formal presentation to the faculty of the field at the end of their second year of study. This presentation could summarize a seminar paper or another work in progress. The purpose of this presentation is to monitor a student's progress, to make suggestions about additional course work for the third year if relevant, and to give students an opportunity for professional experience.

Most students go to Asia during their third or fourth year to conduct dissertation research and then return to Cornell for at least a year to finish writing the dissertation and to begin the search for career opportunities. The Ph.D. course of study r equires five to seven years  depending on prior training and language ability.

Language requirements:

Fluency in one or more Asian language(s) sufficient for access to primary sources in the original language(s) is required. This means reading, writing, and speaking fluency in the modern language(s) and appropriate study of classical language(s). Students will acquire reading knowledge of additional language(s) deemed necessary by their Special Committees.

After demonstrating the above areas of competence, students will prepare for three qualifying exams (oral or written and oral) in each of the areas of major field, minor field, and theory and method. Students will arrange for a member of the Special Committee to represent each of these areas.

Terminal M.A. degree:

Students who leave the field prior to completing the required areas of competency may seek a terminal M.A.

Graduate Field Faculty

Please feel free to contact the faculty member whose interests most closely match yours. For detailed descriptions, click here to see our  complete list of ALRC field faculty .

Asian Area Programs

Students in the Graduate Field of Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture are members of the relevant area program(s) at Cornell, which provide a wide range of programs, opportunities for research and training, and competitive fellowships for travel, language training, and research.

Asian Literature, Religion, and Culture Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook

Ph.d. graduate student handbook.

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The joint m.a./ph.d. program, introduction.

Our graduate program prepares students for academic careers in teaching and research not only in South and Southeast Asian Studies, but also in comparative literature, religious studies, history, Asian studies, and cultural studies.  Our program provides opportunities to explore the rich cultural, social, and religious histories of South and Southeast Asia as well as the living contemporary cultures of these areas. The graduate curriculum covers the classical literary canon, religious literature, folk and popular works, oral traditions and performance media (including recitation, musical and dramatic performance, dance, and film), and modern literatures of the colonial and post-colonial periods. We understand literature in the broadest sense to include not only creative writing and cultural expression in the various genres but also sources concerning religion, philosophy, history, and the fine and performing arts. The analysis of cultural expression is also understood to include attention to social, anthropological, economic, and political contexts. Advanced proficiency in the language of emphasis is a central goal of study, as is the ability to undertake sophisticated textual study of a broad range of literary works in that language. We offer intensive training in many of the major languages of the area, including Bengali, Burmese, Hindi, Khmer, Indonesian (Bahasa), Malay, Pali, Persian, Prakrit, Punjabi, Sanskrit (including Buddhist Sanskrit), Filipino (Tagalog), Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary work by pursuing courses offered by the South and Southeast Asia faculty in other departments on the campus of UC Berkeley. Students are also encouraged to pursue courses and independent reading that will familiarize them with pertinent methods in the various disciplines (such as contemporary literary theory, ethnographic theory, historiography, and cultural studies theory). Appropriate comparative work, on Asian and non-Asian cultures, is encouraged as well. For all details on the Graduate Application deadline and process, go to " Applying for the Graduate Program. "  

Program Requirements

• A minimum of 10 courses undertaken in graduate status at UCB, including at least four graduate seminars in the area of specialization, and the departmental Methods Seminar (SSEAS 294), offered biennially;
• A historical knowledge of the area of emphasis, demonstrated by appropriate course work within SSEAS or in other units on campus, as approved by the Head Graduate Adviser;
• Completion of an M.A. thesis, supervised by a committee of three faculty members (also required of transfer students holding the M.A. who have not completed equivalent work in the judgment of the Head Graduate Adviser);
• Competence in one or more appropriate secondary languages, as determined in consultation with the Head Graduate Adviser and the Academic Adviser (and demonstrated either through course work or departmental examination);
• Completion of an Oral Qualifying Examination in a minimum of three approved fields (including the field of emphasis, a secondary field within the Department, and a cognate field);
• Submission of a Dissertation Prospectus and its approval during a Prospectus Conference involving the three faculty members of the Dissertation Committee;
• Advancement to Ph.D. candidacy;
• Completion of the dissertation under Plan B. (See university catalog.)

Additional Requirements for the Sanskrit Emphasis

• Completion of a written competency examination in Sanskrit (three hours in length, dictionary may be used);
• One course in Linguistics (Linguistics 100 is strongly recommended);
• Reading knowledge of two additional languages of scholarship in the field, normally French and German, to be demonstrated either by written examination or two years of course work at the college level.

Reading ability in a second South Asian or other related foreign language (such as Latin, Greek, Old Iranian) is strongly recommended. Students in the joint M.A./Ph.D. program will acquire the M.A. degree upon completion of twenty units of course work in graduate status at UCB (including two graduate seminars in the language of emphasis and the methods seminar). Additionally, students will complete requirements #2 and #3 (as above), demonstrate advanced competence in the language of emphasis and advance to M.A. candidacy. They will acquire the Ph.D. degree upon completion of the remaining requirements. Upon completion of the M.A. requirements, students will be reviewed by the faculty to determine whether they are making satisfactory progress and should continue in the program.

PLANNING YOUR GRADUATE PROGRAM

Three people are key to planning your graduate coursework and program structure: your Academic Advisor (the faculty member you plan to work with most closely and who will serve as chair of your MA/and or PhD thesis), the Departmental Head Graduate Advisor (appointed annually from SSEAS senate faculty), and the Graduate Student Affairs Officer.

Head Graduate Advisor (Penny Edwards)

The Head Graduate Advisor (HGA) signs documents and makes requests to the Graduate Division on matters concerning graduate enrollment, degrees, progress, and financial aid, such as admission, reenrollment, change or addition of major, graduate standing, and appointment of Qualifying Examination and dissertation committees.

Student Affairs Advisor (Kristen McLeod)

The Graduate Student Affairs Officer (GSAO) is responsible for the administrative advising of graduate (and undergraduate) students. She reminds students about registration and fellowship deadlines, stay abreast of admissions, degrees, fellowship, and appointments requirements, as well as manage administrative paperwork on behalf of the program and its graduate students.  Kristen must be kept informed of (and will advise on) all official actions: the scheduling of Q. E exams and Prospectus Conferences, the appointment of MA and PhD Dissertation Committees, applications for advancements to candidacy, filings for degrees, and the like. THE SEMESTER PLAN A central part of this process is the formulation of the Semester Plan.  Semester Plan forms, which describe prospective course work for each term, must be completed, approved, and filed in advance of that term, in consultation with the Head Graduate Adviser. Students should procure the forms from the Student Affairs Officer before meeting with their academic advisers and return them, signed, in order to receive their adviser codes (necessary for registration). Once students have advanced to candidacy, they will also complete an annual Doctoral Candidacy Review, details of which are below.

Requirement # 1: Course Work

In their first semester of admission, and throughout their first two years in the program, students should carefully plan their course load and curricular design in consultation with their Academic Advisor and the Head Graduate Advisor, to ensure that they meet all course requirements in a timely fashion, and ideally no later than the eighth semester for MA/PhD graduates, so that they can begin to prepare for their Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examinations (“Q.E”s). Required coursework for advancement to the DSSEAS Qualifying Exam comprises:

• four graduate seminars in the language and literature of emphasis;
• Methods & Methodologies in South and Southeast Asian Studies (SSEAS 294);
• one history seminar;
• courses that satisfy the language requirement (which may count--in the case of South or Southeast Asian languages--toward the ten-course program requirement if taken at the upper-division or graduate level);
• appropriate course work in the second and third fields to be covered in the Oral Qualifying Examination (see below), as determined by the Academic Adviser and the second- and third-field faculty examiners.

The course work should also include appropriate provision for completing the Master's thesis (which might be begun, for example, in a graduate seminar and completed during an Independent Studies course). Further course selections are elective. Students may enroll in courses beyond the ten-course minimum and may audit courses with the permission of instructors. A limited number of lower-division and Independent Studies courses may be used to satisfy the program requirements. During the registration period of each semester, the choice of courses must be approved by the Academic Advisers and noted on the Semester Plans (see below, "Advising and Scheduling Calendar"). Students must take required courses for letter grades and maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 ("B").

Requirement # 2: Historical Knowledge

Each student is expected to enroll in a one-semester course, at the graduate level or upper-division level, that deals substantially and extensively with the history of the area of concentration. The course must be taken for a grade. The Head Graduate Adviser must approve the selection.

Requirement # 3: M.A. Thesis

Students entering into the MA/PhD program are required to complete an M.A. thesis as specified under the University's Plan I requirement for the M.A. The MA project will involve primary source research and analysis and should ideally be completed by the end of the fourth semester. In their second semester in the program, students should identify both a thesis topic and an M.A. thesis committee in consultation with their Academic Advisor.  By the third semester, students should have begun bibliographical and preliminary research. In the fourth semester, students should complete their M.A. thesis.  Students are encouraged to meet regularly with their Academic Advisors for guidance and feedback on drafts-in-progress.   April 12th is the deadline for the submission of the thesis draft to the MA thesis committee for the awarding of spring degrees. A student's M.A. thesis committee consists of three faculty members, chosen by the student in consultation with their Academic Advisor and approved by the Head Graduate Advisor. The thesis committee chair will normally be the student's Academic Advisor. The committee chair and/or Academic Advisor will assist students in planning the course work that supports and contributes to the timely completion of the M.A. thesis. The thesis must demonstrate the ability to pursue advanced independent research, evaluate and analyze evidence, and present a reasoned and coherent argument and engagement with the departmental emphasis on textual analysis, broadly construed. Students should obtain a copy of the booklet "Instructions for Preparing and Submitting Theses and Dissertations for Higher Degrees" from the Graduate Division (available at the Graduate Division's web site). The M.A. thesis in South and Southeast Asian Studies is expected to run between 25 and 50 double-spaced, typewritten pages, excluding footnotes and bibliography.

Requirement # 4: Secondary Foreign Languages

Within the first year of the program, each student must complete—in consultation with the academic adviser and the Head Graduate Adviser—a language plan. This plan identifies coursework in both the language of emphasis and the secondary language or languages in which the student must demonstrate competence to fulfill the requirements of both the degree program and the research agenda. The language plan must also indicate how the requirements are to be met. Language requirements in the South and Southeast Asian Studies program are based on the individual student's fields of specialization and research needs. The program has as its main requirement advanced proficiency in the student's language of emphasis. To develop command of a range of linguistic skills in support of the student's research agenda, additional work is required in one or more secondary languages. Before advancing to candidacy, students must attain reading competence in at least one additional language of research. This may be another Asian language or the language of a relevant archive. Determination of the principal and additional languages will be made in consultation with the student’s academic advisor and the Head Graduate Advisor. Note that the mastery of a principal language and competence in an additional language are minimal requirements. A student’s advisor may require the demonstration of research-level ability in other languages depending on the expectations of the particular program and the demands of a student’s individual dissertation project. Dissertations will be written in English. Students are required to demonstrate advanced ability, through course work or a departmental examination, of a principal South or Southeast Asian research language. For all students with an emphasis in Sanskrit, the following candidacy requirements apply:

• Reading ability in a second South Asian or other related language (such as Latin, Greek, Old Iranian), to be demonstrated either by written examination or advanced (minimum of two years of course work at the college level) language training.
• Reading knowledge of two languages of scholarship in the field, normally French and German, to be demonstrated either by written examination or two years of course work at the college level.
• Students are also strongly advised to complete a graduate course in each of the following: Vedic, Middle Indic, and Vyakarana. Old Iranian and a course in Indo-European linguistics are also highly recommended.

Requirement # 5: Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination

The Qualifying Examination (Q.E.) is an oral examination of three hours, designed to assess the readiness of the student to enter the dissertation research phase of the doctoral program. It is an integral part of all doctoral programs across the University of California. The intent of the Qualifying Examination is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension in at least three subject areas related to the major field of study, and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas. The examination may consider a number of academic points of view and the criteria by which they may be evaluated, and should not be narrowly limited to the dissertation topic. https://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/degrees-policy/#f26-qualifying-examination . In the Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies, the Q.E. involves the preparation and submission of at least three written exercises (described in detail below) prior to the three-hour oral examination. Students are eligible to take the Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination after they have completed their course work, foreign language(s) requirements, and M.A. thesis. The qualifying examination will take place within one year of the completion of these requirements (which should normally take six semesters). Students must complete their Q.E. by their eighth semester in order to be eligible for the Graduate Division’s Doctoral Completion Fellowship (formerly known as the Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship). The primary aim of the Q.E. is to evaluate the student's mastery of the substantive content and theoretical concepts in three approved fields of specialization. These fields should be defined and developed in consultation with the student's Academic Adviser and the individual faculty members of the examination committee. The Head Graduate Advisor must approve the fields and the composition of the committee. A list of fields, as well as the membership of the examination committee, must be submitted to the Graduate Division (on a graduate Division form) no later than three weeks before the examination date. Each student is urged to select and consult members of the examination committee very early in the academic career so as to shape a suitable study program that develops both theoretical and substantive competence in the three fields. A general meeting between the student and the committee, well in advance of the examination itself, is desirable as an opportunity to discuss the preparation for and objectives of the examination. The Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination is based on prepared bibliographies in the chosen three fields of specialization. These bibliographies are designed by the student in consultation with one or more faculty members in each given area. While centered on subjects significant to the student's research interests, they should also be sufficiently broad to cover the major sources, analytical issues, and methodological questions relevant to each field. Each bibliography should be substantive: ideally, a minimum, thirty books or a commensurate volume of essays, inclusive of both appropriate primary and secondary texts, and intellectually coherent. The first and primary field of examination will focus on a subject and a body of texts pertaining to the student's language of emphasis. The second field will engage a related but distinct subject (and body of texts) in South or Southeast Asian Studies. The third will concern a cognate subject (and body of texts)-one that engages a particular discipline, theoretical perspective, or comparative area relevant to the student's interests. Each Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Committee consists of four faculty members. At least one member must be from the Department's core faculty, and at least one from outside the Department. The exam committee chair, who must be a member of the DSSEAS faculty, may be the person who chaired the M.A. thesis committee, but cannot also serve as the chair of the student's Ph.D. dissertation committee. Prior to the qualifying examination each student must successfully complete the following written exercise

Preparation of Field Statements.

Three statements (one for each of three fields) consisting of an analytical essay that surveys in an integral fashion the themes, arguments, evidence, and theoretical perspectives of the prepared bibliographies.

Students are required to work out a timeframe for submission of each field statement or essay response with their academic advisor, and will submit all of these written documents no later than one week prior to the oral qualifying examination. The appropriate examiner must approve each field statement at least one week prior to the oral qualifying examination. Approval forms are available from the Student Affairs Officer. Responses to individual field questions may not be undertaken more than three times. Following approval, the statements may be shared with the full Oral Qualifying Committee. They are to be kept on file in the Department. The examination is an oral examination of three hours. At its conclusion, the committee may advise the Dean of the Graduate Division that the student has a) passed the examination and should be continued in the program, b) failed the examination but should be re-examined after at least three months, or c) failed the examination and should be discontinued without re-examination.

Requirement # 6: Dissertation Prospectus and Formation of Dissertation Committee

The final step for admission to Ph.D. candidacy is the writing, submission, and approval of a Dissertation Prospectus. This step is normally completed shortly after the completion of the Q.E.  The Dissertation Prospectus comprises:

• An essay outlining the nature of the proposed dissertation research, its relation to existing scholarship on the subject, and its anticipated value. This essay (five pages or less) is intended to serve as a working paper outlining the issues to be addressed in the dissertation, the approach to be taken, and the relation of that approach to recent knowledge.
• A bibliography of approximately five pages, which surveys the pertinent primary and secondary literature.

After preliminary approval of the Dissertation Prospectus by the dissertation committee chair, the student submits copies to the other members of the dissertation committee and the Department's Head Graduate Advisor. During the subsequent Prospectus Conference, the full dissertation committee reviews and discusses the Prospectus with the student. Once approved, the Prospectus is placed in the student's file together with notes from the conference discussion. This document functions as a statement of baseline expectations for subsequent work on the dissertation. A Ph.D. dissertation committee, following the university's Plan B, will consist of three faculty members. (Students may choose to include a committee member from outside the department.) The composition of this committee may overlap with that of the Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination committee, but the same person may not chair both committees. The member of the dissertation committee most closely involved with the student's research is usually selected as the chair (also referred to as dissertation advisor), but, upon the advice of the student, the Dean of the Graduate Division may appoint joint chairpersons. The committee chair will normally, but not necessarily, be a member of the Department's core faculty. The dissertation advisor plays an important role in guiding the student toward successful completion of the dissertation and in helping to place the student in professional employment. Students retain the right to change dissertation advisors or other members of their committees.

Requirement # 7: Advancement to Candidacy

• Satisfaction of the foreign language requirement(s);
• Successful completion of the Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination;
• Approval of the Dissertation Prospectus during the Prospectus Conference;
• The presence on the official transcript of no more than two courses graded "Incomplete";
• A minimum 3.0 (B) grade point average in all upper-division and graduate courses taken while in graduate standing.

Requirement # 8: Ph.D. Dissertation and Normative Time

After the Dissertation Prospectus has been approved, the dissertation adviser meets regularly with the student to check his or her progress. At the start of each semester and before the student leaves for fieldwork, the student and dissertation adviser should determine an approximate schedule for check-ins and submission of material, as well as the timeframe for return of material with timely commentary by the dissertation committee chair.  The Graduate Division requires all doctoral students advanced to candidacy to submit an annual Doctoral Candidacy Review through GLOW, designed to assist their committees in evaluating their progress. Details are available here . In accordance with the university's Plan B, while the Chair takes the lead role, the completed dissertation must be read and approved by all three members of the student's dissertation committee. The committee may, at its discretion, require a final oral defense, to which other members of the faculty and students of the Department may be invited. Doctoral degrees are awarded in December and May. The deadline to file a dissertation is the last working day of the semester. To receive the degree, all work for the degree must be completed and filed with the Graduate Division by the last day of the term. To comply with UCB's Normative Time requirement, the Ph.D. dissertation must be completed before the end of the 8th year (16th semester) from the student's entry into the program. Students who do not complete dissertations within the 7-year Normative Time period, plus a 1-year grace period, will have their candidacy lapsed by the Graduate Division. The Department's Head Graduate Advisor may request an extension of the student's candidacy if the student is otherwise making adequate progress and the delay can be attributed to factors largely beyond the student's control.

Advising and Scheduling Calendar

Students are encouraged to seek advice on their course planning throughout the academic year. The following schedules are suggested. Prior to the Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination, students see their academic advisers three times each year.

• During the fall registration period for the coming spring semester: a) to seek approval of course selections for the coming spring term (noted and filed on the Semester Plan); b) to submit any outstanding language plans; c) to form Master's or Qualifying Committees; and d) to schedule forthcoming examinations for the spring semester.
• During the spring registration period for the coming fall semester: a) to seek approval of course selections for the coming fall term (noted and filed on the Semester Plan); b) to form Master's or Qualifying Committees; and c) to schedule forthcoming examinations.
• During the first week of classes each fall: a) to confirm or change course selections for the current semester (noted and filed on a form called the "Semester Plan,"); b) to submit a language plan; c) to select and seek approval, as relevant, for Master's Thesis Committees or Oral Qualifying Committees; and d) to confirm the scheduling of all forthcoming examinations (in languages as well as the Orals, when relevant).

After meeting their academic advisers, students should promptly inform the Student Affairs Officer of examinations they intend to take, committees they have formed, plans to apply for advancements to candidacy or to file for degrees, and other arrangements that require official action. Language examinations are normally administered during the twelfth week of each semester. Qualifying examinations are scheduled at the discretion of students and committee members, but must be taken by the last day of the semester in which the student hopes to advance to candidacy. Before the Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination, a student meets with her/his Chair of the Dissertation Committee regularly to prepare the Dissertation Prospectus and the Prospectus Conference.  The student should also take the initiative to consult regularly with the other members of their QE committee to discuss the scope and shape of the written requirement. Following the successful completion of the Prospectus Conference, students continue to meet their dissertation committee members on a regular, mutually agreed schedule (as discussed in Requirement #8). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  

GRADUATE TEACHING AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS

The Faculty Advisor for Graduate Student Instructors (GSI) is the primary liaison between the GSIs, the Department, and Graduate Division in all matters pertaining to GSIs. The advisor’s most important functions are to coordinate the flow of information among these three bodies and to contribute to the preparation of GSIs for teaching at UC Berkeley. As part of their professional preparation, graduate students in the Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies may be employed in one or more of the following capacities: Readers assist class instructors by reading and grading essays and examinations in larger undergraduate courses in South or Southeast Asian Studies. They hold consultation hours with students and normally attend class lectures. Graduate Student Researchers assist faculty members on research projects. Graduate Student Instructors assume instructional responsibility, normally by serving as section leaders of the discussion groups associated with the large lower-division survey courses that are principally taught and overseen by faculty members. GSIs may also participate in the instruction of introductory and intermediate language courses. They sometimes lead Reading and Composition courses in the lower division or specialized upper-division seminars. Note that completion of a Pedagogy Seminar before or during the first semester of serving as a GSI is mandatory.  We recommend that you seek the approval of the Faculty Advisor for GSI Affairs and your Academic Advisor before enrolling in Pedagogy Seminars outside of the Department. The GSI Teaching and Resource office is an excellent source of information and training for Graduate Student Instructors. For information on vacancies, see the Student Affairs Officer.

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Berkeley Berkeley Academic Guide: Academic Guide 2023-24

South and southeast asian studies.

About the Program

This program offers emphases in the following languages and cultural traditions: Hindi, Urdu, Indonesian, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Tamil, and Khmer. Literature is understood in the widest sense to include not only creative writing and cultural expression in the various genres but also sources concerning religion, philosophy, history, and the fine and performing arts. The analysis of cultural expression is also understood to include attention to social, anthropological, economic, and political contexts.

The program provides opportunities to explore the rich cultural, social, and religious histories of South and Southeast Asia as well as the living contemporary cultures of these areas. The curriculum covers cultural history, the classical literary canon, religious literature, folk and popular works, oral traditions, and performance media (including recitation, musical and dramatic performance, dance, and film), and modern literatures of the colonial and post-colonial periods.

Advanced proficiency in the language of emphasis is a central goal, as is the ability to undertake the sophisticated textual study of a broad range of literary works in that language.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary linkages by pursuing courses offered by the South and Southeast Asia faculty in other departments on the UCB campus. Students are also encouraged to pursue courses and independent reading that will familiarize them with pertinent methods in the various disciplines (such as contemporary literary theory, ethnographic theory, historiography, and cultural studies theory). Appropriate comparative work on Asian and non-Asian cultures is encouraged as well.

The PhD in South and Southeast Asian Studies prepares students for academic careers in teaching and research not only in South and Southeast Asian Studies, but also in comparative literature, religious studies, history, Asian studies, and cultural studies.

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Admission to the University

Applying for graduate admission.

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. A complete list of graduate academic departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page . It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here .

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page .

Master's Degree Requirements

Courses Required - All Language Concentrations (Hindi, Urdu, Indonesian, Sanskrit, Tamil and Khmer)​

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Unit minimum: 24

Languages and Culture:

• Southeast Asian Studies

South Asian Studies

Sseasn 250 seminar in south and southeast asian studies 1 - 4 units.

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Topics vary from semester to semester. Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 4 weeks - 3-9 hours of seminar per week 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: One to three hours of seminar per week. Three to nine hours of seminar per week for four weeks.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: South and Southeast Asian Studies/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade.

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 250

Seminar in South and Southeast Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN C275 Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha: History and Modernity in Theravada Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022 This seminar introduces students to the recent scholarship on the history and genealogy of Theravada Buddhism in modern Burma, Cambodia, Lanna, Thailand, Southwest China and Sri Lanka. Introductory readings consider the origins of the field and question the very category of Theravada. Module One: Buddha, considers folk, visual, scriptural and literary narratives as ways of telling history through past lives of the Buddha. Module Two: Dhamma, explores diverse interpretations and delivery of the teachings of Buddha across and between different schools. Module Three: Sangha, examines the role of monks and other spiritual leaders in mediating the trauma of colonialism and navigating modernity by protecting the sasana and offering sanctuary. Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha: History and Modernity in Theravada Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar per week.

Instructor: Edwards

Also listed as: BUDDSTD C275

Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha: History and Modernity in Theravada Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 290A Special Studies: South Asian Studies 1 - 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022 Students may enroll in more than one section of 290, but the total number of units of Special Study in any one semester may not exceed 12. Special Studies: South Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-5 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 8 weeks - 2.5-12.5 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Individual conferences.

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 290A

Special Studies: South Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 290B Special Studies: Tamil 1 - 5 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2016 8 Week Session, Summer 2015 8 Week Session, Fall 2014 Students may enroll in more than one section of 290, but the total number of units of Special Study in any one semester may not exceed 12. Special Studies: Tamil: Read More [+]

Summer: 8 weeks - 1.5-9 hours of independent study per week

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 290B

Special Studies: Tamil: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 290C Special Studies: Hindi-Urdu 1 - 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 Students may enroll in more than one section of 290, but the total number of units of Special Study in any one semester may not exceed 12. Special Studies: Hindi-Urdu: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5-12.5 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1.5-9 hours of independent study per week

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 290C

Special Studies: Hindi-Urdu: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 290D Special Studies: Malay/Indonesian 1 - 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Summer 2019, Summer 2016 8 Week Session Students may enroll in more than one section of 290, but the total number of units of Special Study in any one semester may not exceed 12. Special Studies: Malay/Indonesian: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 290D

Special Studies: Malay/Indonesian: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 290F Special Studies: Sanskrit 1 - 5 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2016 8 Week Session, Summer 2015 8 Week Session, Spring 2015 Students may enroll in more than one section of 290, but the total number of units of Special Study in any one semester may not exceed 12. Special Studies: Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 290F

Special Studies: Sanskrit: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 294 Methods in South & Southeast Asian Studies 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2021, Spring 2020 Introduction to the principal, historical, and contemporary methods for study of the literatures, languages, religions, cultures, and peoples of South and Southeast Asia. Discussion of the disciplinary formations of Orientalism, philology, anthropology, comparative religions, gender studies, and history. Topics and readings change year to year. Seminar work will culminate in a one day student symposium. Methods in South & Southeast Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 294

Methods in South & Southeast Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 299A Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: South Asian Studies 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Fall 2023 Normally reserved for students directly engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation. Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: South Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Advanced candidate with consent of thesis supervisor and graduate adviser

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-12 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 8 weeks - 2-24 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to twelve hours of independent study per week. Two to twenty four hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks.

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 299A

Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: South Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 299B Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Tamil 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020 Normally reserved for students directly engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation. Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Tamil: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 299B

Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Tamil: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 299C Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Hindi-Urdu 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021 Normally reserved for students directly engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation. Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Hindi-Urdu: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 299C

Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Hindi-Urdu: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 299D Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Malay-Indonesian 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2018 Normally reserved for students directly engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation. Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Malay-Indonesian: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 299D

Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Malay-Indonesian: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 299E Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Southeast Asian Studies 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Normally reserved for students directly engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation. Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Southeast Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 299E

Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Southeast Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 299F Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Sanskrit 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Fall 2023 Normally reserved for students directly engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation. Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 299F

Dissertation Preparation and Related Research: Sanskrit: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 375 Methods and Problems in Teaching South and Southeast Asian Studies 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020 Team-taught by a faculty member and an advanced graduate student instructor, this weekly seminar will expose GSIs to methods and potential problems in teaching. Building a syllabus, grading, teaching writing and reading comprehension, fairness in the classroom, maintaining enthusiasm, developing a professional teaching portfolio, and campus resources for special needs students will be covered. The seminar will include periodic videotaping and feedback within each student's classroom. Methods and Problems in Teaching South and Southeast Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or graduate student status

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar per week plus individual conferences and pedagogical videotaping.

Subject/Course Level: South and Southeast Asian Studies/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 375

Methods and Problems in Teaching South and Southeast Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 601A Individual Study for Masters Students: South Asian Studies 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2016 Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Individual Study for Masters Students: South Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: For candidates for Master's degree

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-8 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5-19 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 2-16 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to eight hours of independent study per week. Two to sixteen hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks. Two and one-half to nineteen hours of independent study per week for 6 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: South and Southeast Asian Studies/Graduate examination preparation

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 601A

Individual Study for Masters Students: South Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 601B Individual Study for Masters Students: Tamil 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Individual Study for Masters Students: Tamil: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0-0 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Zero hour of independent study per week.

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 601B

Individual Study for Masters Students: Tamil: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 601C Individual Study for Masters Students: Hindi-Urdu 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Individual Study for Masters Students: Hindi-Urdu: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 601C

Individual Study for Masters Students: Hindi-Urdu: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 601D Individual Study for Masters Students: Malay-Indonesian 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2014 Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Individual Study for Masters Students: Malay-Indonesian: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 601D

Individual Study for Masters Students: Malay-Indonesian: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 601E Individual Study for Masters Students: Southeast Asian Studies 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2014 Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Individual Study for Masters Students: Southeast Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 601E

Individual Study for Masters Students: Southeast Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 601F Individual Study for Masters Students: Sanskrit 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2019 Individual study for the comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the graduate adviser. Individual Study for Masters Students: Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 601F

Individual Study for Masters Students: Sanskrit: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 602A Individual Study for Doctoral Students: South Asian Studies 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required for candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: South Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: For candidates for doctoral degree

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 602A

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: South Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 602B Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Tamil 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required for candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Tamil: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 602B

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Tamil: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 602C Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Hindi-Urdu 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required for candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Hindi-Urdu: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 602C

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Hindi-Urdu: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 602D Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Malay-Indonesian 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required for candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Malay-Indonesian: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 602D

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Malay-Indonesian: Read Less [-]

SSEASN 602E Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Southeast Asian Studies 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2016 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required for candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Southeast Asian Studies: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 602E

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Southeast Asian Studies: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN R5A Self, Representation, and Nation 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 This course is devoted to a study of selected literary texts set in various regions of Southeast Asia. The readings will include works by foreign authors who lived and traveled in Southeast Asia and translations of works by Southeast Asian writers. These texts will be used to make comparisons and observations with which to characterize coloniality, nationalism, and postcoloniality. This course satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement. Self, Representation, and Nation: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement

Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 10 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Ten hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Southeast Asian/Undergraduate

Grading/Final exam status: Final exam not required.

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies R5A

Self, Representation, and Nation: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN R5B Under Western Eyes 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 In this course, the student will read selections from the large body of scholarly texts that have been written about Southeast Asia. Expository and argumentative essays by premier scholars such as Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Margaret Mead, Clifford Geertz, and Benedict Anderson will be examined. Discussions will cover a broad range of theoretical issues including power, gender, and space. This course satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement. Under Western Eyes: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Previously passed an R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Previously passed an articulated R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Score a 4 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature and Composition. Score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition. Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English

Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week.

Grading/Final exam status: Alternative to final exam.

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies R5B

Under Western Eyes: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 10A Introduction to the Civilization of Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2020 Readings, lectures, and discussion of the culture and civilization of Southeast Asia. Mainland Southeast Asia: Covers the modern-day nations of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, etc., with special emphasis on the impact of Hinduism and Buddhism. (F,SP) Staff Introduction to the Civilization of Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Six hours of Lecture and One and one-half hours of Discussion per week for 8 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture and Two and one-half hours of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.

Instructor: Tiwon

Introduction to the Civilization of Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 10B Introduction to the Civilization of Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021 Readings, lectures, and discussion of the culture and civilization of Southeast Asia. Insular Southeast Asia: Covers the modern-day nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Special emphasis on the arts and their social and political context, with discussions on the impact of the colonial experience and the question of modernization vs. tradition. Introduction to the Civilization of Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Instructor: Hadler

SEASIAN 101A Introduction to the History, Religion, and Culture of Mainland Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023 This course is a survey of the histories, cultures, and religions of mainland Southeast Asia from the period of the early Khmer empire until the 2000s. It surveys the countries of Cambodia, Myanmar/Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. By the end of the course, students are expected to: (a) explain the broad patterns of historical change in mainland Southeast Asia from the 10th century to the present, (b) explain the major cultural shifts and religious formations that have shaped mainland Southeast Asia over the past thousand-plus years, (c) discuss cultural texts that reflect the history of mainland Southeast Asia, and (d) explain mainland Southeast Asia’s shifting relations with the world over the longue durée. Introduction to the History, Religion, and Culture of Mainland Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for SEASIAN 101A after completing SEASIAN 10A .

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Eight hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.

Introduction to the History, Religion, and Culture of Mainland Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 101B Introduction to the History, Religion, and Culture of Insular Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024 This course is a survey of the histories, cultures, and religions of insular Southeast Asia from the early modern period until the 2000s. It surveys the countries of Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor, and Singapore. By the end of the course, students are expected to: (a) explain the broad patterns of historical change in insular Southeast Asia from the early modern period to the present, (b) explain the major cultural shifts and religious formations that have shaped insular Southeast Asia over the period covered, (c) discuss cultural texts that reflect the history of insular Southeast Asia, and (d) explain insular Southeast Asia’s shifting relations with the world over the longue durée. Introduction to the History, Religion, and Culture of Insular Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for SEASIAN 101B after completing SEASIAN 10B .

Introduction to the History, Religion, and Culture of Insular Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 121 Visual Culture and the Environment in Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 The eleven nation-states that comprise the region of Southeast Asia are defined by their linguistic, cultural, economic, and sociopolitical diversity. One facet that plays a crucial role in binding this region is its environment. In order to explore both how the natural world has shaped the history of Southeast Asia and how the human relationship to the environment has changed over time, this course takes as its focus an examination of how “nature” or the environment in Southeast Asia has been and is being represented through various forms of visual culture. Each week we will focus our inquiry on a different theme including: the history of Hindu/Buddhist temple architecture and the arrival of Islam and its impact on visual representation. Visual Culture and the Environment in Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Eight hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Bruhn

Visual Culture and the Environment in Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 128 Introduction to Modern Indonesian and Malaysian Literature in Translation 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2014, Fall 2011, Fall 2009 This course will examine the role of contemporary literature in Indonesian/Malaysian society. Emphasis on the socio-political aspects of this literature in historical context. Genres discussed will include poetry, the novel, the short story, and drama. Introduction to Modern Indonesian and Malaysian Literature in Translation: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Introduction to Modern Indonesian and Malaysian Literature in Translation: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 129 Mainland Southeast Asian Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2020, Spring 2018 Readings and lectures focus on Thailand, Vietnam and Burma; Cambodian and Laotian materials as available. After brief attention to the influence of oral tradition, classical poetry, and dance drama, emphasis will be on modern novels, short stories, film, and television in their cultural/historical context. Mainland Southeast Asian Literature: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Upper division standing or consent of instructor

Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. Six hours of Lecture per week for 8 weeks.

Mainland Southeast Asian Literature: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 130 Articulations of the Female in Indonesia 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2014, Fall 2012 This course examines the impact of the history of literacy and literature upon the ways in which perceptions and roles of women are constructed and reinforced in a developing non-Western society. Course material includes literature, oral and manuscript narratives, ritual performance. Articulations of the Female in Indonesia: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Articulations of the Female in Indonesia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 137 Islam and Society in Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2016 This undergraduate seminar will be an investigation into key discourses on Islam in Southeast Asia, focusing on history, literature, and culture. We will trace the processes through which Islam entered the Malay world in the 13th century, and explore the European colonial encounters with Islam in Southeast Asia and the ways that Islam interacted with and resisted colonialism. We will discuss the role of mysticism and of reformists and will also explore the struggles of Islam as a minority religion in the Philippines and Thailand. Readings will include primary sources in translation, literary texts, ethnographic works, and writings by colonial and local scholars. Islam and Society in Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar/discussion/laboratory/field trips/videos per week.

Islam and Society in Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 138 Southeast Asian Cultures, Texts, and Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2010, Fall 2008, Fall 2006 This seminar will focus on the late colonial and national periods in Southeast Asia. Through literary and political texts as well as classical anthropological sources, we will explore different approaches to reading and analyzing Southeast Asian source material. There will be extensive readings of works of fiction and primary source material in translation, as well as occasional screenings of films. We will tackle broader themes and theoretical approaches to Southeast Asian sources and literatures and will discuss different approaches to reading modern Southeast Asian texts. The course is open to advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Southeast Asian Cultures, Texts, and Politics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Southeast Asian 10B or consent of instructor

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.

Southeast Asian Cultures, Texts, and Politics: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 148 Philippines: History, Literature, Performance 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2021 First 6 Week Session, Spring 2021, Summer 2020 First 6 Week Session The course focuses on Philippine history through literature and performance. Among the texts to be discussed are: traditional forms (rituals, poetry, songs, dances) that give insights to belief systems and economic, political, and social life during the indigenous or precolonial period; performance and literary forms that were instruments both of colonial conquest and anti-colonial movements; and theater and literature that participated in discourse on agrarian issues, labor, martial law and militarism, gender rights, academic freedom, and human rights. Philippines: History, Literature, Performance: Read More [+]

Objectives & Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to answer the following questions: what are the romantic, realist and radical conventions in Philippine literature and theater? How did literature and theater document significant events in Philippine history? How was literature instrumental in the shaping of history?

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed S,SEASN 148 do not get credit for SEASIAN 148 .

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Seven and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Barrios-Leblanc

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 148

Philippines: History, Literature, Performance: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 150 Southeast Asian Mythology 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2019 An introduction to the mythologies of Southeast Asia, providing a comparative overview of key myths. We will focus on indigenous narrative traditions encompassing myths of creation and origin, agricultural and maritime myths and practices, the founding of kingdoms, and indigenous geographies. We will further explore the role of myth in the contemporary world. Southeast Asian Mythology: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed S,SEASN 150 do not get credit for SEASIAN 150 .

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 150

Southeast Asian Mythology: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 152 Filipino Mythology 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2020 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session We will be reading Philippine myths, legends, indigenous poetry and epics. This includes traditional narrative forms such as the alamat (legends) and the kuwentong-bayan (folktales) and poetic forms such as the ambahan, diona, and tanaga. Among the questions the course explores are: How can we understand the way of life and belief systems of the ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines through their literatures? How do the dynamics between orality and literacy come into play in these Filipino literary texts? How have traditional forms been revitalized and transformed by writers to articulate contemporary concerns such as poverty, land reform, women’s issues, and human rights? Filipino Mythology: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Ten hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Barrios

Filipino Mythology: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 154 Philippines: Narratives of Tradition and Resistance 6 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Summer 2023 10 Week Session, Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session The course brings students on a research trip to the Philippines to learn through interviews and interactions with Filipino people, selected lectures by the Philippines’ leading scholars and interactive activities with the Philippines’ artists and writers. Philippines: Narratives of Tradition and Resistance: Read More [+]

Summer: 5 weeks - 6 hours of lecture, 8 hours of discussion, and 13 hours of fieldwork per week

Additional Format: Six hours of lecture and eight hours of discussion and thirteen hours of fieldwork per week for five weeks.

Philippines: Narratives of Tradition and Resistance: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 160 Philippine Cultural Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2021 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2020 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2019 First 6 Week Session Can a song inspire a revolution? The course focuses on literary, visual, and performance texts that participated in political discourses in the Philippines. What strategies did the writers and artists employ? How did writers and artists face issues of censorship and persecution? How did social movements influence these texts, and in turn, how did these texts contribute to these social movements? Philippine Cultural Politics: Read More [+]

Student Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course, students should have: gained knowledge on the dynamics between politics and culture in the Philippines; interrogated strategies used by writers and artists to participate in discourses on social change; demonstrated critical thinking through class discussions, weekly papers, and research paper as they analyze the texts presented; demonstrated research skills through their final paper.

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed S,SEASN 160 do not get credit for SEASIAN 160 .

Formerly known as: South and Southeast Asian Studies 160

Philippine Cultural Politics: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 162 Philippine Cuisine Narratives: Sinigang Stories 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2021 First 6 Week Session Have you tasted sinigang, lumpia, adobo, or for the adventurous, even balut? This seminar course focuses on Philippine cuisine and literary works that use Filipino food as inspiration, theme, or metaphor. Each class uses a particular dish, cooking method, or Filipino ingredient as a starting point in the discussion of Philippine literature, culture, and history. Each lesson has several components: a literary text, recipe/s, a participative class activity and an essay(s) that will help the students to have a better understanding of Philippine society. Philippine Cuisine Narratives: Sinigang Stories: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Six hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Instructors: Aban, Llagas

Philippine Cuisine Narratives: Sinigang Stories: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN C164 DUTCH C164 The Indonesian Connection: Dutch (Post)colonial History and Culture in Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Spring 2018, Spring 2014 This course deals with the Dutch colonial history of Indonesia, the former Dutch East Indies. After studying the importance of the East India Company in Southeast Asia and the history of Indonesia under colonial rule, we analyze a number of works in Dutch literature and film with a focus on post-colonialism and interculturality. This course intends to give an opportunity to those who do not have a command of Dutch language, but wish to complete their knowledge of Southeast-Asian history and culture. All materials will be in English, no knowledge of Dutch is required. DUTCH C164 The Indonesian Connection: Dutch (Post)colonial History and Culture in Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Also listed as: DUTCH C164

DUTCH C164 The Indonesian Connection: Dutch (Post)colonial History and Culture in Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 165 Introduction to the History and Culture of the Philippines 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course is a cultural history of the Philippines, from the birth of the nation in the nineteenth century to the present. It outlines the major events in Philippine history through cultural texts that reflect the salient attitudes and ideas of key periods. Not only will this course cover canonical works, it will also examine popular texts. Expect to discuss everything from anti-colonial novels, Tagalog garage rock, third world brutalism , Manila disco, power ballads, protest songs, romantic comedies, to contemporary crime dramas. Introduction to the History and Culture of the Philippines: Read More [+]

Instructor: Claudio

Introduction to the History and Culture of the Philippines: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 166 Southeast Asian Life Writing: Biography and the History of the Everyday 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020 This course uses biographies to narrate the history of modern Southeast Asia. It will not only examine prominent individuals who have shaped history, but also ordinary lives that reflect this history. This course will also investigate life writing as a non-fiction genre. For the final requirement, students will write a short biography of a Southeast Asian of their choice. Southeast Asian Life Writing: Biography and the History of the Everyday: Read More [+]

Instructors: Claudio, Lisandro

Southeast Asian Life Writing: Biography and the History of the Everyday: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 167 Contemporary Popular Cultures of the Philippines 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 This course is an overview of Philippine culture from the mid-twentieth century until present, with an emphasis on film, pop music, television, popular journalism, and food cultures. It examines the evolution of Philippine culture in light of broadcast and digital media. Contemporary Popular Cultures of the Philippines: Read More [+]

Contemporary Popular Cultures of the Philippines: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 170 Narratives of Vietnam and Vietnamese Diaspora 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Together we will read and view a variety of stories—told primarily in the form of prose fiction, poetry, essays, films and other visual art—by Vietnamese and overseas Vietnamese writers and artists who explore the consequences of colonialism, war, migration and resettlement for individuals, families and communities using vastly different aesthetic techniques and registering multiple social, cultural, political and personal concerns. We will attend especially to the ways in which war and postwar generation artists and writers define and refine what it means to be Vietnamese and diasporic Vietnamese in changing local, regional and global contexts, and how the past and present continue to be intertwined in our lives and narratives. Narratives of Vietnam and Vietnamese Diaspora: Read More [+]

Summer: 3 weeks - 15 hours of lecture per week 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Eight hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks. Fifteen hours of lecture per week for three weeks.

Narratives of Vietnam and Vietnamese Diaspora: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 175 Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2021 This seminar will explore the cultural, economic, social, political and religious history of th​e Chinese diaspora in 19​ to 21​ century Southeast Asia. Our focus is the shifting contexts of migration, representation and strategies of cultural identification/survival. We will explore colonial and nationalist projects, both in Southeast Asia and in China, to categorize “Overseas” Chinese through policies of taxation, and examine cultural flows, the role of religious and educational and associations and institutions, print and cinematic media, and material culture. Our primary focus countries are Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 188 Southeast Asian Cinema: History, Memory, Politics 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021 This Upper Division, seminar-style class introduces students to the modern history and politics of Southeast Asia, from the 1940s to the 2010s, through the lens of cinema and the frame of memory. From American B-Movies to Japanese anti-war features, media monarchs to Indie film-makers, spectral spouses to exorcist monks, Cambodian Claymation to Indonesia film noir, we explore cinema as a vehicle of propaganda, remembrance, experimentation, repression, expression and resistance – but most of all, as a theater of memory. Southeast Asian Cinema: History, Memory, Politics: Read More [+]

Southeast Asian Cinema: History, Memory, Politics: Read Less [-]

SEASIAN 190 Love Craft: Epic Romance of Southeast Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022 This course offers an advanced introduction to the literary history, cultural norms, poetic forms and textual traditions of 17 th  to 19 th  century Southeast Asia through a comparative study of three epic poems:  Tum Teav (Cambodia), Khun Chang Khun Phaen (Thailand), and Tale of Kieu (Vietnam).  We will explore the dynamics of desire and transgression, duty and sacrifice, kinship and kingship, and the interplay between folk, court, Buddhist , Confucian, and Hindu values.  Finally, we will consider the contemporary currency and iconic status of these works in Southeast Asia and in diaspora; what makes a national canon, and why these epic tales of love, loss and war, remain strangers to the west. Love Craft: Epic Romance of Southeast Asia: Read More [+]

Love Craft: Epic Romance of Southeast Asia: Read Less [-]

SASIAN C214 Seminar in Tibetan Buddhism 2 or 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2012 This course provides a place for graduate-level seminars in Tibetan Buddhism that rely primarily on secondary sources and Tibetan texts in translation. Content will vary between semesters but will typically focus on a particular theme. Themes will be chosen according to student interests, with an eye toward introducing students to the breadth of available western scholarship on Tibet, from classics in the field to the latest publications. Seminar in Tibetan Buddhism: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed S ASIAN C214 will not get credit for SASIAN C214 .

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: unit(s):three hours of seminar per week; 4 unit(s):three hours of seminar per week.

Subject/Course Level: South Asian/Graduate

Instructor: Dalton

Also listed as: BUDDSTD C214/TIBETAN C214

Seminar in Tibetan Buddhism: Read Less [-]

SASIAN C215 Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 This graduate seminar focuses on reading a wide spectrum of Indian Buddhist texts in the Sanskrit (or Pali) original introducing the students to different genres, and different aspects of Indian Buddhism. The students taking the course for two units (rather than four) will be expected to prepare thoroughly every week for the reading of Buddhist texts in the original. They will also be expected to read all related secondary literature that is assigned to supplement the study of the primary source material. In contrast to the students taking the course for four units, they will not be expected to write a term paper or to prepare special presentations for class. Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for S ASIAN C215 after completing S ASIAN 215A, or S ASIAN 215. A deficient grade in S ASIAN C215 may be removed by taking S ASIAN 215.

Instructor: Rospatt

Formerly known as: South Asian C215/Buddhist Studies C215

Also listed as: BUDDSTD C215

Readings in Indian Buddhist Texts: Read Less [-]

SASIAN C224 Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts 2 or 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 This seminar provides an introduction to a broad range of Tibetan Buddhist texts, including chronicles and histories, biographical literature, doctrinal treatises, canonical texts, ritual manuals, pilgrimage guides, and liturgical texts. It is intended for graduate students interested in premodern Tibet from any perspective. Students are required to do all of the readings in the original classical Tibetan. It will also serve as a tools and methods for the study of Tibetan Buddhist literature, including standard lexical and bibliographic references, digital resources, and secondary literature in modern languages. The content of the course will vary from semester to semester to account for the needs and interests of particular students. Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed S ASIAN C224 will not get credit for SASIAN C224

Also listed as: BUDDSTD C224/TIBETAN C224

Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts: Read Less [-]

SASIAN 240 The Realist Novel in South and South East Asia 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022 This course looks at the histories and the contexts of the realist novel through a comparative literary focus on South and South East Asia. By examining novels produced in both South and South East Asia from the 1900’s to the present, this course will look at how the writers in these regions deployed realism in complex and innovative ways to represent ideas of the individual and the collective. The Realist Novel in South and South East Asia: Read More [+]

Instructor: Kailasam

The Realist Novel in South and South East Asia: Read Less [-]

BANGLA 1A Introductory Bengali 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2021, Fall 2019 Students will be expected to acquire knowledge of the basic grammar of Bengali, such that they learn to read simple graded texts and to speak at the "low intermediate" level by the end of the year. Introductory Bengali: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A is prerequisite to 1B, or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 1 hour of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Four hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory per week.

Subject/Course Level: Bengali/Undergraduate

Introductory Bengali: Read Less [-]

BANGLA 1B Introductory Bengali 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2018 Students will be expected to acquire knowledge of the basic grammar of Bengali, such that they learn to read simple graded texts and to speak at the "low intermediate" level by the end of the year. Introductory Bengali: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Five hours of lecture per week.

BANGLA 101A Intermediate Bengali 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2018 Students are expected to be able to read, with the aid of a dictionary, modern Bengali literature, and speak at a "high-intermediate" level by the end of the year. There will be viewing of Bengali videos at a mutually agreed upon time and in class from time to time. Intermediate Bengali: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1B is prerequisite to 101A; 101A is prerequisite to 101B; or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of session per week

Summer: 10 weeks - 7.5 hours of session per week

Additional Format: Five hours of Session per week for 15 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Session per week for 10 weeks.

Intermediate Bengali: Read Less [-]

BANGLA 101B Intermediate Bengali 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2021, Spring 2019 Students are expected to be able to read, with the aid of a dictionary, modern Bengali literature, and speak at a "high-intermediate" level by the end of the year. There will be viewing of Bengali videos at a mutually agreed upon time and in class from time to time. Intermediate Bengali: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 101A or consent of instructor

BURMESE 1A Introductory Burmese 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2019 This introductory course in modern Burmese aims to provide students with a basic knowledge of Burmese by developing core competencies in the Burmese script and the spoken language. The course aims to equip students with foundational vocabulary, grammar, spoken and aural comprehension skills, and basic proficiency in written script. Introductory Burmese: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for BURMESE 1A after passing BURMESE 1B .

Subject/Course Level: Burmese/Undergraduate

Introductory Burmese: Read Less [-]

BURMESE 1B Introductory Burmese 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020 This introductory course in modern Burmese is a sequel to Burmese 1A, and aims to build upon the core competencies in the Burmese spoken language and writing system acquired in 1A. The course is designed to further develop student proficiency in reading and writing Burmese script, and in holding conversation. Instruction will include foundational vocabulary, grammar, spoken and aural comprehension, and basic proficiency in written expres sion. Introductory Burmese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Burmese 1A

BURMESE 100A Intermediate Burmese 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020 At the end of Intermediate Burmese (100A, 100B), non-native students will be able to speak Burmese using basic sentence structures, conjunctions, and modifiers to discuss a history, literature, music, and current events. They will also be able to read and write simple literary-style paragraphs describing daily activities, food, travel, family life, home life, and pop culture. Intermediate Burmese: Read More [+]

Intermediate Burmese: Read Less [-]

BURMESE 100B Intermediate Burmese 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2019 At the end of Intermediate Burmese (100A, 100B), non-native students will be able to speak Burmese using basic sentence structures, conjunctions, and modifiers to discuss a history, literature, music, and current events. They will also be able to read and write simple literary-style paragraphs describing daily activities, food, travel, family life, home life, and pop culture. Intermediate Burmese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Burmese 1A & 1B, or permission of the instructor

FILIPN 1A Introductory Filipino 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 A systematic introduction to the grammar, sentence patterns, and essential vocabulary of modern standard Filipino. Emphasis is placed on extensive practice in idiomatic Filipino conversation, with additional practice in reading and writing Filipino. Introductory Filipino: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A: None. 1B: 1A

Additional Format: Five hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Filipino/Undergraduate

Formerly known as: Tagalog 1A

Introductory Filipino: Read Less [-]

FILIPN 1B Introductory Filipino 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 A systematic introduction to the grammar, sentence patterns, and essential vocabulary of modern standard Filipino. Emphasis is placed on extensive practice in idiomatic Filipino conversation, with additional practice in reading and writing Filipino. Introductory Filipino: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1B

Instructor: Gosalvez

Formerly known as: Tagalog 1B

FILIPN 15 Intensive Introductory Filipino 10 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2012 8 Week Session Provides the learner with essential vocabulary and study of sentence structures and grammar. Topics include: everyday life, the use of language in negotiations in the community, language and culture; and the history of Tagalog/Pilipino/Filipino. Students read simple texts and write short essays/creative pieces. Intensive Introductory Filipino: Read More [+]

Summer: 8 weeks - 20 hours of lecture and 5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Twenty hours of Lecture and Five hours of Discussion per week for 8 weeks.

Instructor: Aban

Intensive Introductory Filipino: Read Less [-]

FILIPN 100A Intermediate Filipino 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 The goal of this course is to enable students to increase their proficiency in Filipino to at least the intermediate-high level of the national ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. While speaking and listening comprehension will be stressed, training in reading and writing Filipino will be an integral part of instruction. Films and video/audio materials will supplement written texts. Intermediate Filipino: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A-1B

Summer: 6 weeks - 12.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Five hours of lecture per week. Twelve and one-half hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Intermediate Filipino: Read Less [-]

FILIPN 100AB Intermediate Filipino AB 9 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2019 8 Week Session, Summer 2018 8 Week Session This is an intermediate class with emphasis on four basic skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The first part of the course involves a review and expansion of vocabulary and grammar learned in Introductory Filipino through dialogues, listening, reading and writing exercises. Then, students learn four necessary skills in the effective use of Filipino: describing a person, place, or feelings; narrating a story or an incident; defining and explaining; and reasoning. Intermediate Filipino AB: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Filipino 1AB or Filipino 15 or Filipino XY or Placement Exam or Consent of Instructor

Summer: 8 weeks - 10 hours of lecture and 7 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Ten hours of lecture and seven hours of discussion per week for 8 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required, with common exam group.

Intermediate Filipino AB: Read Less [-]

FILIPN 100B Intermediate Filipino 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The goal of this course is to enable students to increase their proficiency in Filipino to at least the intermediate-high level of the national ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. While speaking and listening comprehension will be stressed, training in reading and writing Filipino will be an integral part of instruction. Films and video/audio materials will supplement written texts. Intermediate Filipino: Read More [+]

FILIPN 101A Advanced Filipino 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Students read and discuss essays on language, literature, and Phillippine society, and literary texts. Topics include language and the nation; poetry and discourse; language and ideology; and "pananalinghaga" (tropes/metaphors) in understanding society. The students choose whether they would like to go on a creative (poetry, fiction) or a research track (essay). Advanced Filipino: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100A-100B or equivalent, or consent of instructor

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture/discussion per week.

Advanced Filipino: Read Less [-]

FILIPN 101B Advanced Filipino 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2021 Students read and discuss essays on language, literature, and Phillippine society, and literary texts. Topics include language and the nation; poetry and discourse; language and ideology; and "pananalinghaga" (tropes/metaphors) in understanding society. The students choose whether they would like to go on a creative (poetry, fiction) or a research track (essay). Advanced Filipino: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100A-100B, or equivalent, or consent of instructor

HINDI 1A Introductory Hindi 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course emphasizes development of the full range of Hindi language skills: reading, listening, comprehension, the use of grammatical structures, and oral and written communication—through a variety of learning themes. Individual and small group activities, interactive work and multimedia-based activities reinforce language skills and provide the platform for adapting the curriculum to specific student learning goals. Use of graded exercises and readings drawn from Hindi literature, leads to the mastery of grammatical structures, essential vocabulary and achievement of basic reading and writing competence. Introductory Hindi: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed HIN-URD 1A do not get credit for HINDI 1A

Subject/Course Level: Hindi/Undergraduate

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 1A

Introductory Hindi: Read Less [-]

HINDI 1B Introductory Hindi 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2021 Hindi writing systems. Survey of grammar. Graded exercises and readings drawn from Hindi literature, leading to mastery of grammatical structures and essential vocabulary and achievement of basic reading and writing competence. Introductory Hindi: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Completion of HINDI 1A (or HIN-URD 1A) or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed HINDURD 1B do not get credit for HINDI 1B

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 1B

HINDI 15 Intensive Elementary Hindi 10 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 A comprehensive introduction to modern standard Hindi. The Hindi (Devanagari) writing system; pronunciation; acquisition of grammar and basic vocabulary through graded exercises and readings; special emphasis on the ability to speak and understand Hindi (and spoken Urdu). Intensive Elementary Hindi: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed HINURD 15 do not get credit for HINDI 15

Summer: 8 weeks - 20 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Twenty hours of lecture per week for 8 weeks.

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 15

Intensive Elementary Hindi: Read Less [-]

HINDI 100A Intermediate Hindi 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Intermediate language course will focus on expanding all language skills (reading, writing, speaking), mastering grammar patterns and new vocabulary through authentic readings from classical and contemporary Hindi literature, epics, mythology and current events. This course acquaints students with representative readings from Hindi texts on pivotal cultural issues from a wide variety of sources, to enable them to acquire cultural competence in the language. Systematic training in advanced grammar and syntax, reinforced by exercises in composition, both oral and written will be integral part of the course. Special attention is given towards developing communication skills through audio/video, digital media and current events. Intermediate Hindi: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Hindi 1A or 1B (or HINDURD 1A or 1B) or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed HINURD 100A do not get credit for HINDI 100A

Instructor: Melnikova

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 100A

Intermediate Hindi: Read Less [-]

HINDI 100B Intermediate Hindi 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2021 This course acquaints students with representative readings from Hindi texts on pivotal cultural issues from a wide variety of sources, to enable them to acquire cultural competence in the language. Systematic training in advanced grammar and syntax, reinforced by exercises in composition, both oral and written. Special attention to developing communication skills. Intermediate Hindi: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed HINURD 100B do not get credit for HINDI 100B

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and laboratory work/visuals per week.

Instructor: Jain

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 100B

HINDI 101A Readings in Modern Hindi 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 This course, conducted entirely in Hindi, is for students who have achieved an intermediate level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing. Its objective is to move students toward a greater level of fluency in each of these key areas and to acquire language skills sufficient to approach literary texts on their own. Students use written assignments and discussions to explore contemporary literary genres including short stories, poems, and dramatic sketches from representative authors, focusing on various social, cultural, political, and historical aspects of Indian society. Includes advanced grammar & composition with special emphasis on vocabulary building, idioms, and problems of syntax. Readings in Modern Hindi: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Two years of Hindi or consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 101A

Readings in Modern Hindi: Read Less [-]

HINDI 101B Readings in Modern Hindi 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This course, conducted entirely in Hindi, is for students who have achieved an intermediate level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing. Its objective is to move students toward a greater level of fluency in each of these key areas and to acquire language skills sufficient to approach literary texts on their own. Students use written assignments and discussions to explore contemporary literary genres including short stories, poems, and dramatic sketches from representative authors, focusing on various social, cultural, political, and historical aspects of Indian society. Includes advanced grammar & composition with special emphasis on vocabulary building, idioms, and problems of syntax. Readings in Modern Hindi: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 101B

HINDI 221 Hindi Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2019 The course will focus on Hindi literature from the pre-modern and the modern periods. Topics will vary from year to year. Students will be expected to write a 25-30 page research paper. Hindi Literature: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Two years of Hindi or equivalent

Subject/Course Level: Hindi/Graduate

Instructor: Paramasivan

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 221

Hindi Literature: Read Less [-]

KHMER 1A Introductory Khmer 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Provides a command of the basic structures of standard spoken Cambodian and tools for reading and writing elementary texts. Through use of computer-based materials, a textbook, and communicative practice, students gain a foundation in "survival" spoken Khmer. This involves memorization of question and answer exchanges in Khmer which students are likely to encounter in modern Cambodia. Topics include greetings, speaking to teachers and elders and discussing language learning, talking about family and personal history, and food. Students learn the Khmer alphabet and important sight-words and to read and write simple sentences on everyday topics. Intended for non-native speakers of Khmer with no oral or aural comprehension in the language. Students will also learn important basic behaviors and courtesies necessary for smooth interaction in Khmer society and culture. Introductory Khmer: Read More [+]

Subject/Course Level: Khmer/Undergraduate

Instructors: Smith, F.

Introductory Khmer: Read Less [-]

KHMER 1B Introductory Khmer 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Students complete their study of everyday standard Khmer to a "survival" level. While the memorization of vocabulary and common personal exchanges practiced in 1A will make up the majority of material studied, students will have some opportunity to learn to improvise and talk about personal work and research interests in Khmer. Topics include transportation and directions, the world of work, religion, health, and conducting daily life in Cambodia. Students learn to read simple authentic texts such as folk tales, personal letters, forms, and roadside signs. Students continue their study of culturally appropriate behavior in the context of Khmer culture, including notions of "saving face" and maintaining social harmony. Introductory Khmer: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A or equivalent

KHMER 100A Intermediate Khmer 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Non-native speakers who have completed Beginning Khmer will build spoken proficiency with emphasis on everyday "storytelling" and the expression of emotions, feelings, and opinions. Students will gain experience reading progressively difficult authentic Khmer texts, including folk tales and newspaper articles. Native speakers with family exposure to Khmer will be introduced to the writing system. They will quickly "catch up" with non-native classmates who have studied the writing system before. All students will study important patterns and structures in Khmer grammar and morphology, and gain a foundation in formal spoken Khmer, express opinions and positions, form arguments, and learn to discuss a variety of topics with educated Khmer speakers. These include Khmer religion, village culture, news, and advertising. Intermediate Khmer: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A-1B or equivalent, or home exposure to Khmer

Intermediate Khmer: Read Less [-]

KHMER 100B Intermediate Khmer 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Students learn to read roadside signs, scholarly articles, and an entire Khmer novel. Topics include current events in Cambodia, Cambodian history and politics, and a basic overview of traditional Khmer literature. Much of this study will be accomplished by working on projects in groups with other students. One such project will involve the preparation and performance of a play based on sections of the modern Khmer novel students read in this course. All students will design and carry out an independent research project on the topic of their choice (which will account for 30% of the final grade), and present their research at the end of the second semester to an audience of their peers, entirely in Khmer. Intermediate Khmer: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100A

KHMER 101A Advanced Khmer 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course continues the themes and goals of 100B. Students will focus on the same broad topics covered in Intermediate Khmer--religion, traditional culture, and the language of public information (news and advertising)--but they will learn more advanced vocabulary and grammatical structures necessary for the discussion of these topics with educated native speakers, and read more advanced texts dealing with these topics than the Intermediate students. Additional material beyond the Intermediate curriculum includes reading and analyzing historical folk tales, learning to discuss the rice-farming cycle, and acquiring the tools to discuss research and "development" work in Cambodia at a sophisticated level. Advanced Khmer: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Two years of Khmer or consent of instructor

Advanced Khmer: Read Less [-]

KHMER 101B Advanced Khmer 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016 Students will read advanced texts dealing with the topics of politics and history. They will also gain exposure to traditional verse texts, and read, discuss, and undertake group projects based on a variety of modern Khmer short stories. As in the case with Intermediate Khmer, students will also undertake substantial independent study, culminating in a final oral presentation. However, the standard by which both written and oral material will be judged will be much higher for Advanced students. Special attention will be paid to formal speaking style and advanced grammatical structures in Khmer for all students, and colloquial spoken expression for non-native speakers. Advanced Khmer: Read More [+]

INDONES 1A Introductory Indonesian 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Survey of grammar, graded exercises, and readings drawn from Indonesian texts, leading to a mastery of basic language patterns, essential vocabulary, and to achievement of basic reading, writing, and conversational competence. Emphasis on developing communicative skills. Introductory Indonesian: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed MALAY/I 1A will not get credit for INDONES 1A

Subject/Course Level: Indonesian/Undergraduate

Instructor: Lunde

Formerly known as: Malay/Indonesian 1A

Introductory Indonesian: Read Less [-]

INDONES 1B Introductory Indonesian 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Survey of grammar, graded exercises, and readings drawn from Indonesian texts, leading to a mastery of basic language patterns, essential vocabulary, and to achievement of basic reading, writing, and conversational competence. Emphasis on developing communicative skills. Introductory Indonesian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Completion of INDONES 1A (formerly MALAYI 1A) or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed MALAY/I 1B do not get credit for INDONES 1B

Formerly known as: Malay/Indonesian 1B

INDONES 100A Intermediate Indonesian 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Readings in Indonesian texts, including newspapers, journals, and literature exploring a variety of styles. Systematic study of grammatical and lexical problems arising from these readings. Advanced exercises in composition, oral and written communicative skills, and cultural competence. Intermediate Indonesian: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed MALAY/I 100A do not get credit for INDONES 100A

Formerly known as: Malay/Indonesian 100A

Intermediate Indonesian: Read Less [-]

INDONES 100B Intermediate Indonesian 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2021 Readings in Indonesian texts, including newspapers, journals, and literature exploring a variety of styles. Systematic study of grammatical and lexical problems arising from these readings. Advanced exercises in composition, oral and written communicative skills, and cultural competence. Intermediate Indonesian: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Successful completion of INDONES 1B (formerly MALAY/I 1B) or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed MALAY/I 100B do not get credit for INDONES 100B

Formerly known as: Malay/Indonesian 100B

INDONES 210A Seminar in Malay Letters and Oral Traditions 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2019 Various aspects of Indonesian and Malay language, history and development of the language, classical literature, drama, oral literature, modern literature of Indonesia and Malaysia, and dialect studies. Applies various theoretical approaches to the study of the language and literature. Seminar in Malay Letters and Oral Traditions: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.

Subject/Course Level: Indonesian/Graduate

Formerly known as: Malay/Indonesian 210A

Seminar in Malay Letters and Oral Traditions: Read Less [-]

INDONES 210B Seminar in Malay Letters and Oral Traditions 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Various aspects of Malay language and literature, history and development of the language, classical literature, drama, oral literature, modern literature of Indonesia and Malaysia, and dialect studies. Applies various theoretical approaches to the study of the language and literature. Seminar in Malay Letters and Oral Traditions: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Malay/Indonesian 210B

INDONES 232 Readings in Modern Indonesian and Malaysian Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This course will focus on the 20th century literatures of Indonesia and Malaysia. Emphasis will be on the socio-cultural matrix of such modern genres as the novel, the short story, and poetry. Lectures and most course work in Indonesian. Readings in Modern Indonesian and Malaysian Literature: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Two years of Malay/Indonesian or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students who have taken MAYALY/I 132 or MALAY/I 232 will not receive credit for INDONES 232

Formerly known as: Malay/Indonesian 232

Readings in Modern Indonesian and Malaysian Literature: Read Less [-]

PUNJABI 1A Introductory Punjabi 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Gurmukhi script. Survey of grammar. Graded exercises, leading to a mastery of basic language patterns, essential vocabulary, and achievement of basic reading and writing skills. Introductory Punjabi: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A is prerequisite to 1B

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

Subject/Course Level: Punjabi/Undergraduate

Instructors: Ubhi, Upkar

Introductory Punjabi: Read Less [-]

PUNJABI 1B Introductory Punjabi 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Gurmukhi script. Survey of grammar. Graded exercises, leading to a mastery of basic language patterns, essential vocabulary, and achievement of basic reading and writing skills. Introductory Punjabi: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and Two hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Ubhi

PUNJABI 15 Intensive Elementary Punjabi 10 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2000 10 Week Session, Summer 1998 10 Week Session, Summer 1997 10 Week Session A comprehensive introduction to modern standard Punjabi as spoken in India and Pakistan. The Gurmukhi writing system; pronunciation; asquisition of grammar and basic vocabulary through graded exercises and readings; special emphasis on the ability to speak and understand Punjabi. Intensive Elementary Punjabi: Read More [+]

Summer: 8 weeks - 20 hours of lecture and 5 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Twenty hours of Lecture and Five hours of Laboratory per week for 8 weeks.

Instructor: Singh

Intensive Elementary Punjabi: Read Less [-]

PUNJABI 100A Intermediate Punjabi 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Focus on reading, writing and speaking Punjabi more fluently in formal and informal contexts. Selected readings vary every semester. These form the starting point to stimulate students' own writings which include a long interview with a Punjabi elder from the wider community. These may be recorded in the students' own voices and form a contribution to the ongoing "Punjabi Voices" project. Review of grammar provided as needed in addition to the introduction of more complex grammatical structures. Grading based on performance in class and final presentation, weekly quizzes, two midterms, and a final. Intermediate Punjabi: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1B is prerequisite to 100A; 100A is prerequisite to 100B

Intermediate Punjabi: Read Less [-]

PUNJABI 100B Intermediate Punjabi 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Focus on reading, writing and speaking Punjabi more fluently in formal and informal contexts. Selected readings vary every semester. These form the starting point to stimulate students' own writings which include a long interview with a Punjabi elder from the wider community. These may be recorded in the students' own voices and form a contribution to the ongoing "Punjabi Voices" project. Review of grammar provided as needed in addition to the introduction of more complex grammatical structures. Grading based on performance in class and final presentation, weekly quizzes, two midterms, and a final. Intermediate Punjabi: Read More [+]

SANSKR 100A Elementary Sanskrit 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Elements of Sanskrit grammar and practice in reading Sanskrit texts. Elementary Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Six hours of lecture per week.

Subject/Course Level: Sanskrit/Undergraduate

Instructor: S. Goldman

Elementary Sanskrit: Read Less [-]

SANSKR 100B Elementary Sanskrit 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Elements of Sanskrit grammar and practice in reading Sanskrit texts. Elementary Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Completion of SANSKR 100A or equivalent

SANSKR 101A Intermediate Sanskrit: Epic and Puracic Sanskrit 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Introduces students to the itihasa/puraic traditions and related commentarial style of Sanskrit. An extended passage from Valmiki's Ramayaada, Vyasa's Mahabharata, or one of the Mahapuradas is normally read with commentary, if available. The development of strong reading skills is the focus of the class. Additionally, students are introduced to the use of hard copy and web-based resources. Grammar is reviewed and explained as needed. Students are also introduced to the current scholarship on epic literature. Students are expected to memorize at least one verse per class for recitation. Emphasis is placed on correct prosody and pronunciation. Submission of an annotated translation project, assigned in class, is required. Intermediate Sanskrit: Epic and Puracic Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: Course content changes every semester and may be repeated for credit. Reading of texts in the original language. Students are expected to prepare readings for translation in class. Mastering of grammar and genre-specific style is emphasized. Additionally students skills in writing, listening, and speaking of Sanskrit are further developed.

Prerequisites: 100B. 101B may be taken before 101A with consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4.5 hours of lecture per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Four hours of lecture per week. Six hours of lecture per week for 8 weeks. Eight hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Intermediate Sanskrit: Epic and Puracic Sanskrit: Read Less [-]

SANSKR 101B Intermediate Sanskrit: Sastraic (Scientific) Sanskrit 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2021 Introduces students to Sanskrit sastra and related commentary. Reading selections are generally taken from either the grammatical (vyakaraada), literary critical )alakarasatra) or the philosophical (darsana) tradition, including such works as Mahabhaya, Tarkasagraha, Kavyadarsa, etc. Reading skills and familiarity with resources - hard copy and web-based - as well as current trends and scholarship in the relevant areas are emphasized. Grammar is reviewed and explained as needed. Students are expected to memorize at least one verse per class. Emphasis is placed on correct prosody and pronunciation. Submission of an annotated translation or similar project, assigned in class, is required. Intermediate Sanskrit: Sastraic (Scientific) Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: Course content changes every semester and may be repeated for credit. Intensive language instruction - reading of texts in the original language. Students are expected to prepare readings for translation in class. Mastering of grammar and genre-specific style is emphasized. Additionally students' skills in writing, listening, and speaking of Sanskrit are further developed.

Intermediate Sanskrit: Sastraic (Scientific) Sanskrit: Read Less [-]

SANSKR 101C Intermediate Sanskrit: Sahitya (Literary Sanskrit) 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Fall 2020, Spring 2019 Introduces students to classical literary Sanskrit (sahitya) and commentary, where available. An extended passage of a kavya and/or an entire plat (naaka) is read, Works of Kalidasa, Bhasa, and the like are normally read. Developing strong reading skills is the focus of the class. Students develop skills to use hard copy and web-based resources. Grammar is reviewed and explained as needed. Students are also introduced to current scholarship and trends in literary analysis. Students are expected to memorize at least one verse per class. Emphasis is placed on correct prosody and pronunciation. Submission of an annotated translation project, assigned in class, is required. Course content changes every semester and may be repeated for credit. Intermediate Sanskrit: Sahitya (Literary Sanskrit): Read More [+]

Course Objectives: Intensive language instruction - reading of texts in the original language. Students are expected to prepare readings for translation in class. Mastering of grammar and genre-specific style is emphasized. Additionally students' skills in writing, listening, and speaking of Sanskrit are further developed.

Prerequisites: Prerequisite: Sanskrit 100AB or equivalent

Intermediate Sanskrit: Sahitya (Literary Sanskrit): Read Less [-]

SANSKR 200A Sanskrit Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2021 Advanced readings in Sanskrit literature, including Sanskrit ornate poetry with emphasis on the canons of poetic analysis of the Indian aesthetic tradition. Sanskrit Literature: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 101B or equivalent

Subject/Course Level: Sanskrit/Graduate

Instructor: R.P. Goldman

Sanskrit Literature: Read Less [-]

SANSKR 200B Sanskrit Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021 Advanced readings in Sanskrit literature, including Sanskrit ornate poetry with emphasis on the canons of poetic analysis of the Indian aesthetic tradition. Sanskrit Literature: Read More [+]

SANSKR 203 Vedic Sanskrit 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2009, Fall 2000, Spring 1999 Readings from the and other Vedic texts, including and . Knowledge of German and/or French is recommended. Vedic Sanskrit: Read More [+]

Vedic Sanskrit: Read Less [-]

SANSKR 206 Middle Indic 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2008 Introduction to Middle Indic. An intensive study of texts in one or more of the Prakrit dialects, Pali, or Apabhramsa. Middle Indic: Read More [+]

Middle Indic: Read Less [-]

SANSKR 207 Sanskrit Philosophical Texts 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Fall 2009 Reading of a Sanskrit philosophical, logical, or grammatical text, with attention to philosophical, logical, or grammatical features. Text to be chosen in consultation with students. Sanskrit Philosophical Texts: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Two years of Sanskrit or equivalent

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Seminar and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Sanskrit Philosophical Texts: Read Less [-]

TAMIL 1A Introductory Tamil 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 The grammar of modern Tamil will be covered followed by readings in simple texts. Practice will also be given in spoken Tamil. Introductory Tamil: Read More [+]

Subject/Course Level: Tamil/Undergraduate

Instructor: K. Hart

Introductory Tamil: Read Less [-]

TAMIL 1B Introductory Tamil 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The grammar of modern Tamil will be covered followed by readings in simple texts. Practice will also be given in spoken Tamil. Introductory Tamil: Read More [+]

TAMIL 101A Readings in Tamil 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 These courses introduce students to a variety of literary styles. 101A will consist of weekly readings and discussions of short stories, poems, and dramatic sketches from representative authors. Short written assignments on themes suggested by the readings are required. Special attention is paid to matters of style and idiom. 101B is devoted to viewing films based on a variety of themes (social, village, mythological, classical Tamil) and to reading scripts and oral written exercises. Students will acquire language skills sufficient to approach literary texts on their own. Readings in Tamil: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: one-year of Tamil or consent of instructor

Readings in Tamil: Read Less [-]

TAMIL 101B Readings in Tamil 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016 These courses introduce students to a variety of literary styles. 101A will consist of weekly readings and discussions of short stories, poems, and dramatic sketches from representative authors. Short written assignments on themes suggested by the readings are required. Special attention is paid to matters of style and idiom. 101B is devoted to viewing films based on a variety of themes (social, village, mythological, classical Tamil) and to reading scripts and oral written exercises. Students will acquire language skills sufficient to approach literary texts on their own. Readings in Tamil: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1-year of Tamil or consent of instructor

TAMIL 210A Seminar in Tamil Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014 Readings in advanced Tamil. Texts to be determined by the needs of the student. Seminar in Tamil Literature: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Tamil 100B or consent of instructor

Subject/Course Level: Tamil/Graduate

Seminar in Tamil Literature: Read Less [-]

TAMIL 210B Seminar in Tamil Literature 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017 Readings in advanced Tamil. Texts to be determined by the needs of the student. Seminar in Tamil Literature: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100B

Instructor: G. Hart

TELUGU 1A Elementary Telugu 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 The focus of this course will be on systematic grammar, essential vocabulary, and conversations. The goal is to achieve basic reading, writing, and conversational competence as well as exposure to Telugu culture and traditions through language learning. Students will be able to read short stories by the end of this course with some facility. Elementary Telugu: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Four hours of lecture per week.

Subject/Course Level: Telugu/Undergraduate

Instructor: Rajulu

Elementary Telugu: Read Less [-]

TELUGU 1B Elementary Telugu 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The focus of this course will be on systematic grammar, essential vocabulary, and conversations. The goal is to achieve basic reading, writing, and conversational competence as well as exposure to Telugu culture and traditions through language learning. Students will be able to read short stories by the end of this course with some facility. Elementary Telugu: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A is a prerequisite for 1B

THAI 1A Introduction to Thai 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2018 This course is designed for students who have little or no knowledge of the Thai language. The focus of Thai 1A is to build vocabulary and develop the ability to speak with correct pronunciation through basic conversation in day-to-day settings. Students will be introduced to the Thai alphabets and syllable construction rules. To prepare students for intensive literacy acquisition in the spring semester, students are expected to read and write simple words and short sentences by the end of the semester. The class will study common facts about Thailand, etiquette, customs, and values in contemporary Thai culture, through discussion, proverbs, and participation in cultural activities. Introduction to Thai: Read More [+]

Subject/Course Level: Thai/Undergraduate

Instructor: Hope

Introduction to Thai: Read Less [-]

THAI 1B Introduction to Thai 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2021, Spring 2019 Continuing on from the fundamental knowledge of syllable construction learned in Thai 1A, this course is designed to rapidly elevate student's literacy, with the goal of completely abandoning transcription by mid-semester. By the end of the course, students should be reading and writing short descriptive and creative essays, equivalent to 2nd grade students in Thai school. Students continue to learn new vocabulary, grammar and practical thematic conversation with the opportunity to practice with native speakers. Students will also be introduced to Thai customs, culture and value, through a variety of media and cultural activities. Thai is used as the language of instruction up to 20% of the time. Introduction to Thai: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Thai 1A, (Beginning Introductory Thai) or equivalent, by consent of instructor. Ability to speak some Thai and carry out basic conversation about oneself, family, food, and numbers. Knowledge of the alphabet, and ability to read and write simple words at rudimentary level

THAI 100A Intermediate Thai 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2019, Fall 2017 This course continues to integrate cultural awareness into language education. The emphasis shifts from the concrete to the abstract. Students will begin to read and write compound sentences, formal essays, and letters. Students will have the opportunity to practice conversation with native speakers. Students will also watch Thai films throughout the semester. Thai as the language of instruction will gradually increase from 20% up to 50%. By the end of the semester, students should have acquired a level of literacy equivalent to 4th grade in Thai schools. Intermediate Thai: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Thai 1B (Upper Introductory Thai) or equivalent, by consent of instructor. At least medium fluency in spoken and written Thai. Ability to conduct small talk with sufficient fluency. Ability to read and write equivalent to 2nd grade level in Thai school

Intermediate Thai: Read Less [-]

THAI 100B Intermediate Thai 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2018 A continuation of Intermediate Thai 100A. Students will learn to read longer and more abstract writing, advertisements from newspapers, and articles from magazines and webpage. The class will cover expressions, figures of speech, higher level grammar, and hierarchical pronouns. Writing will move from descriptive to expository. To increase verbal skills and cultural education, students will watch karaoke, TV advertisements, and films. Students will also have regular intensive conversation practice and in-class presentation. The language of instruction will be in Thai approximately 50% to 70% of the time. By the end of the semester, the average student should have acquired a level of literacy equivalent to 5th to 6th grade in Thai schools. Intermediate Thai: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Thai 100A (Lower Intermediate Thai) or equivalent, by consent of instructor. Ability to read descriptive articles, and write short composition equivalent to 3rd - 4th grade students in Thai school. Capable of carrying informal conversation on a general subject with medium fluency

THAI 101A Advanced Thai 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2018 In this third-year course, students further improve active literacy by reading and listening to authentic materials from a variety of contemporary sources including print, web, and broadcast media, and short stories. The class will learn the history of Thailand in the Ayuddhaya period and explore the Thai cultural psyche in order to gain a deeper understanding of cultural values and constructs, their historical development, and the dialectical forces of the old and the new. Students will be required to employ the language in critical analysis and debate in both writing and speech. Advanced Thai: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of reading per week

Additional Format: Three hours of reading per week.

Advanced Thai: Read Less [-]

THAI 101B Advanced Thai 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019 This course is designed to enhance students’ competence in reading and writing Thai. Students will be reading texts from "The Thai Cultural Reader," newspapers, news from the internet, and selected short stories. The students will improve their listening skills and will discuss selected topics both orally and in writing. The language of instruction is Thai. Advanced Thai: Read More [+]

URDU 1A Introductory Urdu 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Summer 2023 First 6 Week Session The course concentrates on developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and aural comprehension. Evaluation is based on attendance, written homework assignments, quizzes, dictations, and examinations. Conventional teaching materials may be supplemented by popular songs and clips from contemporary Indian cinema. Introductory Urdu: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for URDU 1A after completing HINDURD 2A.

Additional Format: Five hours of lecture per week. Ten hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Urdu/Undergraduate

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 2A

Introductory Urdu: Read Less [-]

URDU 1B Introductory Urdu 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2023 The course concentrates on developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and aural comprehension. Evaluation is based on attendance, written homework assignments, quizzes, dictations, and examinations. Conventional teaching materials may be supplemented by popular songs and clips from contemporary Indian cinema. Introductory Urdu: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Completion of URDU 1A (formerly HINURD 2A) or consent of the instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed HINURD 2B will not receive credit for URDU 1B .

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 2B

URDU 100A Intermediate Urdu 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Introduces various types of written and spoken Urdu; vocabulary building, idioms, and problems of syntax; and conversation. Reading of selected fiction and nonfiction in modern Urdu, including fables, short stories, and poetry. Exercises in grammar, conversation, and composition. Intermediate Urdu: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Urdu 1A-1B (formerly HINURD 2A - 2B)

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for HINURD 100A after completing HINURD 103A.

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture/laboratory per week.

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 103A

Intermediate Urdu: Read Less [-]

URDU 100B Intermediate Urdu 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Introduces various types of written and spoken Urdu; vocabulary building, idioms, and problems of syntax; and conversation. Reading of selected fiction and nonfiction in modern Urdu, including fables, short stories, and poetry. Exercises in grammar, conversation, and composition. Intermediate Urdu: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Successful completion of URDU 1A - 1B (formerly HINURD 2A-2B) or permission by the instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for HINURD 100B after completing HINURD 103B.

Additional Format: Successful completion of Urdu 2A-2B.

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 103B

URDU 101A Advanced Urdu 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 Reading of Urdu prose and poetry in a variety of literary and scholarly styles; composition. Topics in advanced grammar; designed to improve proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be expected to converse in a clearly participatory fashion, initiate, sustain, and bring to closure a wide variety of communicative tasks using diverse language strategies. Advanced Urdu: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Two years of Urdu or consent of instructor

Summer: 6 weeks - 4 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week. Four hours of lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Bruce

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 104A

Advanced Urdu: Read Less [-]

URDU 101B Advanced Urdu 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Reading of Urdu prose and poetry in a variety of literary and scholarly styles; composition. Topics in advanced grammar; designed to improve proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will be expected to converse in a clearly participatory fashion, initiate, sustain, and bring to closure a wide variety of communicative tasks using diverse language strategies. Advanced Urdu: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Hindi-Urdu 104B

VIETNMS 1A Introductory Vietnamese 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 An introduction to modern spoken and written Vietnamese, including intensive drill on basic phonology and grammar. By the end of the second semester the student should be able to function successfully in ordinary Vietnamese conversation and read simple texts of moderate difficulty. Introductory Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A or equivalent or consent of instructor is a prerequiste for 1B

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5-5 hours of lecture per week

Subject/Course Level: Vietnamese/Undergraduate

Introductory Vietnamese: Read Less [-]

VIETNMS 1B Introductory Vietnamese 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 An introduction to modern spoken and written Vietnamese, including intensive drill on basic phonology and grammar. By the end of the second semester the student should be able to function successfully in ordinary Vietnamese conversation and read simple texts of moderate difficulty. Introductory Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A or equivalent or consent of instructor

VIETNMS 15 Intensive Introductory Vietnamese 10 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2016 8 Week Session, Summer 2012 10 Week Session, Summer 2012 8 Week Session Provides the learner with essential vocabulary, grammar, and literacy through intensive drills and written and oral exercises. By the end of the course, students should be able to function successfully in everyday Vietnamese conversation and read simple texts of moderate difficulty. Intensive Introductory Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Instructor: Tran

Intensive Introductory Vietnamese: Read Less [-]

VIETNMS 100A Intermediate Vietnamese 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 A second-year course in Vietnamese vocabulary and syntax with intensive drills on short colloquial expressions and auditory recognition of speech patterns. First semester course stresses phraseology, sentence building, rules of composition and development of students' communicative skills. By the end of the second semester students will learn to speak and write simple compositions and will have a cursory introduction to Vietnamese literature and sample readings from contemporary Vietnamese writers. Intermediate Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1A-1B, or consent of instructor; 100A or consent of instructor is a prerequisite for 100B

Intermediate Vietnamese: Read Less [-]

VIETNMS 100B Intermediate Vietnamese 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 A second-year course in Vietnamese vocabulary and syntax with intensive drills on short colloquial expressions and auditory recognition of speech patterns. First semester course stresses phraseology, sentence building, rules of composition and development of students' communicative skills. By the end of the second semester students will learn to speak and write simple compositions and will have a cursory introduction to Vietnamese literature and sample readings from contemporary Vietnamese writers. Intermediate Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100A, or consent of instructor

VIETNMS 101 Late Intermediate/Early Advanced Vietnamese 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 The goal of Late Intermediate/Early Advanced Vietnamese is to improve conversational fluency,advanced reading competence, and facility in writing. This course also provides an introduction to Vietnamese literature and culture. Readings will include folk tales, short stories, and poems. By the end of the course, students should have built solid skills in reading, speaking, and writing Vietnamese and be prepared to take advanced Vietnamese language and literature courses.Regular attendance and participation in classroom activities is mandatory. Little English will be spoken in class. Late Intermediate/Early Advanced Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Instructors: Nguyen, Tran

Late Intermediate/Early Advanced Vietnamese: Read Less [-]

VIETNMS 101A Advanced Vietnamese 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course is intended to help students with an intermediate knowledge of Vietnamese improve their capacity to read advanced literary texts. It will also enhance the speaking and listening skills of students and their writing ability. The course also aims to introduce students to Vietnamese literature during the immediate post-war and Renovation periods, from 1976 to 1995. Students will also listen to songs composed during the same period, and watch 3 movies. Advanced Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100B or equivalent

Advanced Vietnamese: Read Less [-]

VIETNMS 101B Advanced Vietnamese 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course is intended to help students with an intermediate knowledge of Vietnamese improve their capacity to read advanced literary texts. It will also enhance the speaking and listening skills of students and their writing ability. The course also aims to introduce students to Vietnamese literature during the Vietnam War period of 1956-1975. Students will also listen to songs composed during the same period. Advanced Vietnamese: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Vietnamese 101A or equivalent

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for VIETNMS 101B after completing VIETNAM 101B.

Contact Information

Department of south and southeast asian studies.

7233 Dwinelle Hall

Berkeley, CA 94720-2540

Phone: 510-642-4218

Department Chair

Paula Varsano

3325 Dwinnelle Hall

[email protected]

Graduate Advisor

Kristen Brooks

7307 Dwinelle Hall

Phone: 510-642-4219

[email protected]

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PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

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The PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is offered at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies to those students who wish to study Chinese Studies, East Asian Studies, Hebrew Studies, Korean Studies, Japanese Studies, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (Arabic or Persian), and Sanskrit and South Asian Studies.

Our researchers are engaged in internationally recognised work in the history, literature, linguistics, social anthropology, sociology, politics and contemporary culture of the Middle East, North Africa, China, Japan and the two Koreas. In addition, the work of several staff crosses traditional boundaries, both geographical and subject based. Please see our Research pages for more information about the kind of research carried out in the Faculty.

Before you apply, it is essential that you contact your prospective supervisor to discuss your proposed research.

The PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is a three to four-year course consisting of individual supervisions and guided research. Students are given guidance in areas specific to their subject and in advanced research methods. In the Easter term of the first year, students submit a PhD progress examination, which usually consists of a critical essay and a general statement about progress to date and the likely course of their future research. At the end of the programme students submit a PhD thesis, followed by a viva.

Further information about the programme and the supervisors can be found on our Faculty's website.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of each PhD programme, students will be expected to have:

• acquired the ability to read, interpret  and translate primary sources fluently in their subject area;
• acquired an excellent knowledge of the general scholarship on their chosen research topic;
• acquired an in-depth and focused knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subject of their thesis;
• developed the ability to formulate original research questions and produce a well-constructed argument to answer them, in the form of an independent piece of research based on the use of primary and secondary sources; and
• developed advanced, independent library- and internet-based research skills concomitant with successful completion of a higher research degree.

Students who wish to continue onto a PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies will need to have at least 67 per cent in a relevant language bachelor's degree from a UK university or its equivalent overseas. They also must already hold a master's qualification in the language they intend to study, which should have been awarded a score of at least 67 per cent from a UK university or its equivalent overseas. They also need to satisfy any pre-existing requirements set by the Degree Committee, i.e. English language requirement.

EU and International students can find information about their country's equivalent continuation mark from the Postgraduate Admissions International Qualifications page.

Those students who are enrolled in an MPhil by Advanced Studies at the University of Cambridge and wish to continue to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies will be required to obtain at least 67 per cent overall in their MPhil by Advanced Studies degree and satisfy any pre-existing requirements also set by the Degree Committee, i.e. English language requirement.

For those students who are enrolled in an MPhil by Research at the University of Cambridge, admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each applicant on their own merits and in accordance with its own set of rules and regulations.  Please contact the Postgraduate Administrator if you require further details.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, faculty of asian and middle eastern studies, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Easter 2024 (Closed)

Michaelmas 2024 (closed), easter 2025, funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Muslim-Jewish Relations) MPhil
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Hebrew and Semitic Studies) MPhil
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (Middle Eastern Studies) MPhil
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Modern Middle Eastern Studies) MPhil
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (Japanese Studies) MPhil

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This program is intended for students who wish to obtain a doctorate in order to pursue an academic career in the study of the literature and languages of China, Japan, Korea, or South Asia.  We do not offer a terminal Masters degree in Asian Cultures and Languages.

Students may be admitted to the Masters/PhD in Asian Cultures and Languages with a Bachelor's degree or with a Master's degree in another field.

Specialization in East Asia : Students who specialize in East Asia normally have a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language and literature, or an area studies degree with a concentration in East Asia. Students must have completed at least two years of college-level Chinese, Japanese, or Korean with a grade of at least B in each course, or must demonstrate equivalent competence, before admission to the program.

Specialization in South Asia : Students who specialize in South Asia normally have a Bachelor of Arts in area studies or in a traditional discipline, with a concentration in South Asia. Most applicants have knowledge of a South Asian language before applying for admission. Students without this knowledge but whose applications are otherwise outstanding may also be accepted.

Students may complete first- and second-year college level language coursework after they are admitted, but these courses will not be counted toward the master's degree.

Degree Program

The following information is effective as of the  2022-2023 Graduate Handbook .  Every effort has been made to insure the accuracy of this information.  In the event of discrepancy between this information and the Graduate Catalog , the Graduate Catalog takes precedence.

The MA/PhD program requires a minimum of 48 credit hours of coursework and consists of two phases. The first phase (Master of Arts) requires thirty credit hours of coursework, including the report course. In December of the second year in the Master’s program, students will receive a formal review to determine if they may continue on to the Doctoral program. Successful completion of the Master's Report, which shows the student's ability to conduct independent research, is required for admission to the PhD phase of the Asian Cultures and Languages program. 

The PhD phase of the program requires at least 18 credit hours of coursework beyond the Master’s degree, in addition to dissertation courses. Competency in at least one modern foreign language that will be used in research is required.  Areas of specialization must be approved by the Graduate Adviser.  The minor must be a different topic than the major; a student may have a secondary language or a relevant  graduate portfolio program  as his/her minor.

The 30-hour Master's curriculum includes:

• 9 hours in the student's major area of specialization (e.g., Japanese culture, Indian religion, Chinese literature, etc.)
• 3 hours graduate research methods of the appropriate discipline (e.g., historiography, literary theory or criticism, etc.)
• 3 hours related to the general historical or cultural background of Asia in the major area
• 6 hours in advanced language courses (third-year level or beyond)
• 6 hours of electives
• 3 hours of Masters Report

The 18-hour PhD curriculum includes:

• 6 hours in the student's major area of specialization 
• 9 hours in the student's minor area of specialization
• Completion of the research language
• Dissertation courses

Please see the suggested timeline for completing the MA/PhD in Asian Cultures and Languages. 

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• ACL MA/PhD Student Handbook
• Suggested Timeline for Completing the ACL MA/PhD
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The PhD program in the Department of Asian Studies offers a thesis-based PhD degree to students working in a variety of regions and disciplines.

Before applying, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their prospective supervisor(s) to confirm their availability and interest.

The PhD program in Asian Studies encompasses the cultures of South Asia (through the languages of Urdu/Hindi, Persian, Punjabi, and Sanskrit), the Himalayas, and East Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), as well as Islamic Studies. Transregional studies that involve multiple regions or subregions are also welcome. Fields of study include literature, visual and popular culture, linguistics (historical and applied), history, religion, and philosophy.

Applicants must have a Master’s Degree in Asian Studies or the equivalent. Candidates must also have sufficient command of an appropriate Asian language to conduct advanced research. Currently, program faculty can supervise doctoral students working with Arabic (for Islamic Studies topics), Chinese (Cantonese,  Classical, and Modern), Hindi/Urdu, Japanese, Korean, Persian (for Indo-Persian topics), Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Tibetan. For Chinese specifically, reading knowledge of both modern and classical forms is expected.

Admission Requirements

Those interested in a PhD in Asian Studies must submit an application with the minimum admission requirements:

• Master of Arts in Asian Studies or related field or equivalent from an accredited university-level institution.
• Overall average of B+ (76% at UBC) in master’s degree program.
• Before admittance, candidates for the Ph.D. program must have an appropriate Asian language. In the case of Chinese, this will mean a competent reading knowledge of both modern and classical forms of the language.

For more information about a minimum admission requirements please visit  https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-canadian-or-us-credentials

And  http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission

In the PhD Asian Studies program we offer multiple research activities related to Asia. Through collaborative projects, lectures, workshops and professional development opportunities, our students are able to pursue their interests and make connections with scholars around the world.

Our strengths in language and literary studies are supplemented by our geographic and disciplinary breadth. The Department of Asian Studies offers a range of courses that specialize in everything from research seminars to methodological development.

Degree Requirements

Students pursuing a PhD in Asian Studies must complete the following course and language requirements in order to be considered for candidacy:

Students must register in ASIA_V 699 (thesis course), starting in the first term of the program and for every subsequent term.

In addition, in the first two years, students must complete a minimum of 12 courses, as follows:

• Six courses each year within 24 months of entering the program.  At least five of these courses must be content-courses, i.e. not a language course.
• ASIA_V 591, usually taken in first year.
• ASIA_V 592, usually taken in first year following completion of ASIA_V 591.
• A pan-Asia theory course within the department.
• A region-specific theory/methodology course within the department.
• A course outside the department, covering theory/methodology or other topic relevant to the student’s research.

All incoming students should speak with their supervisor to discuss PhD language requirements, when and how other PhD requirements will be fulfilled, and the necessary coursework for their research area and topic.

All PhD candidates will be required to have a reading knowledge of a language relevant to their research as well as the language of their primary Asian research materials. You must pass your language requirements before taking the Comprehensive Exams, however requirement details will vary between fields and supervisors.

The supervisor will determine which language(s) are necessary for student’s research program and the level of ability needed to fulfill that program. This decision must be communicated to the Graduate Advisor and Graduate Program in the first term.

Students can demonstrate their language abilities in one of two ways:

• Completing a 300 level course at UBC in their relevant language
• Completing a challenge exam where the student translates a passage of scholarly prose into English

Challenge exam

(New rules, effective July 1, 2019)

The language challenge exam is a process to demonstrate sufficient knowledge to use material in that language for research purposes. The student demonstrates this by producing in a 24-hour period a translation of a passage in the target language–typically, a piece of academic prose related to the student’s area of study. The translation should show that the student understands scholarly material in that language well enough to use it independently in their own work. Where appropriate, especially with classical languages, the material chosen for translation may be primary sources rather than scholarly works.

The challenge exam can be taken any time before the student advances to candidacy. The student and supervisor find a faculty member in Asian Studies (or, if none can be found within the department, from another unit) with sufficient knowledge of the chosen language and informs the Graduate Advisor. Then student and the supervisor find three texts in the language–typically scholarly articles or article-length selections from scholarly books–related to the student’s research and send them to the examiner. None of the material should be available in an existing English translation, and the examiner may reject any of the items that is inappropriate for this or other reasons, in which case the student provides an alternative to replace.

The examiner chooses from this material a passage of appropriate length–usually 2-4 pages of material of a reasonable and representative degree of difficulty. The student and examiner agree on a time for the exam and at the appointed start time the examiner or the graduate program assistant sends the passage to the student. Within 24 hours the student sends back the translation and supporting material.

During the examination, the student may use paper and electronic dictionaries as well as other reference sources. Machine translation software (Google Translate, etc.) may be used, but its use must be documented (see below). The student may not receive translation assistance from any other person, at this stage or while preparing for the exam; the use of inappropriate assistance constitutes academic misconduct.

The translation must be accompanied by the following supporting material:

• Required A list of all resources used in the translation process (paper and electronic dictionaries, thesauri, language/grammar references, etc.; include publication details for books and URLs for online resources)
• If any machine translation system was used (this includes any software or website that translates phrases and sentences rather than individual words), the student  must  include the output, if the student consulted it for all or part of the translation
• Optionally , any drafts or notes from the translation process
• Optionally , a short prose description of the translation process, which may highlight any particular challenges or difficult points

The translation and supporting material are submitted by email to the examiner by email within 24 hours and the exam is graded pass/fail (the examiner may choose to provide additional feedback in either case).

If a student fails their first attempt at the exam, they may retake it when they and the supervisor agree that they are ready to do so. The reading on which they were initially tested should be replaced with an alternate; optionally, they may change any of the other readings and submit them to the examiner for approval. The exam then proceeds as described above.

If the student fails the second attempt, the Graduate Advisor schedules a meeting with the student and supervisor to discuss how to proceed. Possible outcomes include waiting for further study to retake the exam, taking a 300-level class in lieu of an exam, or reconfiguring the student’s program around a project that does not require the language originally chosen. A student who fails a third attempt cannot advance to comprehensive examinations and may be asked to withdraw from the program.

Degree requirement FAQs

• Students are encouraged to take language courses as an auditor.
• Undergraduate courses at the 300 and 400 levels may be taken for PhD credit (up to a limit of 6 credits), and non-language courses may be included among your five required content courses.
• 100- and 200-level courses may not be counted for PhD credit.
• Some upper division undergraduate courses can be taken as 500 level courses if the instructor gives permission and if the student completes extra work. If you received your instructor’s permission, please consult the Graduate Secretary about registration.
• You are required to get your supervisor’s approval for your registered courses each term. By the beginning of each term, your supervisor must email the Graduate Program Assistant and Graduate Advisor indicating your approved course list.

PhD candidacy

PhD students achieve Candidacy when they have:

• Completed all required coursework.
• Passed the Comprehensive Examinations
• Had a prospectus approved by their supervisory committee.

Comprehensive exam

The comprehensive examination process is an opportunity to develop and demonstrate expertise in your field of study. Students read secondary and primary works in three fields relevant to their chosen area of scholarship and demonstrate through written and oral examinations that they have mastered this material sufficiently to proceed to independent research on their dissertation project.

The whole process—made up of the preparation of reading lists, writing essays/exams/syllabus, and oral defence—is intended to prepare the student for the development of the Prospectus and the writing of the Dissertation, as well as to demonstrate adequate background knowledge and organizational skills to teach university-level classes in each of the exam fields in the future.

By the beginning of their second year in the program, students should have established a committee ( Research Supervisory Committee form , supervisor and two members, each overseeing one exam field) with whom to work toward the Comprehensive Exams. The supervisor should be an expert in the student’s primary field/discipline, and the committee members should be experts in the fields/disciplines of the student’s secondary and tertiary exam fields. Committee members can be UBC research faculty members in Asian Studies or other departments; in exceptional cases professors of teaching, or faculty at other universities, may also serve on UBC doctoral committees.

The student may change supervisor or committee members with permission from the Graduate Advisor.

Exam Topics : In consultation with the supervisory committee (and the Graduate Advisor, if desired), three fields—that is, three areas of reading—are decided. These will form the basis of the Comprehensive Exams. The student then formulates a reading list for each of the exam fields in consultation with the committee member who will examine them on that field. (See below for details on the parameters of the lists.) The intent of the reading list is to allow the student to situate themself as a scholar in a chosen field and to provide evidence of depth and breadth of knowledge in that field. A field may be geographically and chronologically focused, or it may be more methodologically oriented.

The three fields may be related in various ways to the student’s academic focus and research project. A typical arrangement is:

• Major or General Field, the branch of study in which the candidate’s research is expected to lie, e.g., Chinese poetry; this field is most often examined by the student’s supervisor
• Minor Field I, often a sub-category of the Major Field from which the thesis topic is expected to emerge, e.g., shi poetry of the Song period
• Minor Field II, which falls outside the Major Field but is relevant to the candidate’s research interests or represents an important methodology, e.g., history of the Song Period or comparative poetics

The field examinations do not need to be taken in the above order.

In consultation with the supervisor and the supervisory committee member (and Graduate Advisor, if desired), the student chooses between two exam formats, essay (for two fields or all three) and course syllabus (one field maximum, normally only in one of the two minor fields).

Essay Format

Upon completing the readings for the exam field, the student writes an original paper on a topic arising from the readings. The field supervisor should agree with the candidate in advance on a specific question or topic, which may be an up-to-date bibliographic survey of the key positions and issues in the designated field, or may be more focused on a specific thematic or methodological question in that field. The resulting essay may play a role in the student’s future dissertation, for example as a literature review. The essay will typically focus on the material from the reading list, though it may reference other sources as appropriate (it should not, however, entail extensive original research beyond the material on the list). The essay should be 6,000 to 12,000 words in length, including notes and bibliography.

Course Syllabus Format

In this format the student creates a course syllabus directed to teaching a hypothetical course at a senior undergraduate or graduate level. This will be approximately 25 pages long, double-spaced, and will include a brief rationale for the course (500–750 words); course learning objectives and goals; introduction to the course (purpose and intended audience); comments on pedagogical activities and approach; detailed description of assignments and evaluation; outline of all the classes with the themes and assigned readings (including full bibliographic details). A short summary of each reading for each class session is to be provided together with a rationale for its use. Only one of a student’s three field exams can be in the syllabus format.

Comprehensive Exam Process

The following steps must be completed, in order , to complete the comprehensive exam process and advance to candidacy.

• Complete all coursework and language requirements (typically at the end of the second year)
• Research Supervisory Committee form , indicating who will be on the student’s committee (the three field examiners)
• Comprehensive Examination Fields list , describing the three fields and their rationale
• Submit at least one of the three reading lists to the Graduate Advisor (see below under Reading Lists for instructions on formatting and submitting lists); submitting more than one list at this stage, in final or draft form, is strongly encouraged
• Once the above are approved, submit a Permission to Proceed to Comprehensive Exam form
• Compile reading list and submit to the field examiner and the Graduate Advisor for approval before beginning to read (this may be done while reading or preparing the examination in another field)
• Start reading (see below, under “Reading Lists,” on working with committee members while reading)
• Pass written examination on that field before beginning to read for the next field
• After all three written field exams are completed, share written exams with all committee members and take the comprehensive oral examination
• Complete, collect signatures for, and submit Recommendation for Advancement to Candidacy form to Grad Program Assistant
• Submit dissertation prospectus to the supervisory committee and schedule oral prospectus defence
• Defend dissertation prospectus in an oral defence
• Submit Approval of Dissertation Prospectus form to Grad Program Assistant

Reading Lists

Each list should be developed in consultation with the examiner for that field. All lists must be approved by the Graduate Advisor for approval before any reading of items on the list is begun. The Graduate Advisor may require revisions to the list even after the exam committee member for that field has approved it, in order to assure fairness and consistency across the program.

Each reading list typically consists of between 30 and 50 items. There are two types of items:

• Complete books and dissertations
• Shorter items: a journal article, book chapter, or other reading of comparable length, including excerpts (up to 2–3 chapters) from a monograph

Each list must contain no more than 12 items of type 1 (complete books) and no more than 50 total items. If the list includes other formats such as films, consult the Graduate Advisor on how to count such material. Typically, a film of roughly two hours would count as the equivalent of an article. The same item should not appear on more than one of a student’s reading lists.

It is expected that in the student’s primary field (and possibly in relevant secondary fields) the reading list will include items in the Asian language(s) appropriate to the student’s topic.

Once the list is completed, the examiner sends an email communicating approval of the list to the Graduate Advisor and the Graduate Program Assistant. The document containing the list should include the total number of items, broken down into counts of complete books (including dissertations), book chapters, and journal articles.

Many field examiners choose to meet regularly with the student as they read through the items on the finalized and approved reading list for that field. This should be treated as a directed reading course (typically ASIA_V 580), for which the student is officially registered. In this way both the student and examiner can receive credit for the work done in preparing for the field.

Field examiners should advise the Graduate Program Assistant when the student has completed the readings and is planning to begin writing the essay or syllabus.

After finishing the readings for a field, students have up to six weeks to complete the essay or syllabus, including the time needed to receive feedback from the examiner on outlines and drafts. The student and the examiner should agree beforehand on what kind of feedback to expect and on a timetable for completion.

The comprehensive exams should be started and finished within 12 months . Typically the student spends 3–3.5 months on each exam field, doing the readings and then writing the essay or syllabus. Up to six weeks of this time may be spent on writing and revising each written examination. After the last written examination is completed there will be up to one month for the committee members to read the essays/syllabus and for the student to prepare for the oral defence.

Evaluation of Written Examinations

As each comprehensive exam field is completed, the committee member in charge of that field—having read the student’s essay or syllabus—should send a message to the Graduate Advisor and Graduate Program Assistant indicating their approval of the written examination. Approval indicates the examiner expects that the written work could be defended at the first-class level in the oral examination.

No grade is assigned for the comprehensive examinations, however, the student will receive a course mark for any directed reading course in which they registered in conjunction with an exam field.

If the field examiner judges the paper of insufficient quality to defend orally at the first-class level, a meeting is scheduled with the student, the supervisor (if they are not the examiner for this field), and the Graduate Advisor. At this meeting the examiner presents the deficiencies in the examination and proposes a set of questions to be addressed in a written supplement. This supplement may be up to 3,000 words in length and must be completed within two to three weeks (the deadline should be set at the meeting). The number and scope of the questions should be set in accordance with these parameters. The supplement, once completed, becomes part of the written examination. If the examiner assesses the updated examination as ready for oral examination, the student moves on to the next field or to the oral examination. If the examiner assesses the written examination as unable to achieve first-class standing, the student will be required to withdraw from the program.

Comprehensive Oral Examination

Within four weeks of successful completion of the last written examination, candidates will take an oral examination, to be based mainly on the candidate’s three written field examinations. All of the questions posed on the written exams are open to oral questioning. Other questions relevant to the field reading lists also may be expected.

Once the third written examination is approved, the oral examination is scheduled. The Graduate Advisor appoints a Chair (a faculty member who is not part of the committee) for the oral exam. All members of the comprehensive exam committee must be present in person or via teleconferencing. Before the examination, the student provides the written examinations to all committee members and to the Chair.

The exam takes approximately two to three hours. The student does not give a presentation; instead the examiners start right in with questions. The student is asked to demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge of the subject areas and the material they have read. In the first round, each examiner takes about 15 to 20 minutes to pose questions or make whatever comments they have on the written exam that they supervised . The round starts with the field most distant from the Major Field and ends with the Major Field exam. After the first round of questions, the examiners are free to ask questions based on their own or the other fields. The exam may lead to a more general discussion about the fields and how they interrelate, or about the student’s proposed dissertation research.

After the committee has finished its questioning, the student is asked to leave the room. The chair asks each of the examiners in turn to certify that student has passed the three fields, meaning that, taken together, the student’s performance in the written and oral examinations has achieved first-class standing (80%).

If the committee agrees that student has passed with first-class standing, the student is informed that they will advance to PhD candidacy once they have presented and defended the dissertation prospectus (normally within six weeks).

The written and oral examinations in each field receive one grade: pass/fail. If any of the comprehensive exam fields is judged to be below first-class (79% or below), the student will be asked to redo the oral examination in that field.

After the completion of the oral examination the Chair notifies the Graduate Advisor and the Graduate Secretary of the outcome.

If a student is required to retake the oral examination in one or more fields, a new session must be scheduled within one month, with the same chair (if available) and all committee members. The re-examination should devote about one hour to each field being re-examined. In advance of the re-examination, the committee members, in consultation with the Graduate Advisor, should provide the student with instructions on preparing for the new exam. This could include a summary of issues in their first examination, a list of specific questions to address, and/or the opportunity to open with a short presentation.

A student will be allowed to retake the oral examination only once, and will be required to withdraw from the PhD program upon a second failure in one or more fields.

The dissertation prospectus develops an argument proposing the direction in which the student expects their research to develop. Prepared in consultation with the supervisory committee, the Dissertation prospectus must be defended within six weeks of the comprehensive exam oral defense.

The Prospectus should be written in such a way that it makes good sense to academics outside the area of specialization.  It should, accordingly, include relevant explanation and detail at every stage; it is closer to a grant application or book proposal than a research essay.  The Prospectus should be approximately 10 to 15 pages (not including bibliography), double-spaced. Ideally, the defense of this document should take place in a face-to-face discussion with the Supervisory Committee.

There is normally no Chair for the Prospectus defense. The Prospectus defense allows the supervisory committee to communicate with each other and with the student about specific expectations regarding the timing and strategy of dissertation research and writing, and any emendations to the research plan or bibliography. Approval of the Prospectus will be determined according to such criteria as the originality and value of the project, quality of research, and care of preparation.  Should the supervisory committee decide at this stage that the program of research has not yet been adequately described and rationalized, it will invite the student, in consultation with the supervisory committee, to revise the relevant portions of the Prospectus for a second delivery within six weeks.  If, on this second occasion, the committee remains dissatisfied, the student will be required to withdraw from the program. Candidacy is achieved only after the Prospectus has been approved and the appropriate paperwork ( Approval of Dissertation Prospectus Form and Recommendation for Advancement to Candidacy Form ) have been given to the Graduate Secretary.

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Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

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UBC's Asian Studies Department is the flagship Asian Studies department in Canada and is widely acknowledged as one of the finest in North America. The Department awards a PhD in Asian Studies to students working in a variety of regions and disciplines.

The department boasts over 20 graduate faculty, as well as a many tenure-track instructors and lecturers with wide-ranging expertise. Our more than 60 graduate students specialize in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and South Asian Studies and craft individual programs within and across various humanities disciplines, including linguistics, literary study, history, philosophy, religious studies, and popular and visual culture. The Department offers instruction in the following languages: Cantonese, Modern and Classical Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Modern and Classical Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, and Sanskrit.

The department is a hub for research activities related to Asia, including large collaborative projects, multiple lecture series and workshops, and professional development opportunities, which provide students ample opportunities to develop their expertise, pursue their interests, and develop professional connections with scholars from around the world. It also regularly hosts postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars. In addition to the guaranteed four years of funding to all PhD students, the program offers a range of funding opportunities and support for research activities.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

In addition to our strengths in language and literary studies, the Asian Studies Department stands out for the geographic and disciplinary breadth of its faculty. It offers a range of coursework, from specialized research seminars to comparative Pan-Asian, methodological and professional development courses, drawing on the diversity of faculty and student specializations.

The UBC Library is the second-largest research library in Canada and the Asian Library boasts one of the finest Asian collections in North America, with a particular strength in East Asian materials.

I chose UBC because of its strong reputation for Asian Studies within Canada, I also heard how beautiful the campus is from many people. They were right, every turn brings views of the mountains and sea or takes you through a verdant wood, and every season brings an abundance of bright colours. Even walking between classes, I feel so refreshed by the natural beauty of UBC.

Kyrie Vermette

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 90

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Studies (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

• 5 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 5 students was $12,054.
• 5 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 5 students was $8,317.
• 4 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 4 students was $640.
• 10 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 10 students was $25,130.
• 1 student received external awards valued at $20,000.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

30 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 graduate is seeking employment; 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 4 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 24 graduates:

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Recent PhDs in Asian Studies have landed postdoctoral fellowships and academic positions at institutions across the globe, including teaching positions at the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, Victoria, Lethbridge, and Winnipeg in Canada; University of Cincinnati, Harvard, Stanford, SUNY New Paltz, and the University of Montana, in the US; and York (UK), Ritsumeikan (Japan), and the University of Indonesia.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Studies (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times, upcoming doctoral exams, monday, 10 june 2024 - 10:00am.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Abedinifard, Mostafa (Literature and literary studies; modern Iran; Iranian/Persianate studies through fiction, drama, poetry, cinema, andnonfiction)
• Ahmed, Rumee (Islamic studies; Human rights, justice, and ethical issues; Islam; Muslims; Religion; Law; Theology; ethics; Philosophy)
• An, Ji-yoon (Korean cinema, K-drama, Rise of Hallyu, Diasporic cinema, Diasporic identity, Identity and cultural flows, Monsters of different cultures)
• Bailey, C. D. Alison (pre-modern literature; fiction and literary criticism)
• Baker, Donald Leslie (Humanities and the arts; Korean History; Confucian Philosophy; Religion in Korea; science in pre-modern Korea; Kwangju Uprising of 1980)
• Chen, Jinhua (East Asian state-church relationships, monastic (hagio/)biographical literature, Buddhist sacred sites, relic veneration, Buddhism and technological innovation in medieval China, and Buddhist translations)
• Chiu-Duke, Josephine (Asian history; History of Major Eras, Great Civilisations or Geographical Corpuses; Chinese and Taiwanese history; liberal democracy; political thought and institutions)
• Duffy, Kay (Asian history; Literary or Artistic Works Analysis; Literary or Artistic Work Dissemination or Reception Contexts; Social Determinants of Arts and Letters; Arts and Cultural Traditions; Early Medieval China; Premodern Chinese Literature; Sinographic Sphere)
• Fulton, Bruce (Literary translation, Modern Korean fiction, women)
• Hoffmann, Alexandra (Literature and literary studies; Classical Persian Literature)
• Hur, Nam-Lin (Japanese, cultural foundations, religion, international relations)
• Kadir, Aynur (Documentation, conservation and revitalization of Indigenous cultures and languages, Uyghur literature, musical traditions and cultural practices, global indigeneity from the Uyghur in China to Coast Salish and Six Nations in Canada, transnational Indigenous diplomacy, safeguarding and revitalization of languages and cultural heritage)
• King, Ross (Historical linguistics, diachronics, and dialectology; Korean philology; history of Korean literary culture; Korean historical linguistics; Korean dialectology; history of the Sinographic Cosmopolis)
• Laffin, Christina (Humanities and the arts; premodern Japanese literature; medieval Japanese history; women's writing; Japanese women's history; travel writing; autobiography; Japanese poetry; Literacy; socialization; wet nursing; narratology)
• Laird, Colleen (Japanese media and gender studies; Gendered image production, gendered reception, and women in industry; Video games, new media, streaming media, animation (anime), and comics (manga); Paratexts: distribution, exhibition, and production materials; Film theory, genre theory, transnational cinemas and star texts, and feminist and queer theory)
• Lynn, Hyung Gu (Asian history; popular culture, migration, colonialism, globalization, development)
• Main, Jessica (Buddhism, Ethics, and Human Rights; Modern Buddhist Institutions, Law, and Governance; Buddhists and Buddhist Institutions Active in Modern Society: Social Welfare; Healthcare and Healing; Protest Movements; Rehabilitation, Incarceration and Corrections; Youth Culture, Physical Culture, and Scouting; Modern Japanese Religions and Society; Japanese True Pure Land Buddhism)
• Mostow, Joshua Scott (Inter-relations between text and image, especially in Japanese culture, Japanese women)
• Nakamura, Fuyubi (Social and cultural anthropology; Museum studies (Museology); Visual theory, visual culture and visual literacy; Globalization and culture; Environment, space and place; Anthropology of art; museum studies (working as curator at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC); material and visual culture; Contemporary Japanese calligraphy; Indigenous cultures, especially Ainu; disaster and memory, especially in the context of the Great East Japan Earthquake (3.11).; contemporary Asian art and culture)
• Naqvi, Naveena (Persianate world; Non-courtly Persographic writers in regional contexts during early colonial rule; History of early modern and modern South Asia; History of political Islam; gender and sexuality; Hindustani music)
• Oberoi, Harjot Singh (South asia, how classical empires shaped the British Raj in India, critical theory, the formation of private libraries, law and society, transnational cultures, and complex systems)
• Orbaugh, Sharalyn (modern Japanese culture (literature, film, manga, animation, kamishibai); East Asian women’s issues; anti-racist pegagogy, Japanese narrative and visual culture)
• Prange, Sebastian (History, maritime trade, Indian Ocean, India, piracy, Islam )
• Rea, Christopher (Chinese literatures; Asian history; Chinese literature; Cinema; Print culture; translation; Humor)
• Rusk, Bruce (Asian history; Literary or Artistic Work Analysis; Social Determinants of Arts and Letters; Arts and Cultural Traditions; Exegesis and Sacred Text Critics; Lexicography and Dictionaries; Authentication Studies; Confucianism; Early Modern China; material culture)

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• When the tide goes out : Desi Left in British Columbia, 1978 to 1989
• Participating in other worlds : locating gurbilās literature in the wider world of Brajbhasha traditions
• Pidgin poetics : language culture in modern China
• Walking in the founders' footsteps : hagiography and devotion in Shinnyo-en, a Japanese new religion
• The “short-lived” challengers -- the Qing merchants in Late Chosǒn Korea, 1882-1895
• When the tide goes out : Desi Left in British Columbia, 1978 to 1989 : [supplementary material]
• Time self-consciousness in contemporary Chinese fiction
• Next episode : the story of video streaming viewership in India
• Migration and native place in and after the Ming : the ancestral hometown and domicile of Li Dongyang (1447–1516)
• Textualizing ethical selves : the rahitname and the formation of moral Sikh communities in the early eighteenth century
• A fortress in turbulent seas : Mao Wenlong and his military organization in wartime Northeast Asia (1621- 1638)

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MA)

Further Information

Specialization.

Asian Studies encompasses Chinese, Japanese, Korean, East Asian Buddhism, and South Asian culture, including literature, visual and popular culture, linguistics, pre-modern history, religion, and philosophy.

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Tanzoom Ahmed

UBC’s Asian Studies Department is one of the largest and most diverse Asian studies programs in the entire world. The diversity of languages, courses and topics offered at the department can provide one of the strongest academic foundations in Asian studies. I was immediately attracted to this...

Parboti Roy

While researching for the graduate studies program in Canada, I found out UBC is one of the top universities that supports research innovation, and the Asian Studies program is one of the leading programs in the world. So, I changed my academic track from Women and Gender Studies to Asian Studies...

Shota Iwasaki

One of the reasons I decided to study at UBC is the research environment and the people I can work with. I am very glad and honored to purse my PhD degree with the people whose work impressed me and made me decide to come here. Of course, that UBC/the department offered me a sufficient scholarship...

Curious about life in Vancouver?

Find out how Vancouver enhances your graduate student experience—from the beautiful mountains and city landscapes, to the arts and culture scene, we have it all. Study-life balance at its best!

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• Utility Menu

• PhD in History and East Asian Languages

In addition to the PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, the department also administers the PhD in History and East Asian Languages (HEAL).  This degree program is designed to accommodate the particular needs of students who desire a more language-intensive program of study of East Asian history. 

The HEAL program has long been one of the premier doctoral training programs in East Asian history in the United States.  Its origins go back to 1941, when, upon the initiative of  John King Fairbank , a “Standing Committee of the Faculty on the Joint Degree of Ph.D. in History and Far Eastern Languages” was established (the name was changed to “History and East Asian Languages” in 1972).  The justification offered then was that the student of East Asian history must know well the main languages for scholarship in East Asia and that therefore a PhD in the field required special consideration for the extra time needed for preparation, research, and writing.  In the words of John Fairbank and  Benjamin Schwartz , writing in 1980:

The success of this program, which has filled many of the major East Asian history posts in the country, has lain in its degree requirements: that the candidate must make a major investment in either Chinese or Japanese and get a basic start in the other of the two languages, and must present on his General Examination only three instead of the usual four fields of history.  Since the basic requirement in this field is language competence and since its program makes allowance for this, it has become the major channel for East Asian historians at Harvard.  Chinese and Japanese are of course both necessary for either Chinese or Japanese history.

This rationale, we believe, remains valid today.

More than 200 HEAL PhDs have been awarded since the degree’s inception in 1941. The list of prominent scholars who have earned the HEAL degree includes members of the present Harvard faculty as well as leading figures in the East Asian field at institutions across the country and around the globe. 

As of 2019, there are 29 students registered in the HEAL PhD program, of whom approximately two-thirds are in residence.  The remaining one-third are away from campus on dissertation-related research and writing.

The work of students in the HEAL program is supervised jointly by the Standing Committee on the PhD in History and East Asian Languages and the Faculty of the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations.  The Standing Committee meets once or twice a year to confer on admissions recommendations for the PhD and to deal with basic questions of policy.  The chair of the committee is Professor  Michael Puett , (EALC).  Other members (in alphabetical order) are:

Peter Bol , EALC Carter Eckert , EALC Mark Elliott , EALC and History Arunabh Ghosh,  History Andrew Gordon , History and EALC David Howell , EALC Sun Joo Kim , EALC William Kirby , History Shigehisa Kuriyama , EALC Ian Miller , History Victor Seow , History of Science Michael Szonyi , EALC and History Students admitted to the HEAL degree program must ordinarily have one of the above faculty members as their primary advisor. 

Admission to HEAL

The HEAL program welcomes applications from all qualified students, regardless of age, gender, or national origin.  Admission to the HEAL PhD is highly competitive, and offers can be made only to a small number of the most highly qualified applicants.  Promising applicants who for whatever reason are deemed not ready to begin PhD work may sometimes be recommended for admission to the  Regional Studies – East Asia  AM program.

Students wishing to apply for admission to the HEAL degree program apply through the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations.  Students will choose HEAL as an area of study in the application. 

HEAL, EALC, or History?

As might be expected, there is considerable overlap between the research interests of HEAL, EALC, and History students and faculty, and no hard-and-fast rules apply that might limit students in any of these programs in terms of region, period, or methodology.  Note that although HEAL students are formally administered via EALC, it is not unheard of for advisors of some HEAL students to be faculty whose main appointment is in History.  Likewise, many students concentrating on East Asia in the  History Department work closely with EALC faculty.  There are no high walls between these communities, which meet and mix often in language classes, seminars, lectures, conferences, receptions, etc.

That said, the majority of young scholars training in East Asian history at Harvard earn their degrees in the HEAL program, especially if their area of research interest lies in political, institutional, social, and cultural history between the twelfth and early twentieth centuries.  This area may well be defined transnationally.  Students with research interests that are exclusively “ancient” (e.g., pre-1000 CE) or primarily in the history of thought, religion, and philosophy will want to consider carefully whether their needs would not be better met by the PhD program in East Asian Languages and Civilizations.  Similarly, those whose research interests are exclusively “modern” (e.g., post-WWII) will want to think carefully about the PhD program in History (or perhaps Government).  All students contemplating applying to any of these programs are encouraged to write directly to prospective advisors as well.  Keep in mind that you are permitted to apply to up to two Harvard PhD programs simultaneously, though you may only be admitted in one.

In general, it can be said that the language curriculum of HEAL students looks more like that of EALC PhDs, while their non-language curriculum looks more like that of History PhDs.  Thus, in order to take qualifying examinations, and depending on regional specialization, all HEAL candidates are currently required to achieve an advanced level in their primary research language (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean), a second- or third-year level in modern Japanese, and a first- or second-year level in literary Chinese.  This is the same as the requirement made of all EALC students.  Also like EALC students, HEAL PhDs need only present three fields for the qualifying examination (as opposed to four fields in History), and (with the exception of RSEA transfer students) they are required to take this examination by no later than the end of the G3 year (as opposed to the G2 year in History).

On the other hand, like all first-year History students, HEAL students are required to take the introductory methods seminar offered by the History Department (History 3900) in their first year of residence (EALC students may not take this course).  They are also expected to take part in the annual Prospectus Conference held by the History Department in late January.  Additionally, many (not all) HEAL students find it worthwhile to include at least one non-Asianist from the History Department on the examination and/or dissertation committees, and so choose to focus some part of their coursework in European, American, or another field of history taught in the History Department.  This is not a requirement, however; nor is there a European language requirement for HEAL students.

The Longer View

Because of its demanding language requirements, the HEAL PhD takes about eight years to complete on average, slightly longer than a History PhD, but about the same as that for an EALC PhD, and below the national average for PhDs in the humanities. Unlike in John Fairbank’s day, most HEAL students now enter the program with advanced skills in at least one East Asian language, and many have already begun a second. As a result, some are able to move through the program more quickly. Many HEAL students, however, take advantage of the program’s more flexible time constraints and go on to study a third or fourth language. This may be another Asian language offered by the Department, or it may be a language offered in another department altogether (e.g., Tibetan, Sanskrit, Russian, Persian, Arabic, Turkish), depending on the student’s interests.

Prospective students often ask about the relative competitiveness of the HEAL PhD in the job market. Though some PhDs go on to work in the government, and a few in the private sector, most HEAL graduates either apply for positions in departments of History or of East Asian Studies, or for postdoctoral fellowships. Recent HEAL PhDs have an extremely strong track record in both areas. Obviously, as is true of all doctoral programs, completion of the degree is no guarantee of landing a job. But within three years of finishing, virtually all HEAL graduates find themselves hired in tenure-track positions.

• Graduate Handbook
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Asian Studies MA

The Faculty Group in Asian Studies administers an interdisciplinary program leading to an M.A. degree. Utilizing the faculty and facilities of the entire university, this degree program cuts across conventional disciplinary lines and emphasizes a basic core of knowledge concerning one particular geographic area of Asia. Within this core, which requires course work in multiple departments and reading knowledge of at least one Asian language, the regionally-oriented students have the flexibility to design a cross-disciplinary individual program according to their interests and approaches. No two programs are alike, and students work closely with the Student Affairs office and with a faculty mentor in designing their customized academic plan. The group is supported in its efforts by the Institute of East Asian Studies , and Interdisciplinary Social Science Programs (ISSP), under the College of Letters and Science.

The University of California at Berkeley has long been noted for its outstanding scholarship in the area of Asian Studies. Faculty from across campus in numerous disciplines are presently engaged in teaching and research concerning Asia. Our students take classes in such disciplines as Anthropology, Buddhist Studies, Film/Media Studies, History, Journalism, Literature, Political Science, Religion, South/Southeast Asian Studies, Sociology, and other fields in the humanities and social sciences.

These resources are supplemented by extensive library facilities and by the programs of six major area centers that offer lecture series and colloquia throughout the year. The Bay Area itself, with its diverse communities, museums, performing arts, religious institutions, and thriving financial and technological sectors provides unlimited cultural opportunities for the student interested in reaching beyond the confines of the university.

Contact Info

[email protected]

3413 Dwinelle Hall

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Department(s)

Asian Studies Graduate Group

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 4, 2023

Degree Type(s)

Masters / Professional

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

Asian Studies

About the program.

Housed within Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, the Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MASIA) program provides students a unique combination of functional training and regional expertise. This degree equips students with the necessary skills to engage with private and public sector interests in Asia while solving global issues related to the region. MASIA at Georgetown is a terminal, 36-credit (12-course)  program, where students have the opportunity to study core disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences as they relate to Asia. Students also pursue one or more thematic/geographic concentrations. A thesis option is available.

Degrees Offered

Accelerated program (Georgetown students only)

• B.S.F.S./M.A.

Admissions Requirements

For general graduate admissions requirements, visit the Office of Graduate Admission’s Application Information  page. Review the  program’s website  for additional information on program application requirements.

Application Materials required:

• Application Form
• Non-refundable Application Fee
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Optional: Statement on Diversity, Personal Background & Contributions
• Writing Sample
• Letters of Recommendation (2-3)
• Transcripts  – Applicants are required to upload to the application system copies of official  transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Visit the Office of Graduate Admission’s Application Information  page for additional details and FAQs.
• TOEFL = 100 minimum
• IELTS = 7.5 minimum

Application Deadlines

• January 15 (priority; scholarship)
• April 1 (final)

Degree Requirements

The M.A. in Asian Studies (MASIA) is a 36 credit (12 course) degree program. In addition to the three foundation courses, students must pursue three courses towards a single concentration. The remaining coursework can be taken as electives, additional concentrations, or utilized for an SFS certificate program. Students may elect to write a thesis as part of their degree program.

Concentrations

The MASIA program offers three functional concentrations and two subregional concentrations. Students simply take three courses focused upon one of these five options.  It is possible for students to achieve two concentrations within their degree program. Since MASIA offers a large emphasis on the study of East Asia, students who wish to specialize in South Asia or Southeast Asia can pursue one of the two sub-regional concentrations.

Functional Concentrations:

• Politics and Security of Asia
• History, Society and Culture of Asia
• International Political Economy/Business of Asia

Subregional Concentrations:

• Southeast Asia

Thesis Option

Students have the option of completing an M.A. thesis in conjunction with a faculty supervisor, upon approval of the Director of Asian Studies. If the candidate chooses to write a M.A. thesis, the candidate must enroll in a thesis seminar (or independent tutorial), which is traditionally taught in the second semester of the program.

M.A. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in an Asian language at the completion of the program by:

• successful completion with a grade of B+ or better of advanced language study equivalent to the third year at Georgetown or a comparable language program during the time in the M.A. in Asian Studies Program; or
• specified grade of proficiency in US Government or equivalent language testing while a graduate student at Georgetown; or
• pass a proficiency test at Georgetown University; or
• successful completion of other testing approved by the Director of Asian Studies and the Chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Culture.

Upon arrival at Georgetown, all students planning to further their language studies will be required to participate in a language placement exam. Advanced language learners who wish to test out of continued language study while at Georgetown must pass a proficiency exam to satisfy the language requirement.  Native speakers of an Asian language, as determined by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Director of Asian Studies, are considered exempt from the language proficiency requirement.

Certificates

In addition to regular degree requirements, students may use elective courses to complete a certificate in one of the following areas:

• African Studies
• Arab Studies
• Diplomatic Studies
• Eurasian, Russian & East European Studies
• International Business Diplomacy
• Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies

Connect with Us

Program Contact: Robert Lyons: [email protected]

Quick Links

Begin your application today!

• All categories

Leiden Institute for Area Studies (LIAS)

PhD research

LIAS staff has a strong track record in supervising internationally competitive PhD research in Asian studies, Middle Eastern studies, and the study of religion. Our graduates go on to work in a range of professional fields, academic and other. This page provides information for prospective and current PhD candidates of the Graduate School of Humanities, who want to pursue their PhD under the supervision of one of the members of LIAS.

LIAS accepts new PhD applications for enrollment yearly on 1st September. The deadline for submitting your application is 1st February of that same year. 

General information Admission Supervision The project Coursework Support Beyond the PhD Events Calendar

General information

The PhD degree signifies the ability to contribute to the advancement of knowledge by conducting independent, original research. PhD research is the lifeblood of the academy. Writing a dissertation is a formative experience that enables sustained, source- and fieldwork-intensive research, and the development of an academic habitus. It affords the space to explore the academic landscape in terms of disciplines, themes, places in the world, and theoretical and methodological perspectives; and to build expertise, skills, and networks for academic and other research-related careers.

In the Graduate School of Humanities, the PhD trajectory nominally requires four years of fulltime commitment. The degree is awarded in Humanities, on the authority of the Doctorate Board, in accordance with the University’s PhD regulations .

Candidate categories, funding, and fees

In terms of legal status, PhD candidates in the Netherlands include self-funded candidates, scholarship candidates, and employees.

Employee positions are salaried,  and usually funded by NWO and EU project grants and filled through international recruitment.

Scholarship  candidates bring full scholarships from funding sources outside the University (examples in LIAS include the governments of China, Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan, and the EU; and dedicated foundations).

Self-funded  candidates primarily rely on private resources.

From 1 September 2020 LIAS charges a yearly EUR 450 administrative fee for PhD candidates.  For PhD candidates who register on or as of 1 September 2024 this fee will change to EUR 400 for self-funded PhD candidates and EUR 2800 for scholarship PhD candidates. As of 1 September 2026 all LIAS  self-funded and scholarship PhD candidates will be charged this annual fee, depending on their situation this will be the low or high tariff.

Some general information on scholarships for PhD research at Leiden University is found here . This page mostly lists grant schemes for which Leiden University is structurally involved in the assessment process, and prospective candidates are encouraged to explore other funding sources. International, community-maintained websites listing PhD scholarships come and go, and vary a great deal in orientation and coverage. Some are focused on humanities and/or social sciences and filterable for destination countries.

For an indication of the cost of living in the Netherlands, see the website here .

Non-resident candidates

Participation in local academic life – attending scholarly events, doing coursework, presenting one’s work, peer learning and so on – offers signifcant added value for professional development, and this presumes the student’s regular physical presence on campus. However, LIAS will consider applications from students planning to do their research while based outside the Netherlands.

Visiting candidates

Students seeking the PhD degree at other institutions who want to spend substantial time at LIAS are welcome to apply for the status of visiting scholar.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is essential to scholarship. Breaches of academic integrity may result in disciplinary action, including expulsion from the University and withholding or nullification of the PhD degree. Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism (FFP) are well-known examples, but academic integrity is about much more than avoiding FFP. It is about the development of one’s professional habitus as an academic.

PhD candidates must ensure that their work complies with academic integrity standards. All candidates are expected to familiarize themselves with the relevant information , and to attend a Graduate School of Humanities seminar on academic integrity in the first year of their PhD research.

PhD candidates’ participation in local research events will benefit their work, both academically and in social terms. This includes events organized especially for LIAS PhD candidates by the PhD Council and the Graduate Studies Advisor as well as public events held in the University and its partner institutions. See, for example,

• the LIAS home page and its links to other institutions and projects
• Asian Modernities and Traditions
• Global Asia Scholar Series
• Global Interactions
• Leiden University Centre for the Study of Islam and Society .

PhD regulations and protocol

Prospective candidates and supervisors are advised to familiarize themselves with the University’s PhD regulations , the explanation of the relevant procedures , and the forms that need to be filled out at various moments.

Any queries may be addressed to the LIAS secretariat .

• Schools & departments

East Asian Studies MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: East Asian Studies

Upcoming Introduction to Postgraduate Study and Research events

Join us online on the 19th June or 26th June to learn more about studying and researching at Edinburgh.

Choose your event and register

Programme description

East Asian countries are inseparably linked by their politics, histories, societies and cultures. Our Masters programme is distinct for its border-crossing focus, enabling you to take a transnational and comparative approach to East Asian Studies, or to concentrate on China, Japan or Korea.

With two of the world’s leading economic powers situated in East Asia, there is huge potential for both regional conflict and cooperation. Taking East Asian Studies is as relevant and critical now as it has been at any time since the end of World War II.

Programme flexibility

This new programme replaces our individual Masters programmes on China, Japan, Korea and East Asian Relations.

It has been structured to give you the freedom to design your own postgraduate coursework and research.

Unusually for a taught Masters programme, it has only one required taught course: a research methods class.

You will choose the rest of your taught courses from a wide range of options. These will help you explore the social, political, historical, economic and cultural factors that have made the East Asian region what it is today.

You will write your dissertation towards the end of the programme on a topic related to your own interests and expertise in East Asia and its constituent countries.

We will give you the tools to analyse and understand the complexities of East Asia in a global context, with skills relevant to professional sectors such as diplomacy, international relations, negotiation, and journalism.

No previous knowledge of an East Asian language is required and your classes will not typically involve language learning. If you would like to learn an East Asian language you don’t already know, you can opt to do so as part of the programme (Korean) or for additional credit (Chinese and Japanese).

Programme pathways

If you have completed a degree in Japanese, Chinese or Korean Studies, you may wish to use this opportunity to start learning about another country in East Asia, either on its own or in comparison.

Alternatively, you can opt to deepen your knowledge of the country you already specialise in.

Depending on the courses you take, you will graduate with a Masters (Msc) in:

• East Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies with Japanese Studies
• East Asian Studies with Chinese Studies
• East Asian Studies with Korean Studies

You can indicate when you apply which pathway suits you best and we will confirm your choice when you have joined the programme and selected your courses.

Why Edinburgh

Our programme is carefully designed to introduce skills and knowledge in a way that is clear, coherent and interconnected, supporting your academic development and research training towards your dissertation.

You will study in a stimulating, interdisciplinary environment and an international community of learners, each bringing their own perspective to class.

Our programme draws on unparalleled staff expertise across the East Asian region and across disciplines. Our thriving Asian Studies department has expertise in Japanese, Chinese and Korean Studies, and a great programme of cultural events, including its own seminar series.

You will benefit from the resources of a leading cultural capital city, from the University of Edinburgh Library (some two million borrowable volumes) to the National Library of Scotland. A compact, green and historic city, with excellent restaurants, cinemas and theatres, it’s a great place to live and study.

Programme structure

You can take the MSc in East Asian Studies over one year, full-time, or two years, part-time.

By the end of the programme, you will have completed courses totalling 180 credits.

All students take our course on ‘Doing Research on East Asia: Key Concepts, Approaches and Issues’. This is worth 20 credits.

You will then choose five optional courses, each worth 20 credits. You will select these from a wide range of courses relating to specialised regional and disciplinary knowledge.

The final element of the programme is your dissertation. This is a piece of independent research - 15,000 words (worth 60 credits) - written with the advice and support of a designated supervisor.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the programme, you will have gained the skills to:

• articulate and describe major events, actors, and issues impacting East Asia and / or individual countries in the region.
• critically discuss and utilise theoretical and conceptual tools for understanding the region, individual countries, and / or issues relevant to both.
• explain and critique the scholarship in your chosen subject area.
• select and utilise appropriate sources to support your arguments and research.
• apply knowledge and skills to conduct independent research.

Career opportunities

East Asia is widely perceived to be the focus of future global politics, with tensions between North Korea and the US, for example, dominating headlines worldwide.

Giving you a thorough grasp of historical and contemporary factors, our programme is designed to equip you with the knowledge to critically engage with these developments, either as they relate to one particular country or in comparison.

You will acquire the tools to analyse, understand and articulate the complexities of East Asia and its constituent countries in a global context, and in career-ready ways.

Your skills will give you an advantage in a range of careers across the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors, including in:

• diplomacy, negotiation and international relations
• politics, policy work, civil service and law
• journalism, broadcasting and media
• business, finance and commerce
• communications, marketing, advertising and public relations
• education, outreach, advocacy and training
• leisure, tourism and travel
• publishing, culture, heritage and the arts
• research and development

The enhanced research skills you will develop through training, coursework and your dissertation are a valuable asset if you wish to continue on to PhD study.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding, featured funding.

There are a number of scholarship opportunities available for this programme depending on your study pathway.

If you take a Chinese Studies pathway through the MSc in East Asian Studies, you may be considered for a scholarship covering one year of UK tuition fees for the programme. The application deadline for this scholarship is Monday 6 May 2024.

If you take a Korean Studies pathway through the programme, you may be considered for a scholarship which covers £3,000 of tuition fees. The application deadline for this scholarship is Monday 6 May 2024.

• Find out more about these and other masters scholarships in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
• Contact: College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Admissions Office
• School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• 50 George Square
• Central Campus
• Programme: East Asian Studies
• School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

MSc East Asian Studies - 1 Year (Full-time)

Msc east asian studies - 2 years (part-time), application deadlines.

Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through a competitive process.

Please be aware that applications must be submitted and complete, i.e. all required documents uploaded, by the relevant application deadline in order to be considered in that round. Your application will still be considered if you have not yet met the English language requirement for the programme.

Deadlines for applicants applying to study in 2024/25:

• How to apply

You must submit one reference with your application.

The online application process involves the completion of a web form and the submission of supporting documents.

• Guidance on the application process and supporting documents

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

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BA/MA Program in History and East Asian Studies

Interested in the history and culture of China, Japan or Korea?

OSU has numerous resources for learning about East Asia, its culture and history; one option provides an opportunity to fast-track your path to an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in East Asian Studies that will prepare you for careers focused on this dynamic part of the globe. To support and encourage study of this vital region, the Department of History and the Interdisciplinary M.A. Program in East Asian Studies have teamed up to offer a combined B.A./M.A. program for students who want to advance their ability to engage East Asian cultures and societies. Students in the combined program pursue an accelerated course of study to early completion of the M.A. (providing a significant savings in tuition over separate degrees).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why pursue a history b.a./ east asian studies m.a. program.

The combined BA/MA program provides students with guidance from their undergraduate through graduate programs in a well-coordinated fashion to lay a firm foundation in history and an East Asian language. Doing so is fundamental to professional advancement in East Asia-related non-academic work and/or advanced graduate work at the doctoral level. Coursework at the undergraduate level will be planned to facilitate entry into OSU’s well-regarded East Asian Studies Interdisciplinary M.A.

How is the Undergraduate Course of Study Different from the Standard History Major?

Students admitted to the program will take up to three courses (9 credits) that will count for both degrees, speeding time to completion of the M.A. degree. Students admitted to the program spend Years 1, 2 and 3 in undergraduate courses like their peers; Year 4, however, will be a combination of undergraduate courses plus graduate courses, followed by full-time graduate study from year 5. Total time to complete the M.A. degree will take one or more years after the B.A. requirements are completed, depending largely on the intensity of the student’s study of an East Asian language.

Required courses for the History Major are unchanged, and the degree requirements for the M.A. are the same as for students who go through the ordinary admission process. For detailed specifics, see the History Major description and that for the East Asian Studies Interdisciplinary M.A. In brief, students in the M.A. program must do language work in each semester of enrollment, take Introduction to Graduate Level East Asian Studiesin each semester of enrollment, and prepare a cohesive major field and a secondary field. The sample programs [pdf] provided illustrate the ways that a student might fulfill requirements of both degrees. Note that both B.A. and M.A. programs provide considerable flexibility and options are available to create highly individualized courses of study.

What are the Advantages of an Interdisciplinary M.A. Program?

Although participants in our program may focus primarily on East Asian history, the interdisciplinary nature of the program requires students also to work in other academic disciplines. Political science, religion, comparative studies, geography, literature, art, economics, sociology and more are ways to acquire a broad array of intellectual tools useful in understanding East Asian societies and cultures. In addition, our program places strong emphasis on advancing the language skills essential to work in this field. In short, an interdisciplinary approach allows students more latitude to develop multiple perspectives on East Asia while also providing a solid foundation in an East Asian language – even for students who continue to stress historical studies.

What do Graduates of the M.A. Program Do with their Degree?

Graduates of the Interdisciplinary M.A. Program in East Asian Studies have gone on to work in the federal and state governments, non-profit cultural and social organizations, international education programs and Ph.D. programs at major universities in history and other disciplines. The majority of our M.A. graduates have gone into jobs rather than further academic training; however, those pursuing Ph.D.s have been highly successful in garnering fellowships and other awards to support their advanced programs.

How do I apply?

Application and eligibility information is now available.

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