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EAST ASIAN STUDIES DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

MASTER OF ARTS IN EAST ASIAN STUDIES

The CEAS M.A. program allows for a great deal of flexibility in choosing classes and determinig a research focus. In order to both gain the most from the degree program and to complete the degree in a timely manner, students should think about and plan carefully for which classes will best serve their interests and future goals. Please see the Stanford Bulletin for the full official description of the degree requirements.

M.A. Degree Requirements at a Glance

  • Language Proficiency: Students must demonstrate Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language fluency at the third-year level or above, to be met either by coursework, examination, or a degree from a university where the language of instruction is in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Please note that the language used to meet the proficiency requirement should match the country of research focus.

  • Unit Requirements: 46 units completed at Stanford (no transfer credits accepted), comprised of:
    • a) East Asian Studies 330 core course, 1 unit
    • b) Minimum 9 additional approved East Asian Studies courses, meeting these criteria:
      • --Taken for a letter grade
      • --3 units or above
      • --Do not count as part of language requirement (language courses beyond 3rd year are accepted for students specializing in literature)
      • --At least 23 units at 200 level or above (above 300 for HISTORY courses), others 100 level or above (above 200 for HISTORY courses)
      • --At least 3 courses either a) in the same department; or b) within the same thematic focus (click here for a sample of thematic options) At least 1 of these courses must be an advanced seminar (200 level or above) that requires a research paper related to East Asia (Students must submit the syllabus of the seminar they take to the student services coordinator at CEAS to be kept with their department student file in order to show fulfillment of the requirement)
      • --Additional academic (lectures, seminars, colloquiums, etc.) units as necessary to reach a total of 46 units (above 100 level for most departments, 200 for HISTORY)

  • Master's Thesis: Students must submit a master's thesis representing a substantial piece of original research with a minimum of 10,000 words excluding references, citations, appendices, etc.
    (Download the thesis cover page from the Forms page.)

Important Policies & Guidelines

  • Program Proposal: By the end of their first quarter at Stanford, M.A. students must submit a program proposal for the Master’s Degree. The Program Proposal Form and must be printed out, approved and signed by the student’s adviser, and submitted to CEAS. Undergraduate students should fill out the B.A. Program Proposal Form, and turn it in to CEAS prior to applying to the major.

  • Course Petition Policies: Under some circumstances, students may petition for a non-East Asia specific course to be counted towards the major (such as a methodology course in a particular discipline which will aid the student in preparing to conduct research for their M.A. thesis or B.A. Honors thesis). Students must submit the Course Petition Form along with a syllabus for the class, no later than the Monday before the University-wide Final Study List deadline. A maximum of three courses can be petitioned to count towards the degree. To have a successful course petition you must commit to writing a paper or undertaking a project that focuses on East Asia, and the content must be sufficient to be reasonably considered an East Asian studies course. Please turn your petitions in early, so that there is adequate time if additional information is required. Do follow up to make sure the petition is signed before you assume everything is OK. Allow time to make changes in your academic plan if necessary (i.e., if the petition is not approved).

  • EASTASN 300 Directed Reading Policies: Directed reading courses are independent study projects you may undertake with a relevant Stanford faculty member. Once you have found a faculty member to support your studies, inform the Student Services Coordinator immediately so that the appropriate section can be added to allow you to sign up for EASTASN 300. The limitations for Directed Reading units are:
    • --A maximum of 10 units may apply toward degree requirements.
    • --A maximum of 5 units may apply toward 23 units of graduate-level work.
    • --If applying the units to the 9 courses requirement, must submit a syllabus.