East Asian Languages and Cultures
Director of Graduate Studies: David Goodman
2090 Foreign Languages Building
707 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 244-1432
E-mail: ealc@illinois.edu
Major: East Asian Studies
Degrees Offered: M.A.
Major: East Asian Languages and Cultures
Degrees Offered: Ph.D.
Medical Scholars Program: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in East Asian Languages and Cultures and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the Medical Scholars Program.
Graduate Degree Programs
The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures offers academic programs in the languages and the humanistic cultures of China, Japan, and Korea, and of the East Asian region, leading to the Master of Arts in East Asian Studies and the Doctor of Philosophy in East Asian Languages and Cultures.
www.ealc.illinois.edu/ealc/program/graduate.htm
Admission
Applicants are expected to have a strong background in at least one East Asian language; normally, this means a minimum of two years of formal study. Applicants to the graduate program must submit an application for admission online (www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply) and submit a statement of purpose, three letters of reference completed by teachers, advisers, or recent employers, and a 10-20 page writing sample. Original transcripts (with English translations if applicable) showing all undergraduate and graduate work completed should be sent to SLCL Graduate Student Services, 3070 Foreign Languages Bldg., 707 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required and should be submitted to institution code 1836. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and must score at least 103 on the internet-based test (iBT) for admission with full standing; they must also pass the speaking sub-section of the iBT with a minimum score of 24 (see www.grad.illinois.edu/Admissions/instructions/04c). Students with a B.A. or B.S. only should apply to the M.A. Applications are accepted for fall admission only. Application questions may be directed to SLCL Graduate Student Services at slclgradservices@illinois.edu.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the department's guide to Graduate Programs and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Arts, East Asian Studies
| Required Courses: | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| Two 500-level courses in the major field including one course designated as a research seminar in which the student produces a research paper using Asian language sources. | 8 |
| EALC 500 | 4 |
| Distribution requirements. a minimum of two (8 hours) 400- or 500-level courses that are: 1. outside the major field of interest. 2. in an East Asian culture other than the major areas of interest. 3. in a Second Period (modern or premodern) | 8 |
| Elective hours | 12 |
| Language Requirement: Candidates must demonstrate a knowledge of one East Asian language at the fourth-year level by satisfactory completion of appropriate (400-level) coursework or examination and passage of a written examination covering material studied while in residence. | |
| Total Hours | 32 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 |
| Other Requirements:* | |
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 |
Doctor of Philosophy
Applicants to the Ph.D. program normally must hold a master's degree in East Asian studies or a related discipline with an East Asian concentration.
| Required Courses: | Required Hours - Entering with approved M.S./M.A. degree | Required Hours - Entering with approved B.S./B.A. degree* |
|---|---|---|
| EALC 500 | 4 | |
| Two 500-level courses in the major field including one course designated as a research seminar in which the student produces a research paper using Asian language sources. | 8 | |
| Distribution requirements. a minimum of two (8 hours) 400- or 500-level courses that are: 1. outside the major field of interest. 2. in an East Asian culture other than the major areas of interest. 3. in a Second Period (modern or premodern) | 8 | |
| Elective hours to earn MA equivalency | 12 | |
| Courses in the major field defined by culture and discipline (500-level) | 16 | 16 |
| Research seminars (500-level) | 8 | 8 |
| Elective 500-level courses | 8 | 8 |
| Two graduate courses in a second discipline and two in a second culture must be completed as part of the Ph.D. coursework | ||
| Language Requirement: | ||
| Candidates must demonstrate a knowledge of one East Asian language at the fourth-year level by satisfactory completion of appropriate (400-level) coursework or examination and passage of a written examination covering material studied while in residence. | ||
| Demonstration of proficiency in a second language relevant to the student's course of study usually Chinese, Japanese, Korean evidenced by either a) completion of minimum of two years of an approved sequence courses; or b) by examination. | ||
| Thesis Hours Required– EALC 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 32 max | 32 max |
| Total Hours | 64 | 96 |
| Other Requirements:* | ||
| In addition to the language requirements noted above, Ph.D. students whose primary focus is Japan are required to take one year of classical Japanese, and those whose primary focus is China are required to take one year of classical Chinese. These may be counted toward degree requirements. | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Qualifying Exam Required | No | No |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes | Yes |
Candidates for the Ph.D. may specialize in culture (e.g., religion, literature, history), language acquisition, or language pedagogy, with a major concentration in China, Japan, or Korea.
Other general requirements include: an annual review of progress, including an evaluation of research capability; a written and oral preliminary examination in the major and two minor fields (after completion of coursework); presentation of a dissertation proposal (often as part of the preliminary exam); and completion and defense of the dissertation. www.grad.illinois.edu/gradhandbook/chapterVI/section01
Medical Scholars Program
The Medical Scholars Program permits highly qualified students to integrate the study of medicine with study for a graduate degree in a second discipline, including East Asian Languages and Cultures. Students may apply to the Medical Scholars Program prior to beginning graduate school or while in the graduate program. Applicants to the Medical Scholars Program must meet the admissions standards for and be accepted into both the doctoral graduate program and the College of Medicine. Students in the dual degree program must meet the specific requirements for both the medical and graduate degrees. On average, students take eight years to complete both degrees. Further information on this program is available by contacting the Medical Scholars Program, 125 Medical Sciences Building, (217) 333-8146 or at www.med.illinois.edu/msp.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in this program. Therefore, applicants are requested to include information on teaching background as part of the application, and students can normally be expected to teach at least one semester as part of their graduate experience. Non-native English speakers must first pass a test of their oral English ability.
www.grad.uiuc.edu/admissions/taengprof.htm
Financial Aid
The Department makes every effort to assist graduate students in securing financial aid. Financial aid packages usually combine some form of fellowship support with teaching or research assistantships in a manner that allows for both teaching experience and timely completion of the degree. In recent years, the vast majority of EALC graduate students have received some form of financial support. Financial aid for graduate students in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures may include: University Fellowships, Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships, University Dissertation Completion Fellowships, Minority Academic Partnership Plan (MAPP) Fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. All awards of financial aid are made following competitive application.
www.ealc.illinois.edu/ealc/program/gradgrants.htm
www.ealc.illinois.edu/ealc/program/gradfinaid.htm
https://www.grad.illinois.edu/fellowship/