Department of East Asian Studies -- New York University

Each student’s program will be determined in consultation with a faculty adviser and with the Director of Graduate Studies in East Asian Culture. Courses in other departments may be included whenever appropriate. Courses relevant to the student’s research but not available at NYU can be taken through the consortium with Columbia, CUNY Graduate Center, and Princeton.

In order to complete the Ph.D. requirement, the student must acquire 72 points, which are equivalent to 18 courses. Among those, 40 points (10 courses) must be taken within East Asian Studies, while others can be completed through courses taken outside the EAS, such as directed reading courses, and research credits (a maximum of 16 research credits can be taken over five semesters).

In the 1st year the student should enroll in two to four language courses toward fulfilling the language requirements; one course from the Seminar on East Asian Studies series; one course from the Theory and Methodology Seminars; and other courses in his or her chosen field. At the end of the 1st year, the student is required to complete a research paper based on the two completed seminars, which addresses the theoretical-historical questions concerning the field of East Asian Studies. This paper, which takes the form of a take-home exam, is separate from the term papers required by each course and constitutes a part of the general examination. Two members of the faculty (one of whom is the student’s advisor) will grade the examination. In the event of a failed performance, the student will be permitted to retake the examination after consultation with his/her advisor.

During the 2nd year of study, the student is also required to fulfill the language requirements, including requirement in a second East Asian language and/or a major European language by either signing up for language or non-language courses offered in Chinese or Japanese. The bulk of the course work during the 2nd year, however, should concentrate on chosen field under various specialized “topics” (in Chinese literature, Chinese history, Japanese literature, Japanese history, etc.) A total of four topics courses must be completed within the student’s chosen field. The student is advised to take the 2nd part of the general examination in his or her chosen area of research by the end of the 2rd year. The student will advance to candidacy upon successful completion of this examination. The topic is usually limited to a national literature or history, but with special permission from the faculty adviser, the student can choose to be examined in an international movement (i.e. fascism) or a literary-cultural phenomenon (i.e. modernism or “New Cinema”) which cuts cross national borders. The examination may be theoretical-oriented and interdisciplinary in nature, but the purpose is to ensure the student’s readiness for the job market, which is still divided by national and disciplinary boundaries. A 3-member faculty committee (including the student’s advisor) will be formed for each student taking the second exam. The student and the advisor will decide on the formation of the committee after consultation. Questions will be based on a bibliography and a statement of teaching interest submitted by the student. The form of the 2nd examination can be either a 3-hour take-home exam or a two-hour oral exam.

Coursework in the third year is designed to allow the student to renew their inquiry in theory and methodology and explore research areas that are interdisciplinary in nature. By the first half of the 3rd year, the student should finish all the required courses in East Asian Studies. The student is advised to take the 3rd part of the general examination at the end of the 4th year or the beginning of the 5th year. This last phase of the general examination is based on the student’s conception of his or her dissertation research, which includes a bibliography, a methodological statement, and a sample chapter from the dissertation. The 3rd exam committee (a total of 3 people required by GSAS) will continue to function as the student’s dissertation committee. Upon successful passing of the 3rd and last part of the general examination, the student enters the stage of dissertation writing. If the student fails to pass the examination, he or she will be given an opportunity, depending upon the nature of the performance, to either retake those portions he or she failed or retake the entire examination at a later date. If the student fails once more, he or she will be dropped from the program.

The program requires all Ph.D. students to complete a minimum of 15 courses, eight or more of which must be in the program. In addition, students are required to take six courses in a coherent teaching field of their choice. Click here for more information on the curriculum.

The program requires demonstrated student acquisition of two languages other than English. As a rule, one of these languages must be Chinese, Japanese or Korean and attainment must be at a high level of proficiency. While it is ideally preferable for students to develop research competence in at least two East Asian languages, students will be permitted to use a European language as their second choice under certain circumstances.

Students are normally expected to enter the program with at least three years of an East Asian language at the college level. They will be expected to be examined for proficiency some time before they take their general examination, and each student will be required to complete a graduate reading/translation course taught by a faculty member or language lecturer involved in the graduate curriculum.

Before graduating, the student must defend his or her dissertation by a committee of five faculty members, including as many as two from outside of the department. The defense will be oral.

Finish 8-16 points in language courses; one in “Seminars in East Asian Culture; one in “Contemporary Critical Theory.”
Take the first part of the general exam on theory and methodology in East Asian Culture.
Satisfy all language requirements in East Asian Culture; take one or two courses to meet the requirement for a European language; take up to four courses in “topics” series in the chosen research field and prepare for the second part of the general exam on the teaching field.
Submit and successfully have accepted a research paper on an approved special project.
Successfully pass the second part of the general examination.
Receive MA by the end of the third semester.

Admission is based on the applicant’s previous record, general ability, and promise. The typical applicant will have an undergraduate background in the study of East Asia and or previous experience in East Asia itself. The GRE general test score is required. Although knowledge of an East Asian language is not a prerequisite, such training will be taken into consideration. For international applicants whose language of college education is not English, TOEFL is required.


	Address: 715 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10003 \| Tel. 212-998-7620 \| Fax. 212-995-4682	2003 NYU Department of East Asian Studies