CHINE-MA - Chinese (MA)

The M.A. program in Chinese is designed for students with strong academic records and an interest in pursuing postgraduate research in Chinese literature, philosophy, or linguistics, but who have not yet acquired the language skills or disciplinary foundation necessary to enter a Ph.D. program. (Note: Students who wish to pursue advanced language training in preparation for post-graduate research in other fields of Chinese studies are referred to the interdisciplinary M.A. program in the Center for East Asian Studies.)

The M.A. program in Chinese, Archaeology subplan, is designed for students with an interest in pursuing postgraduate research in Chinese archaeology who have not yet acquired the language skills or disciplinary foundation necessary to enter a Ph.D. program.

Students who wish to pursue advanced language training in preparation for post-graduate research in other fields of Chinese studies are referred to the interdisciplinary M.A. program in the Center for East Asian Studies: program.

Students are to take the Chinese language placement exam, proctored by the Stanford Language Center, for placement into the appropriate level in the Chinese language course series and a classical Chinese placement exam, proctored by the EALC department, for placement into the appropriate level in the classical Chinese course series.

Effective academic advising is a critical component of a successful graduate degree program. At Stanford, all matriculated graduate students are to be advised by a member of the faculty. The nature of academic advising may differ for different programs, students, and at different stages in a degree program. During your time as a graduate student, you will have access to the department staff (in particular the Student Services Officer), the Directors of Graduate Studies (EALC generally has two DGS, one for Chinese and Japanese studies), and the Department Chair, to whom you can refer to for degree progress and policy clarification. 

In order to meet the department’s advising expectations, each student and their advisor meet must meet at least once per quarter for a holistic, structured discussion of the student’s recent progress, short-term plans, and longer-term academic and professional goals and to discuss the steps that the student should take to meet these objectives. 

Students are expected to meet regularly with their advisors and to keep them informed about their academic progress. Each student and their advisor should mutually agree on the frequency of these meetings when the advising relation begins and reassess their frequency at the start of every quarter.

No later than by the end of the first academic year, the student is assigned a faculty advisor. Until the Master's Thesis has been submitted and the student has graduated, the student and advisor must meet at the beginning of each quarter to discuss intended courses as well as other academic matters. The advisor's suggestions regarding professional issues are especially valuable, as they offer insight into the academic environment beyond one's particular intellectual interests.

The candidate must finish third-year Chinese, and one course in advanced classical Chinese with a letter grade of 'B' or higher.  Placement tests in modern and in classical Chinese will be given for incoming students during orientation week, Autumn Quarter.  Those who fail to place into advanced level classical must take beginning classical Chinese. Qualified students may, upon consultation with the graduate advisor, be permitted to certify that they have attained the equivalent level of proficiency by passing examinations.