EASST-MA - East Asian Studies (MA)

Stanford's interdisciplinary M.A. program in East Asian Studies is designed both for students who plan to complete a Ph.D. but who have not yet decided on the particular discipline in which they prefer to work, and for students who wish to gain a background in East Asian Studies in connection with a career in nonacademic fields such as business, law, education, journalism, or government service. The program permits the student to construct a course of study suited to individual intellectual interests and career needs, and is typically completed in two years; the program may be completed within one year, depending on the course load taken and the amount of foreign language training required. Advanced language students or students who are native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean can potentially complete the program within one year. Students interested in pursuing professional careers are encouraged to plan for additional training through internships or additional graduate professional programs, in conjunction with obtaining an M.A. in East Asian Studies.

The M.A. program allows students a great deal of flexibility in combining language training, interdisciplinary area studies, and a disciplinary concentration. Students are required to demonstrate third year level proficiency in Chinese, Korean or Japanese, according to their research-area focus (either through coursework at Stanford or testing at the 4th year or higher in Stanford language-placement exams), to enroll in a 3-unit core course in East Asian Studies in autumn quarter of the first year, and to complete at least eight additional graduate-level area studies courses.  Of the nine required content courses (including the 3-unit core course), three must be in a single department or in the same thematic focus.  An M.A. thesis, usually an expansion of a paper written for a graduate seminar or colloquium, is required.

You can find further information about the Center for East Asian Studies on our Program Overview Page.

External credit is not accepted for this Master's Program.

After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case by case basis.

The Center for East Asian Studies is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both the adviser and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the adviser and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

Faculty advisers guide students in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways.  Program administrative staff are available for advising students on program policies and degree requirements, as well as course selection.

Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship; they should proactively seek academic and professional guidance, take responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program, and remain aware of all program-specific and University-wide deadlines.  

At or before the start of graduate study, normally at the beginning of Autumn Quarter, each student is assigned an adviser: a member of the program's faculty who provides research advice and guidance in course selection and in exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways.  Usually, the same faculty member serves as program adviser for the duration of the Master's study; however, formal adviser change requests are possible in consultation with CEAS staff.

CEAS students are required to meet with their adviser at least twice per quarter and they must submit adviser meeting forms to the program office as proof.  Students are expected to have a discussion with their adviser during or before the first week of each quarter to agree upon the courses that the student plans to take that quarter.  

The department's student services office is also an important part of the advising team.  It informs students and advisers about University and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities, and it maintains the official records of advising assignments and approvals.  In addition, the center Associate Director and student services officer meet with all students each quarter, and are available during the academic year by email and during office hours.  

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the "Graduate Advising" section of this bulletin.  Academic advising by Stanford faculty is a critical component of all graduate students' education and additional resources can be found on the VPGE webpage regarding Advising Practices & Resources.

The purpose of the master's program is to further develop specialized knowledge and skills in East Asian Studies, and to prepare students for a professional career or doctoral studies. This is achieved through the completion of East Asia content courses, language training as necessary, and experience with independent research.