JAPAN-PHD - Japanese (PhD)

The Ph.D. program in Japanese is designed to prepare students for a doctoral degree in Japanese literature or cultural history. The Ph.D. program in Japanese, Linguistics subplan is designed to prepare students for a doctoral degree in Japanese linguistics.

Students are to take the relevant language placement exam, proctored by the Stanford Language Center, for placement into the Japanese language course series and the student's supporting language course series.

Advanced standing may be considered for students entering the Ph.D. program who have already completed an M.A. in Japanese literature or linguistics elsewhere, only in cases when the level of prior course work and research is deemed equivalent to departmental requirements for the Ph.D.

All courses must be taken for a letter grade. Prior to advancing to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status, graduate students must complete all requirements except passing the University Oral Exam (i.e., dissertation defense), and submitting the final dissertation.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures 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 advisor and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the advisor and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

Faculty advisors and department staff guide students in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, developing of teaching pedagogy, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways.

Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the "Graduate Advising" section of the Stanford Bulletin.

The Ph.D. is conferred upon candidates who have demonstrated substantial scholarship and the ability to conduct independent research and analysis in East Asian Languages and Cultures. Through completion of advanced course work and rigorous skills training, the doctoral program prepares students to make original contributions to the knowledge of East Asian Languages and Cultures and to interpret and present the results of such research.