The Master of Arts in Asian Studies is designed to prepare our students to become global citizens, versed in the languages and cultures of the region, with the intellectual flexibility to combine area studies and professional competence, and cognizant of the complex linkages that define the profound relevance of Asia for the United States today.
Our graduates have jobs in a wide variety of fields, from law, biological research,
graphic design, and the computer industry to public service here and abroad as well
as overseas entrepreneurship. Our graduates have also gone on to prestigious graduate
programs at places such as UCLA, Columbia University, University of Washington, University
of Oregon, Indiana University, and the University of Chicago.
The M.A. in Asian Studies is a flexible interdisciplinary degree providing advanced language study and area studies education. The core program faculty include over 80 professors in 26 departments across ten colleges. In addition to strengths in history, literature, economics, political science, sociology, and geography, the program has strong interdisciplinary concentrations in Health, Visual Culture, Development Studies, Legal Studies, Gender Studies, and Environmental Studies. The degree can be used either as preparation for further academic studies at the Ph.D. level or in pursuit of careers in government service, international law, international business, and education. It may be usefully combined with a Master's in Business, Law, Public Administration, Public Health and other professional degrees.
The program requires a total of 30 credits, including 8 three-credit courses, a thesis (6 credits), and a minimum of third-year proficiency in an Asian language. Students are required to have both a regional or country concentration and a disciplinary concentration for their program, developed in consultation with the program advisor. Regional concentrations currently include East Asia (China, Japan, and Korea) and South Asia (India and Pakistan). Courses are also available on Southeast Asia. Disciplinary concentrations can focus on one of the departments participating in the program or can involve creative and practical interdisciplinary combinations of courses that fit with the student's career goals.
All applications for the MA in Asian Studies must be submitted online through the Graduate School.
Click here for information and instructions on how to apply to the MA in Asian Studies.
Click here to begin your application.