Master of Arts in Asian Studies

The Master of Arts (MA) in Asian Studies (AST) provides a comparative understanding of the cultural, economic, and socio-political significance of Asia in the 21st century. It requires competency in one or more Asian languages. To achieve this, MA students are encouraged to study abroad for part of their course work. For students interested in teaching Asian languages, this degree also offers the Chinese Studies option in “Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language,” or the Asian Studies option “Japanese Language and Pedagogy.” Graduates from the MA program in Asian Studies can expect to be much more competitive for positions in the Foreign Service, State Department, K-12 and community college education and administration, international finance and industry, non-governmental organizations, academic publishing, professional translation work, and Ph.D. programs in Chinese, Japanese, or Asian Studies. Chinese Studies option (30-42 units, including 12 units of core courses) This option includes a choice between two tracks: 1) Chinese Language and Culture and 2) Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

A bachelor\u2019s degree in a major in Asian Studies, an Asian language, or a field with an emphasis on Asia, such as Cultural Geography, International Business, International Studies and Linguistics. Those who did not earn a bachelor\u2019s degree in these fields but possess language fluency and/or related work experience (such as international applicants), also are strongly encouraged to apply.
A 3.0 (\u201cB\u201d) GPA in Asia and Asian language related courses taken as an undergraduate. (A student whose GPA is less than 3.0 may appeal to the Department\u2019s Graduate Committee for a possible waiver of this requirement.)

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Paper-based 550; Internet-based (iBT) 80

IELTS 6.0 each sub-section

Pearson Test of English 58