The Master of Arts (M.A.) program in East Asian Studies is a multidisciplinary program offering a concentrated course of study designed to provide a broad understanding of the people, history, culture, contemporary society, politics, and economy of China, Japan, Korea, or a transnational region within East Asia.
This program is designed for students preparing to go on to the doctorate in one of the disciplines of East Asian studies (e.g., anthropology; economics; history; history of art; language and literature, including comparative literature, film studies, and theater studies; political science; sociology, etc.), as well as for those students seeking a terminal M.A. degree before entering the business world, the media, government service, or a professional school.
The number of students in the M.A. program generally ranges from 15 to 25 students each year. Students come to the program with a variety of experiences, skills, academic preparation and interests. Many have had some experience working or living in East Asia and all are expected to have had substantial language training in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Each student, working in conjunction with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in East Asian Studies, plans an integrated program conforming flexibly to his or her particular needs and goals. The environment is very demanding, as M.A. candidates share classes with Ph.D. candidates with disciplinary specializations. It is also collegial, as Ph.D. and M.A. students interact professionally and socially with faculty, members, and visiting scholars at the Council on East Asian Studies and the larger University community.
Room 653, Loria, 190 York Street
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM or by appointment
Room 320, Henry R. Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Avenue
Joint-Degree Program
CEAS offers joint-degree programs with three of Yale’s professional schools—Environment, Law, and Public Health—that offer a strong connection between two demanding courses of study while also fulfilling the requirements of each separate school. Only students enrolled in the two-year track of the East Asian Studies M.A. degree program are eligible for a joint degree. More information is available here.
The Council of East Asian Studies at Yale University does NOT offer a Ph.D. program. Some students will use the East Asian Studies Master’s Program as a stepping stone to a Ph.D. program. Usually, this path is chosen when the student aspires toward a Doctorate, but lacks language or foundational coursework or is not certain of the field through which to pursue it. The broad-based nature of the East Asian Studies M.A. program allows the student opportunities to explore before deciding on a specific field or to bolster their qualifications for pursuing a Doctorate. Comprehensive information on all departments and programs is available at the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.