Master of Arts in East Asian Studies

The Master of Arts in East Asian Studies at the University of Virginia is an interdisciplinary program intended for students who want in-depth exposure to East Asia at the graduate level while also gaining competence in an East Asian language. The program is designed for students who seek a rich knowledge of East Asia as preparation for careers in business, government service, and media, or as preparation for entering professional schools or doctoral programs. We encourage students who have begun college-level study in Chinese or Japanese to apply. In addition, we offer language training in Korean and Tibetan. Students in the M.A. program explore a variety of course subjects suited to their individual interests and career goals. The range of possible specialty tracks within the program extends from modern and contemporary China or Japan to the East Asian religious traditions. Classes concentrating on East Asia are offered in the departments of Anthropology, Art (art history), East Asian Languages, Literatures and Cultures, History, Media Studies, Politics, and Religious Studies. The MA in East Asian Studies is a terminal Master's program. Students usually take 21 months-two academic years and the intervening summerto complete all requirements for the degree, though the program can be completed more quickly if no additional language work is necessary. Second-year teaching assistantships are available to qualified students. M.A. students are also eligible to apply for Ellen Bayard Weedon Travel Grants to support travel to Asia in the intervening summer to pursue language study and conduct research.

A statement of purpose,
Transcripts from all universities attended,
Official GRE General Test scores (UVa's code is 5820),
Official TOEFL scores if your undergraduate degree was conferred by a non-English language institution,
Two letters of recommendation
An academic/critical writing sample is recommended, but not required. If you choose to submit one, it should be between ten and twenty pages, and should be indicative of your academic capacity and achievement. A paper on a subject relevant to East Asia is most helpful.

The statement of purpose should indicate your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the University of Virginia and describe your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and intellectual or life experiences in order to aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. Your commitment to a selected field of study is presumed in the receipt of your application, instead, please discuss specific issues in the field that engage you. Please limit your submission to between 500 and 1,000 words.

The minimum internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score requirement is 90 (including sectional minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading and 23 in listening). The minimum paper-based TOEFL score requirement is 600. Applicants may submit scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as an alternative to the TOEFL exam. The minimum IELTS score requirement is 7.0 in each section.

Letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application system. Once you have saved the contact information for a particular reference within the online application, that individual will receive instructions via e-mail for submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf. The Graduate School requires two letters of recommendation. As many programs require additional letters, please consult the program's website for additional requirements. You may submit your application independently of the letters submitted by your references.

Letters of recommendation should be sought from faculty in your proposed field of study who are sufficiently familiar with your work to make a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities. If you have already undertaken a graduate program, at least one of the letters should be from a faculty member who is familiar with your academic performance on the graduate level.