Japan Area Graduate Studies

The Department of East Asian Studies offers MA and Ph.D programs with a concentration in Japanese history, literature, linguistics, and religion. To familiarize yourself with our faculty members' current research and teaching interests please click on the faculty profiles:

Things to note when applying to our program:

1. Language Requirement

Applicants are expected to have a basic knowledge (3 years of college instruction or equivalent) of the Japanese language. Applicants with no prior training in Japanese will not be admitted.

2. Your Research Proposal

In your application statement, please specify your field/discipline of interest as well as the time period. Please also tell us what specific topic you would like to do research on and how your previous undergraduate/graduate studies have prepared you to conduct this research successfully, including your previous research experiences and language skills (modern and/or classical). Competitive applicants make a compelling case why and how our program would be a good "fit" for their research projects and academic goals.

3. A sample of written work (in English)

All prospective PhD students are asked to submit a substantial writing sample in English, on a topic related to the proposed topic of research. There is no prescribed length for this writing sample but we expect a sample of at least 10 pages.

4. Funding

The Department of East Asian Studies offers funding on a competitive basis to incoming students through a combination of tuition waivers, graduate teaching assistantships and a departmental fellowship.

If you have any further questions regarding your application or wish to discuss your interests with us please contact our Graduate Coordinator, Frank Whitehead (frankw1@arizona.edu) and/or a faculty member of your choice.