School of International Letters and Cultures at ASU

The Master of Arts in Asian Languages and Civilizations: Japanese

The Asian languages faculty in the School of International Letters and Cultures offers a graduate program leading to a master of arts degree in Asian Languages and Civilizations--Japanese. In addition to preparing some students for further academic training, the program also helps to prepare students for jobs dealing with Japan as well as for entrance to professional schools, in such fields as law, business, or journalism. It aims to enroll students who see higher level of understanding of the language and culture Japan as a valuable asset to a professional career, as well as students who want to eventually pursue doctoral studies in the same or a closely related field.

In keeping with the idea of in situ experience as a key ingredient for advanced intellectual understanding, all degree candidates must have spent at least nine continuous months in a Japanese language environment within four years of completing the program. Applications are therefore welcomed from those who have already spent time in such an environment, with academic programs or business enterprises, or with such organizations as the JET program, missionary societies, or government agencies. For those who have not recently lived in Japan for an extended period, advisors will be able to suggest means of fulfilling this requirement. The experience is intended to ensure that all degree candidates are able to communicate well in spoken Japanese, to have a first-hand sense of Japanese society and to read modern Japanese at an advanced level. Passing a general language test is one of the requirements for completion of the degree.

In place of a comprehensive examination, all degree candidates are required to write either a research or a translation thesis. The research thesis is traditional. It demonstrates the student's ability to handle original (written) sources and to stake out and defend his or her own position on an intellectual issue. The translation thesis, an option in all M.A. programs in the School of International Letters and Cultures, requires the student to read and interpret a primary text in Japanese, to become familiar with all important studies of it and then to annotate it and render it into proper English. Either type of thesis is intended to demonstrate the synthesis of intellectual insights and actual experience that every candidate is expected to achieve.

Application Procedures

Application for admission to a graduate degree program in Asian Languages and Civilizations may be made at any time. Applicants must submit an application form, fee, and other materials to the Admissions Office of the Graduate College. An application and list of guidelines are available online at www.asu.edu/graduate/ or by writing to:

Graduate Admissions Office
Arizona State University PO Box 871003
Tempe, AZ, 85287-1003
USA

To qualify for regular admission, applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree and the equivalent of an undergraduate major in Japanese--that is, 24 upper-division semester hours--with a grade point average of at least 3.25 on a 4.00 scale. Those who lack this background but who show strong potential and meet Graduate College admissions requirements may be admitted as graduate students on a provisional basis, pending removal of specified deficiencies. The M.A. will not be awarded until all admissions requirements are fulfilled.

Financial Assistance

The Graduate College offers Graduate Academic Scholarships (GAS), which waive resident tuition. Graduate Tuition Scholarships (GTS) waive nonresident tuition. The Chinese language program expects to be able to appoint up to three Teaching Assistants per year. Loans and work-study aid are handled through the Graduate College Student Financial Assistance Office; applicants must fill out a FAFSA form. Information regarding loans and work-study, as well as employment opportunities, is available through the Graduate College at gradaid@asu.edu, (480) 965-3521, or www.asu.edu/graduate/financial/.

Application forms for GTS, GAS, and assistantships are available online at www.asu.edu/graduate/forms/ and should be submitted to the School of International Letters and Cultures.

For Further Information

Please contact:

Stephen Bokenkamp
Graduate Director, Asian Languages
School of International Letters and Cultures
Arizona State University
PO Box 870202
Tempe, AZ 85287-0202

Phone: (480) 965-8882
Email: stephen.bokenkamp@asu.edu