About the Program

The Group in Asian Studies offers a MA degree program in Asian Studies. Students in the program emphasize one of four areas of Asia: East Asia (China), Northeast Asia (Japan/Korea), Southeast Asia, or South Asia.

The group, in cooperation with the Graduate School of Journalism and the School of Law, also offers a concurrent MJ/MA in Journalism and Asian studies, and a concurrent JD/MA in Law and Asian studies; for further information regarding these programs, please see the group's website .

The Group also offers an interdisciplinary PhD degree in Asian Studies. Only students who first complete the MA program at UC Berkeley can be considered for the PhD program. Students in the PhD program must be intellectually focused and must master the methodological aspects of the humanities and/or social sciences in pursuing their studies.  Applicants with specific disciplinary interests should apply to a departmental PhD program rather than to this interdisciplinary group.

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Admissions

Admission to the University

Uniform minimum requirements for admission

The following minimum requirements apply to all programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:

1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
2. A minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0);
3. If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g. Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, 90 on the iBT test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
4. Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.

Applicants who already hold a graduate degree

The Graduate Council views academic degrees as evidence of broad research training, not as vocational training certificates; therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to take up new subject matter on a serious level without undertaking a graduate program, unless the fields are completely dissimilar.

Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.

Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.

The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:

1. Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
2. Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.

Applicants may only apply to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.

Any applicant who was previously registered at Berkeley as a graduate student, no matter how briefly, must apply for readmission, not admission, even if the new application is to a different program.

Required documents for admissions applications

1. Transcripts:  Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcripts of all college-level work will be required if admitted. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. Request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.
   If you have attended Berkeley, upload unofficial transcript with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required if admitted.
2. Letters of recommendation: Applicants can request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
3. Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a U.S. university may submit an official transcript from the U.S. university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language, 2) courses conducted in a language other than English, 3) courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and 4) courses of a non-academic nature. If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.

Admission to the Program

MA program

1. Online Application: Fill out the graduate admissions application available on the Graduate Division website .
2. Transcripts:
   1. Domestic Applicants: Upload unofficial transcripts with the online application for the departmental initial review. You do not need to send the department paper copies. Official transcripts of all college-level work will be required only if admitted. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. Request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.
   2. International Applicants: Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. In addition to this, you must send to the department, official paper transcripts or academic records for all university-level studies you have completed, at U.S. institutions and abroad. If your academic records do not include official evidence of the award of your degree, you must also submit additional documents that verify its award. Academic records should be issued in their original languages accompanied by English translations (usually prepared by your university or governmental agency, unless the institution issues original documents in English). In general, records or transcripts must be issued by the school and include the school’s stamp or embossed seal and the signature of the authorizing official. For more detailed information on acceptable documents, please contact Graduate Admissions. Send the transcripts to the department at Group in Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley,1995 University Ave., Suite 510E, Berkeley, CA 94720-2318, USA.
3. Letters of Recommendation: Send three letters of recommendation from three recommenders familiar with your work, preferably in an academic setting. We will accept online letters of recommendation only. Instructions on how to submit letters are included in the Graduate Admissions application.
4. Academic Writing Sample : Writing samples must be 5-7 pages in length and in English. Examples include an essay or book review. You can upload the writing sample as part of the online application. Do not send or email writing samples to the department.
5. GRE Test Scores: Submit GRE scores of the general test (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical components). Scores must be sent directly by ETS to UC Berkeley (institution code 4833). Do not send test scores directly to our department. Current scores are preferred, however, scores up to five years back will be accepted. For more information on when test scores are mailed out by ETS, see the ETS website . Note that for the computer test, scores are sent to institutions approximately 10-15 days after the test date. For the paper-based test, please arrange to take the test in October or before. This will ensure timely delivery of your scores.
6. TOEFL (International Students Only: All applicants from countries in which English is not the official language are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency through the TOEFL exam. If you have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better in residence at a U.S. university, you do not need to take this test. Tests taken before June 2008 will not be accepted. Your most recent score must be at least 570 for the paper exam, at least 230 for the computer-based test, or at least 68 for the Internet-based test (iBT). Scores must be sent directly by ETS to UC Berkeley (institution code 4833). Do not send test scores directly to our department.

Profile of a successful applicant

The profile of a successful applicant admitted recently would include such attributes as:

• Two or more years of relevant Asian language preparation
• An upper-division grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher: In evaluating grade point average, particular emphasis is placed on the applicant's last two years of undergraduate study and on his or her work in the area in which he or she intends to specialize. For 
• A writing sample of high caliber.
• A verbal GRE test score in the 90-99th percentile.
• Excellent letters of recommendation from academic sources that can comment in detail on scholarly attributes.
• A concise, mature, and directed statement of purpose that fits within the interdisciplinary Asian Studies program requirements and capabilities.
• Some experience living, studying, or working in Asia.

PhD program

Only for students who first complete the MA program at UC Berkeley can be considered for the PhD program

1. Students must complete the MA degree in Asian Studies at UC Berkeley prior to applying for the PhD.
2. Five letters of recommendation from academic sources from pertinent units on the Berkeley campus
3. Formation of a three-member Faculty Committee (by the applicant) to supervise the work toward the advanced degree
4. A proposed academic plan leading toward qualifying examinations, including the types of courses the applicant plans to take
5. An academic writing sample such as an in-depth research paper or copy of the MA thesis

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Time to Advancement

Curriculum

The above course work must involve at least two major geographical or cultural areas of Asia, and must include substantial comparative analytical content. It must include as well the acquisition of a reading knowledge of two Asian languages. The PhD candidate must complete the course work proposed as set by a three-member Faculty Committee

QE

The PhD candidate must pass qualifying examinations as set by the three-member Faculty Committee, augmented by two additional faculty members for purposes of the examination.

Time in Candidacy

Dissertation

Upon completion of the qualifying exams, the student will advance to candidacy. At this stage, the student will write, under the supervision of the three-member committee, a dissertation that satisfies the requirements of the Graduate Division.

Dissertation Defense

At the committee's option, the dissertation may need an oral defense. The degree will be awarded upon successful completion of the dissertation.

Master's Degree Requirements

Unit requirements

A minimum of 20 semester units of upper-division and graduate courses in the student's area of specialization, as determined in conference with the graduate adviser. For the 20-unit minimum, at least 8 units must be in 200-series courses in two or more departments. No more than 14 units of the 20-unit minimum can be in a single department. Relevant language work beyond the three-year minimum requirement is encouraged and may be included among the program units. The graduate proseminar, Asian Studies 201, is required for two semesters; however, the units do not count toward the 20-unit minimum.

Time to Advancement

Curriculum

Foreign Language

A minimum of three years of course work in an Asian language relevant to the student's regional specialization or evidence of equivalent preparation.

Capstone/Thesis (Plan I)

A Master's thesis that will be supervised and approved by a three-member faculty committee.

Courses

Asian Studies