East Asian Studies

Director of undergraduate studies: Valerie Hansen; ceas.yale.edu

In the East Asian Studies major, students focus on a country or an area within East Asia and focus their work in the humanities or the social sciences. The major offers a liberal education that serves as excellent preparation for graduate study or for business and professional careers in which an understanding of East Asia is essential.

The major in East Asian Studies is interdisciplinary, and students typically select classes from a wide variety of disciplines. The proposed course of study must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUS).

Prerequisite

The prerequisite to the major is completion of study at the L2 level of an East Asian language taught at Yale or the equivalent. 

Requirements of the Major

Beyond the prerequisite, the major consists of thirteen course credits, which may include up to six taken in a preapproved program of study abroad. Six course credits must be taken in East Asian language courses, including a course at the L4 level and one year of advanced study (L5) with readings in the East Asian language.

Beyond the language requirement, the major includes seven course credits, six in the country or area of focus and one outside it. Areas of focus include: China, Korea, or Japan. Of the course credits in the area of focus, one must be in the premodern period, at least two must be seminars, and one is the senior requirement. Both seminars must be completed before the semester in which students complete their senior essay. These courses are normally taken at Yale during the academic year, but with prior approval of the DUS the requirement may be fulfilled through successful course work undertaken elsewhere.

Credit/D/Fail A maximum of one course taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of the major, with permission of the DUS.

Senior Requirement 

Before enrolling in the course in which the senior requirement will be met, students must have completed the two seminars related to their area of focus requirement. During the senior year, all students must satisfy a senior requirement consisting of a major research project that uses Chinese-, Japanese-, or Korean-language materials, reflects an up-to-date understanding of the region, and demonstrates a strong command of written English. This requirement can be met in one of three ways. (1) Students may take a seminar that relates to the country or area of focus, culminating in a senior thesis. Students who are unable to write a senior essay in a seminar may complete (2) a one-term senior essay in EAST 480, or (3) a one-credit, two-term senior research project in EAST 491, 492 culminating in an essay. The adviser for the senior project should be a faculty member associated with the Council on East Asian Studies with a reading knowledge of the target language materials consulted for the essay.

Advising

Selection of courses Upon entering the major, students are expected to draw up an intellectually coherent sequence of courses in consultation with the DUS. They must consult with the DUS each term concerning their course schedules. They should identify as soon as possible a faculty adviser in their area of focus. As a multidisciplinary program, East Asian Studies draws on the resources of other departments and programs in the University. Students are encouraged to examine the offerings of other departments in both the humanities and the social sciences, as well as Residential College Seminars, for additional relevant courses. The stated area of focus of each student determines the relevance and acceptability of other courses. For a complete listing of courses approved for the major, see the Council on East Asian Studies website.

Courses in the graduate and professional schools Qualified students may elect pertinent courses in the Graduate School and in some of the professional schools with permission of the instructor, the EAST DUS, and the director of graduate studies of the relevant department or the dean or registrar of the professional school.

Combined B.A./M.A. degree program Exceptionally able and well-prepared students may complete a course of study leading to the simultaneous award of the B.A. and M.A. degrees after eight terms of enrollment. See Academic Regulations, section L, Special Academic Arrangements, “Simultaneous Award of the Bachelor's and Master's Degrees.” Interested students should consult the DUS prior to the fifth term of enrollment for specific requirements in East Asian Studies.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisite L2 level of an East Asian lang taught at Yale or the equivalent

Number of courses 13 course credits beyond prereq (incl senior req); up to 6 may be in preapproved study abroad

Distribution of courses 6 course credits in East Asian lang courses, incl 1 L4 course and 1 year at L5 level with readings in the lang; 6 addtl course credits in country or area of focus, incl 1 in premodern era and 2 seminars (the two seminars must be completed before starting senior req); 1 course credit on East Asia outside country or focus area

Senior requirement Senior sem culminating in senior thesis, or one-term senior essay in EAST 480, or one-credit, two-term senior research proj in EAST 491, 492 culminating in an essay

Prerequisite 

  • L2 level of an East Asian language taught at Yale or the equivalent

Requirements 

13 courses (13 credits), including the senior requirement but not the prerequisite

6 courses may be in preapproved study abroad

Areas of focus include: China, Korea, Japan

  • 6 course credits in East Asian language courses, including:
    • 1 L4 course 
    • 2 courses at L5 level with readings in the language
  • 6 additional course credits, related to area of focus, including:
    • 1 course in the premodern era and
    • 2 seminars, to be completed before starting senior requirement
    • Any senior seminar culminating in a senior thesis, or EAST 480, or, for 1 credit, both EAST 491 and EAST 492, culminating in an essay
  • 1 course on East Asia outside the country or area of focus

In the East Asian Studies (EAST) major, students focus on a country or an area within East Asia and concentrate their work in the humanities or the social sciences. The major offers a liberal education that serves as excellent preparation for graduate study or for business and professional careers in which an understanding of East Asia is essential.

As EAST is interdisciplinary, students typically select classes from a wide variety of disciplines. Council faculty offer classes in the departments of Anthropology, East Asian Languages and Literatures, History, History of Art, Political Science, Religious Studies, and Sociology. EAST draws on the resources of other departments and programs in the University, and students are encouraged to examine the offerings of other departments, as well as Residential College Seminars, for additional relevant courses in both the humanities and the social sciences. The proposed course of study must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUS).

First-year students who intend to major in East Asian Studies should begin language training as soon as possible. Completion of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean at the elementary level is prerequisite to the EAST major.

Many majors spend a term or a year studying in China, Japan, or Korea. With the approval of the DUS, credit for such study up to the equivalent of six Yale course credits may count toward the major. Information on a wide variety of approved study abroad programs is available from the Council on East Asian Studies, 320 Luce Hall, 432-3427, or on the Council website.

FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES

Professors Daniel Botsman (History), Fabian Drixler (History), Aaron Gerow (East Asian Languages & Literatures; Film & Media Studies), Valerie Hansen (History), Hwansoo Kim (Religious Studies), Tina Lu (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Helen Siu (Anthropology), Chloe Starr (Divinity School), Jing Tsu (East Asian Languages & Literatures; Comparative Literature), Anne Underhill (Anthropology), Arne Westad (Global Affairs; History), Mimi Yiengpruksawan (History of Art)

Associate Professors Lucas Bender (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Eric Greene (Religious Studies), William Honeychurch (Anthropology), Michael Hunter (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Yukiko Koga (Anthropology)

Assistant Professors Jinyi Chu (Slavic Languages and Literatures), Maura Dykstra (History), Kyunghee Eo (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Bo kyung Blenda Im (Sacred Music; Divinity), Daniel Mattingly (Political Science), Charles McClean (Political Science), Quincy Ngan (History of Art), Hannah Shepherd (History), Rosa van Hensbergen (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Emma Zang (Sociology)

Senior Lecturer Pauline Lin (East Asian Languages & Literatures)

Lecturers Ugyan Choedup, Jonathan Feuer, Victor Fong, Wonseok Lee, J. Scott Lyons, Gyatso Marnyi, Meghan Howard Masang, Mukaidaisi Muhetaer, Maddalena Poli, George Remisovsky, Luciana Sanga, Xiaoxiao Shen

Senior Lectors II Seungja Choi, Angela Lee-Smith​, Rongzhen Li, Ninghui Liang, Hiroyo Nishimura, Peisong Xu

Senior Lectors Hsiu-hsien Chan, Min Chen, Fan Liu, Kumiko Nakamura, Jianhua Shen, Wei Su, Chuanmei Sun, Haiwen Wang, Yu-lin Wang Saussy, Mika Yamaguchi, Kayo Yoshikawa, Yongtao Zhang, William Zhou

Lectors Jingjing Ao, Seunghee Back, Xing Gao, Hye Seong Kim, Hyun Sung Lim, Saori Nozaki

See visual roadmap of the requirements.

View Courses