HOME / SEARCH /

Search

Search results

    Graduate Program

    Welcome to the graduate program in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. The program offers the Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations (EALC) in the principal fields of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean literature; Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Inner Asian history (including Tibet); East Asian Buddhism; and East Asian Arts, Film and Cultural Studies.  In addition, the program also offers the Ph.D. in History and East Asian Languages (HEAL) in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Inner Asian history. Additional information on the HEAL PhD program is available...

    Read more about Graduate Program

    I. Introduction and General Information

    I. Introduction and General Information

    For decades one of the world's great centers for the study of East Asia, the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard is home to a superb faculty offering courses in the languages and cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Inner Asia, from ancient times to the present. With the strong support of  the world-renowned Harvard-Yenching Library and the various regional centers and research institutes, EALC strives to maintain the highest levels of academic achievement at both the undergraduate and graduate levels....

    Read more about I. Introduction and General Information

    IV. Satisfactory Standing and Residency Requirements

    Time to Degree

    From the first year of registration in GSAS, whether in an AM or PhD program, the Registrar’s Office begins counting your years of enrollment. These are marked in the record as G1, G2, etc. The Registrar’s count of G-years is never subject to adjustment. The department “G-year clock,” as it is called, may be stopped for up to one year, but only under certain clearly defined circumstances:

    a) maternity or paternity leave of absence

    b) leave of absence for documented medical...

    Read more about IV. Satisfactory Standing and Residency Requirements

    V. Coursework and Language Requirements

    The department offers an extremely wide array of courses and students are encouraged and expected to familiarize themselves with the range of the curriculum and the opportunities it presents, even as they prepare to specialize in one or more areas. A creative and flexible approach to planning is best: there is no “orthodox” set of courses that everyone takes nor, with the exception of language requirements, are there many prerequisites to be satisfied. This means there is usually room in most programs of study for some judicious experimentation. At a minimum, you should discuss with your...

    Read more about V. Coursework and Language Requirements

    VI. General Examinations

    As part of the preparation for writing the thesis, all PhD candidates in EALC and HEAL must pass a two-hour oral examination in three fields of knowledge, one of which should be chosen to demonstrate breadth in regard to a different geographical area, discipline, or period. There is no written examination. The purpose of the examination is to determine if the student is qualified, a) to carry out advanced research in the field and b) to begin teaching. Hence they are sometimes also known as “qualifying examinations.” Students are tested both on their control of information and on their...

    Read more about VI. General Examinations

    VII. Dissertation Prospectus

    The dissertation prospectus is a document intended to allow you to formulate the foundation for the work that will lead to the writing of a doctoral thesis. Work on the prospectus should begin in the G3 and G4 years, around the same time as the student begins teaching (see Section VIII). This represents a new phase in one’s graduate education.

    In developing the prospectus, some students find it useful to spend some time carrying out preliminary...

    Read more about VII. Dissertation Prospectus

    VIII. Teaching Fellowships

    Teaching fellowships are part of the financial package offered to all students in Harvard Griffin GSAS and offer crucial experience in one’s graduate career. EALC and HEAL PhD students are guaranteed three semesters of teaching in the G3 and G4 years. There are also many teaching opportunities for students in the G5 and higher years. Teaching fellows (TFs) teach part-time (nominally 16 hours per week) as part of their progress toward the doctorate degree. They ordinarily must be full-time, resident students and be in satisfactory standing. The University and the Department place great...

    Read more about VIII. Teaching Fellowships

Pages