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Study Abroad

  • EAS lanterns - click to e-mail Naia Poyer

    See Your Photos Here!

    Want your study-abroad photos featured? E-mail naia_poyer@fas.harvard.edu. (Image credit: Emma Toh '20.)

  • On either side of a river flowing between two high stone walls, cherry blossom boughs are draped heavily with pink flowers

    Meguro River, Tokyo, Japan

    Image credit: Amanda Yang '20

  • Seen from across the shining water of a large pond, a smattering of people stand on a small outcropping of land under a weeping willow tree, talking and enjoying the view.

    Beijing, China

    Image credit: Kalos Chu '22

  • A body of water runs through the center of the image. To the left, a coastline covered in greenery looks out on the skyline of singapore, bristling with skyscrapers.

    Singapore

    Image credit: Adeline Choo '20

  • Inside an expansive Korean palace complex, a pagoda-like structure stands on stilts in the middle of a manmade pond.

    Gyeongbok Palace, Seoul, South Korea

    Image credit: Amanda Yang '20

  • The small figure of a woman sits on a slope overlooking an expansive view of a mountain range, with blue mountains stretching off to the skyline.

    Huangshan Mountain, Anhui Province, China

    Image credit: Jessica Ding '20

  • Image credit: Judy Yang '17

    Tay Ninh, Vietnam

    Image credit: Judy Yang '17

  • View of an intricately painted, multi-color ceiling in the Beijing Summer Palace from below

    Beijing, China

    Image credit: Kalos Chu '22

  • Two lines of men in blue, red, and green traditional Korean court dress proceed toward a palace gate.

    Seoul, South Korea

    Image credit: Emma Toh '20

  • Image credit: Seniha Ipekci '15

    Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan

    Image credit: Seniha Ipekci '15

  • Image credit: Chace Shaw '17

    Busan, South Korea

    Image credit: Chace Shaw '17

  • In the foreground a raven sits on a large rock overlooking a breathtaking view of the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan.

    Mt. Moiwa, Sapporo, Japan

    Image credit: Amanda Yang '20

 

Many students have found overseas study to be a highlight of their educational experience. EALC fully embraces Harvard's commitment to making it possible for students to spend time abroad, and we actively work to provide opportunities and, in many cases, financial support to study and/or hold summer internships in Asia. Students may apply for a summer, a semester, or a year of study overseas, and many of our students seek summer internships in Asia to broaden their knowledge of the region. The Office for International Education provides students with support to research and plan for their time abroad, and the Office of Career Services offers additional exciting ways to gain first-hand experience traveling internationally, while also providing funding for summer study abroad. Use the resources below to discover more about study abroad opportunities specific to East Asia. Students are advised to consult their Resident Dean, OCS and OIE advisers, the language programs, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the East Asian Studies program at the early stages of planning. 

Credit Transfer Process

Undergraduate students should consult the Office for International Education's website for instructions on how to apply for transfer credit for their coursework taken abroad. However, EALC has policies specific to our department. In order to receive credit for language courses taken abroad in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese, students must register for a placement test upon return.  Students must place into a course level higher than the course taken abroad to receive transfer credit, regardless of how many hours of language coursework taken abroad. Additionally, citation credit will not be given for first-year language study. However, students can still place out of the language requirement with a satisfactory placement score upon return. Please contact the language program coordinator for further clarification if necessary, and to get your OIE paperwork signed.  

The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies and the Harvard China Fund are the main resource for funding travel to China for academic work.

  • Harvard Beijing Academy 

The Harvard Beijing Academy (HBA) is Harvard's summer Chinese immersion program, designed to enable students to acquire an academic year's worth of Chinese in an intensive nine-week summer term. Courses are offered from the Intermediate (2nd-Year) through Advanced-High (5th-Year) levels, including a class for heritage speakers. Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese culture as well as language through an array of extracurricular activities, as well as a week-long "Social Study Project" during which students travel to areas of China beyond Beijing.
 
To learn more about the program, including application requirements, curriculum, tuition, and contact information, please visit the HBA website: http://summer.harvard.edu/study-abroad/beijing-china
 
Credits from HBA will automatically show up on your transcript.  The Chinese Language Program highly recommmends HBA because it follows the same curriculum at Harvard, taught by Harvard faculty.   
 

  • Harvard Summer Program in Hong Kong 
    Click here for more information.

Please visit the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies Grants and Fellowships page for information about grants, fellowships, and internships in Japan.  

The Japanese Language Program encourages students to consider the following summer programs:  

 

Students interested in pursuing study abroad opportunities in Korea may consult the Korea Institute's list of opportunities including summer language grants at Ewha University as well as scholarships to attend the Seoul National University International Summer Institute.

The Korean Language Program encourages students to participate in the Harvard Summer School program in Seoul.  For undergraduates looking for funding for this program, please apply for the OCS Summer Funding awards, and the Korea Institute Scholarships for the Harvard Summer School-Korea Program.

Students desiring to study abroad at other programs in Korea may contact Dr. Hi-Sun Kim for information.  

For students wishing to study in Vietnam, please contact Dr. Binh Nhu Ngo for information.