Asian Languages and Literature

225 Gowen

The Department of Asian Languages and Literature offers instruction in the principal languages and literatures of Asia, including East, Southeast, Central, and South Asia. Emphasis is placed on the roles of these languages within the cultures they serve as well as on linguistic, textual, and literary analysis. Courses on Asian literature in English are offered for majors and nonmajors alike.

Undergraduate Program

Adviser
223A Gowen, Box 353521
206-543-4996

The Department of Asian Languages and Literature offers the following undergraduate programs:

• The Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Chinese, Japanese (with either a linguistic or literature concentration), Korean, and South Asian languages
• Minors in Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, and Sanskrit

Bachelor of Arts

Suggested First- and Second-Year College Courses: First and second years of the target foreign language(s): Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or South Asian (Hindi or Sanskrit). Any courses relating to the area or discipline of major study.

Department Admission Requirements

1. Completion of at least 20 credits of college course work (or department-approved equivalent) in the intended primary language of concentration. The most recent course completed in the intended primary language of concentration must be a course taken at the UW, and the final grade in the most recent course in that language must be 2.5 or higher.
2. Completion of one writing course (W-prefix) taught in English with a minimum grade of 2.0.
3. The department prefers that prospective majors present a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher. Applicants may submit materials in addition to transcripts clarifying any aspect of past course work. Denied applicants may appeal.
4. Transfer students must be enrolled at the UW before applying to the major.

Note: A student entering the junior year without two years of the appropriate foreign language will not be able to complete the degree requirements in two years unless he or she takes accelerated courses such as Chinese or Japanese at the UW during summer quarter.

Major Requirements

Chinese

75 credits, as follows:

1. Language Courses: 30 credits required, including a minimum of 20 beyond the third-year level. Must include CHIN 451, plus other courses drawn from CHIN 411, CHIN 412, CHIN 413, CHIN 421, CHIN 422, CHIN 423, CHIN 452, CHIN 453, CHIN 470, and CHIN 482.
2. Linguistics Courses: 5 credits required (CHIN 342); an additional 5 credits optional (CHIN 443).
3. Literature Courses: 15 credits required (10 if the optional 5 linguistics credits are taken). Courses may be drawn from ASIAN 201, ASIAN 204, ASIAN 211, ASIAN 263, CHIN 373, CHIN 374, CHIN 380, CHIN 381, CHIN 385, CHIN 461, CHIN 462, CHIN 463, and Chinese literature courses offered in the Department of Comparative Literature.
4. China-Related Humanities and Social Science Courses: 25 credits required. Must include HSTAS 211, plus other courses explicitly related to China from such departments as Anthropology, Art, History, International Studies, Linguistics, and Sociology.

Japanese

75 credits as follows:

1. 45 credits in language, including 30 credits beyond the second year, selected according to the student's choice of literature or linguistics concentration; 20 credits of a literature or linguistics sequence; and 10 credits of area-related humanities and social sciences, as follows:
1. Literature Concentration
1. Language: 45 credits, with a minimum of 30 credits beyond the second year. (Second year: JAPAN 211, JAPAN 212, JAPAN 213; third year: JAPAN 311, JAPAN 312, JAPAN 313; fourth year: 15 credits from JAPAN 431, JAPAN 432, JAPAN 433, JAPAN 445, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, and JAPAN 473.) Students who, upon the determination of the faculty in Japanese, are permitted to begin their study of Japanese at the University at a level higher than JAPAN 211, substitute, in consultation with the undergraduate adviser, an equivalent number of credits in additional courses drawn from JAPAN 431, 432, JAPAN 433, JAPAN 445, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, JAPAN 473, and with prior approval, other Japan-related humanities or social science courses.
2. Literature Sequence: 20 credits, including JAPAN 321, JAPAN 322, JAPAN 323, and 5 credits from JAPAN 395, JAPAN 431, JAPAN 432, JAPAN 433, JAPAN 460, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, and JAPAN 473, if not used to satisfy the language requirement.
3. Area-Related Humanities or Social Science Courses: 10 credits at the 300 level or above, at least 5 of which must be from outside the Department of Asian Languages and Literature; may be taken from JAPAN 342, JAPAN 343, JAPAN 395, JAPAN 440, JAPAN 442, JAPAN 443, and JAPAN 460; other Japanese literature courses not used to meet the literature requirement; and related courses from other departments.
2. Linguistics Concentration
1. Language: 45 credits, with a minimum of 30 credits beyond the second year. (Second year: JAPAN 211, JAPAN 212, JAPAN 213; third year: JAPAN 311, JAPAN 312, JAPAN 313; fourth year: 15 credits from JAPAN 421, JAPAN 422, JAPAN 423, JAPAN 431, JAPAN 432, JAPAN 433, JAPAN 445, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, and JAPAN 473.) Students who, upon the determination of the faculty in Japanese, are permitted to begin their study of Japanese at the University at a level higher than JAPAN 211, substitute, in consultation with the undergraduate adviser, an equivalent number of credits in additional courses drawn from JAPAN 431, JAPAN 432, JAPAN 433, JAPAN 445, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, JAPAN 473, and with prior approval, other Japan-related humanities or social science courses.
2. Linguistics Sequence: 20 credits, including at least 15 credits from JAPAN 342, JAPAN 343, JAPAN 395, JAPAN 440, JAPAN 442, JAPAN 443; 5 of the 20 credits may come from JAPAN 321, JAPAN 322, JAPAN 323, JAPAN 460, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, JAPAN 473, LING 400, or related courses from other departments.
3. Area-Related Humanities or Social Science Courses: 10 credits at the 300 level or above, at least 5 of which must be from outside the Department of Asian Languages and Literature; may be taken from LING 400, JAPAN 321, JAPAN 322, JAPAN 323, JAPAN 395, JAPAN 460, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, and JAPAN 473; or related courses from other departments.

Korean

75 credits as follows:

1. 45 credits in the Korean language, 15 beyond second-year level
2. 30 credits in literature and area-related humanities or social science courses

South Asian Languages

75 credits as follows:

1. 60 credits in languages, of which 45 are in the major language, 15 in the minor language
2. 15 credits in area-related humanities or social science courses to be chosen in consultation with adviser and to include HSTAS 201 and ASIAN 401

Minor

Minor Requirements

• Chinese: 30 credits as follows:
1. Language Courses: 15 credits at or above the third-year level. Must include CHIN 451, plus other courses drawn from among CHIN 212, CHIN 213, CHIN 301, CHIN 302, CHIN 303, CHIN 411, CHIN 412, CHIN 413, CHIN 421, CHIN 422, CHIN 423, CHIN 452, CHIN 453, CHIN 470, and CHIN 482.
2. China-Related Humanities Courses: 15 credits drawn from among the following: ASIAN 201, ASIAN 204, ASIAN 211, ASIAN 263 (when China is the topic), CHIN 342 (or CHIN 442), CHIN 373, CHIN 374, CHIN 380, CHIN 381, CHIN 385, CHIN 443, and CHIN 461, CHIN 462, CHIN 463.
• Hindi: 30 credits as follows:
1. 15 language credits at the second-year level (HINDI 321, HINDI 322, HINDI 323) or above
2. 15 credits in area-related humanities courses to include either ASIAN 203 or ASIAN 206 and any of the following: ART H 306; HSTAS 201, HSTAS 202, HSTAS 401, HSTAS 402, HSTAS 403, HSTAS 404; PHIL 386, PHIL 412; RELIG 352, RELIG 354
• Japanese: 30 credits as follows:
1. 15 language credits at the third-year level (JAPAN 311, JAPAN 312, JAPAN 313) or above
2. 15 credits in literature, linguistics, or humanities courses. Acceptable courses include: JAPAN 321, JAPAN 322, JAPAN 323, JAPAN 342, JAPAN 343, JAPAN 405, JAPAN 431, JAPAN 432, JAPAN 433, JAPAN 440, JAPAN 442, JAPAN 443, JAPAN 460, JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, JAPAN 473. 5 credits from the following may be applied toward the minor: ARCH 441; ARCH 453; ART H 317; ART H 318; ART H 321; HSTAS 423; HSTAS 424; HSTAS 441; MUSIC 495.
3. Minimum 2.0 grade required for each course applied to the minor.
• Sanskrit: 30 credits as follows:
1. 15 language credits at the second-year level (SNKRT 401, SNKRT 402, SNKRT 403) or above
2. 15 credits in area-related humanities courses to include either ASIAN 203 or ASIAN 206 and any of the following: ART H 306; HSTAS 201, HSTAS 202, HSTAS 401, HSTAS 402, HSTAS 403, HSTAS 404; PHIL 386, PHIL 412; RELIG 352, RELIG 354

At least half of the credits for the minor must be taken at the UW.

Student Outcomes and Opportunities

• Instructional and Research Facilities: None

• Honors Program: With College Honors. With Departmental Distinction. See adviser for details.

• Research, Internships, and Service Learning: None offered

• Department Scholarships: None offered

• Student Organizations/Associations: None

Graduate Program

Graduate Program Coordinator
225 Gowen, Box 353521
206-543-4996

The Department of Asian Languages and Literature offers programs of study leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees with specializations in (1) the languages and literatures of China; (2) the language and literature of Japan; (3) the languages and literatures of South Asia, subsuming Sanskrit and Hindi; (4) the language and literature of Korea. All graduate students in the department must affiliate themselves with one of these programs. The department does not offer degrees or specializations in language pedagogy.

Master of Arts, Buddhist Studies

Admission Requirements

• An undergraduate major in the language and literature of specialization (four years of language training for admission to the Chinese and Japanese programs; fewer years of language acquisition may be acceptable in South Asian languages), or the background and training equivalent to such a major. Students without such a background may be qualified for admission, but will need to acquire the program prerequisites during the earliest stages of their graduate study.
• A statement of academic goals
• Three letters of recommendation addressed to the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Degree Requirements

45-54 credits plus language requirements, as follows:

• Coursework Requirement:
• Non-thesis Program: 45 course credits, 18 of which must be at the 500 level and above. Buddhist Studies seminars and text reading courses offered within the department must be included. Students are also required to complete language study through the fourth-year level in their major language and through the second-year level in a second Asian language.
• Thesis program: 45 course credits plus 9 thesis credits. At least 18 of the 45 credits must be taken at the 500 level or above. Buddhist Studies seminars and text reading courses offered within the department must be included. The language requirements in this program are the same as in the non-thesis program. In addition, the student must write an acceptable M.A. thesis according to the rules and policies of the Department of Asian Languages and Literature and pass an oral examination.
• Foreign language requirements: Students must demonstrate competence in their major language, and must complete the course requirements in their second Asian language as outlined above. These two languages may include one classical language and one relevant modern language, or two classical languages. In either case, one of the languages must be Sanskrit. In addition, students must demonstrate through a written examination reading knowledge of one foreign language relevant to their area of specialization, which must be other than English and the student's native language. It may be the student's second Asian language or a European or Asian research language.

Master of Arts, Chinese

Admission Requirements

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 in the junior and senior years
• Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose.
• Strong undergraduate preparation in one of the following: Chinese language and literature, another foreign language and literature, Asian regional studies, comparative literature, linguistics, English, philosophy, or history. Applicants are also expected to have completed four years of modern Chinese and one year of classical Chinese, each with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
• Students lacking such preparation may be admitted to the M.A. program provisionally, and will be required to make up the deficiencies during their first year of residence.

Degree Requirements

38-40 credits, as follows:

• Degree Requirements: Two options are available to the student in the M.A. degree program: (1) a thesis program, and (2) a non-thesis program which requires two seminar or research papers in lieu of a thesis, and two 500-level departmental courses in addition to the requirements specified below.
• Coursework Requirements:
• Second-Year Classical Chinese, 15 credits: CHIN 551, CHIN 552, CHIN 553 (5, 5, 5)
• Methods and Materials, 5 credits: CHIN 559 (5)
• History of Chinese Literature, 5 credits: Any one course of the following three-quarter sequence: CHIN 461, CHIN 462, CHIN 463 (5, 5, 5)
• The Chinese Language, 5 credits: CHIN 442 (5)
• At least one course from each of the following two groups, 8-10 credits:
• Group I -- Literature: CHIN 461, CHIN 462, CHIN 463 (5, 5, 5); CHIN 482 (5); CHIN 554, CHIN 555, CHIN 556 (5, 5, 5); CHIN 561, CHIN 562, CHIN 563 (5, 5, 5); CHIN 573 (5, max. 15); CHIN 575 (5, max. 15); CHIN 580 (5, max. 15); CHIN 582 (5, max. 15); CHIN 583 (5); CHIN 590 (5); CHIN 591, CHIN 592, CHIN 593 (5, 5, 5)
• Group II -- Linguistics and Philology: CHIN 443 (5); CHIN 531, CHIN 532, CHIN 533 (3, 3, 3); CHIN 540 (3, max. 9); CHIN 541 (3, max. 9); CHIN 542 (3); CHIN 544 (3, max. 9); CHIN 557 (5); CHIN 558 (3)
• Foreign Language Requirement: For the M.A. in Chinese, the additional language requirement must be fulfilled through a graduate reading examination. The additional language may be another Asian language or a European language, but may not be the student's native language, and must be relevant to the student's program of study.
• M.A. Examination: Examination in Chinese will cover Chinese literature, and the second part will focus on language (linguistics and philology) and texts. The examination should normally be taken no later than autumn quarter of the third year.

Master of Arts, Japanese Language and Literature

Admission Requirements

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 in the junior and senior years
• Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose
• Strong undergraduate preparation in any of the following: Japanese language and literature, with the equivalent of at least four years' work in the language; another language and literature, Asian regional studies, comparative literature, linguistics, art history, English, philosophy, or history.
• While a student lacking such preparation may be admitted, the student will be expected to concentrate initially on compensating for deficiencies in background by taking course work chosen in consultation with the academic adviser. In the case of inadequate training in Japanese, intensive courses in the language are available.

Degree Requirements

45-75 credits, as follows:

• Coursework:

The M.A. program requires a minimum of 45 credits above the 300 level which are to be earned through a combination of course work and research. At least 18 credits of coursework must be completed in numerically graded courses at the 400 and 500 level, and 18 credits at the 500 level and above.

The following courses normally constitute a minimal level of training: JAPAN 321, JAPAN 322, JAPAN 323 (5, 5, 5, no graduate credit); JAPAN 411, JAPAN 412, JAPAN 413 (5, 5, 5); JAPAN 431, JAPAN 422, JAPAN 423 (5, 5, 5); JAPAN 471, JAPAN 472, JAPAN 473 (5, 5,5). Students whose undergraduate training has provided them with a background comparable to this may enter more advanced courses. Less well prepared students may require a program considerably in excess of the minimum 45 credits.

The student may present research in either of two ways: (1) by submitting a thesis, in which case the student takes at least 36 course credits and 9 thesis credits, or (2) by submitting two research papers that have been written either independently or for courses or seminars, in which case all 45 minimum credits will be in course credits.

• Foreign Language Requirement: The student must fulfill one additional language requirement in addition to the language of specialization. The language can be either European or an Asian one; however, it should not be English. The language chosen must be relevant to the student's program of study, which is to say that the knowledge of it will provide him access to a body of critical literature on his field (as in the case of French or German) or will improve his grasp of the structure or etymological sources of Japanese (as in the case of Chinese or Korean). It may not be the student's native language.
• M.A. General Examination: Near the end of study, the student takes two written examinations, each of two hours' duration, one in pre-modern (pre-Meiji) literature, and the other modern. These are intended to examine the student's general mastery of the respective areas.

Master of Arts, Japanese Language and Linguistics

Admission Requirements

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 in the junior and senior years
• Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose
• Strong undergraduate preparation in any of the following: Japanese language and literature, with the equivalent of at least four years' work in the language; another language and literature, Asian regional studies, comparative literature, linguistics, art history, English, philosophy, or history.
• While a student lacking such preparation may be admitted, the student will be expected to concentrate initially on compensating for deficiencies in background by taking course work chosen in consultation with the academic adviser. In the case of inadequate training in Japanese, intensive courses in the language are available.

Degree Requirements

45-75 credits, as follows:

• Coursework: The M.A. program requires a minimum of 45 credits above the 300 level which are to be earned through a combination of course work and research. At least 18 credits of course work must be completed in numerically graded courses at the 400 and 500 level, and 18 credits at the 500 level and above.

The following courses normally constitute a minimal level of training: JAPAN 421, JAPAN 422, JAPAN 423 (5, 5, 5, if language training is necessary); JAPAN 342 (5, no graduate credit); JAPAN 343 (5, no graduate credit); JAPAN 440 (5); JAPAN 442 (5); JAPAN 443 (5). Students whose undergraduate training has provided them with a background comparable to this may enter more advanced courses. Less well prepared students may require a program considerably in excess of the minimum of 45 credits.

The student may present research in either of two ways: 1) by submitting a thesis, in which case the student takes at least 36 course credits and 9 thesis credits (ASIAN 700), or 2) by submitting two research papers that have been written either independently or for courses or seminars, in which case all 45 minimum credits will be in course credits.

• Foreign Language Requirement: The student must fulfill one additional language requirement in addition to the language specialization. The language can be either European or an Asian one; however, it should not be English. The language must be relevant to the student's program of study, which is to say that knowledge of it will provide him access to a body of critical literature on the student's field (as in the case of French or German) or will improve the student's grasp of the structure or etymological sources of Japanese (as in the case of Chinese or Korean). It may not be the student's native language.
• Linguistics: Near the end of the course of study, each student takes two written examinations in Japanese linguistics, whether in descriptive linguistics, theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, or sociolinguistics. These are intended to examine the student's general mastery of the respective areas.

Master of Arts, Korean

Admission Requirements

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 in the junior and senior years
• Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose
• Strong undergraduate preparation in any of the following: Korean language and literature, another language and literature, Asian regional studies, comparative literature, linguistics, English, philosophy, history or an approved area in the humanities or social sciences
• Three years of Korean language training. Students lacking such preparation are required to take the necessary courses during their first year of residence.

Degree Requirements

39 credits, as follows:

• Coursework: KOREAN 415, KOREAN 416, KOREAN 417 (5, 5, 5); ASIAN 498 (5) or KOREAN 462 (5); KOREAN 531 (5); KOREAN 532 (5); ASIAN 700 (9). The student must also either 1) submit a thesis, or 2) submit two research papers in lieu of a thesis.
• Foreign Language Requirement: The student must fulfill one additional language requirement in addition to the language of specialization. The language can be either European or an Asian one; however, it should not be English. The language chosen must be relevant to the student's program of study. It may not be the student's native language.
• M.A. examination: The student must take a written examination in two parts, each part to be two hours in length. One part is in pre-modern Korean literature, the other modern. The student should take the M.A. examination no later than autumn quarter of the third year.

Master of Arts, South Asian Languages and Literature

Admission Requirements

• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester credit hours
• Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose
• Preference is given to students with prior preparation in a South Asian language and literature, in South Asian regional studies, or in a humanistic discipline pertinent to the study of South Asian civilization. Students lacking such preparation may be admitted to the M.A. program; however, they must remedy any deficiencies by adding, as early as possible, such courses as the academic adviser considers necessary. South Asian languages in which specializations are offered at the University are Sanskrit and Hindi.

Degree Requirements

45-75 credits, as follows:

• Coursework:
• Non-thesis Program: 45 course credits, 18 of which must be at the 500 level and above. Language study through the fourth-year level in the student's major language and through the second-year level in a second South Asian language. In addition, the student must present two seminar papers which are approved by the student's adviser and at least one other faculty member in the department.
• Thesis Program: 45 course credits plus 9 thesis credits. At least 18 of the 45 credits must be taken at the 500 level or above. The language requirements in this program are the same as in the non-thesis program. In addition, the student must write an acceptable M.A. thesis according to the rules and policies of the Department of Asian Languages and Literature and pass an oral examination.
• Foreign Language Requirements: Students must demonstrate competence in their major South Asian language, and must complete the course requirements in their second South Asian language as outlined above. In addition, students must demonstrate through a written examination reading knowledge of one foreign language relevant to their research, which must be other than English and the student's native language. At the M.A. level, this language may be the student's second South Asian language or a European language.

Doctor of Philosophy, Buddhist Studies

Admission Requirements

M.A. degree in Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington and a satisfactory evaluation by South Asian Language Program faculty. Students with sufficient background, usually the successful completion of a relevant M.A. degree at another institution, may be considered for admission into the Ph.D. program.

Degree Requirements

90 credits, as follows:

For the Ph.D., students are expected to demonstrate the ability to do original research utilizing primary languages of Buddhist traditions in accordance with their chosen areas of concentration. Students are required to demonstrate competence in their major Asian languages and pass written examinations in two research languages other than English and the student's native language (that is, one written examination in addition to the examination completed at the M.A. level). Where appropriate, students are strongly encouraged to acquire competence in a modern research language in order to pursue research in the field: for example, in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, or Japan.

Students are also required to pass four written field examinations selected in accordance with the student's interests. Generally, at least two of these examinations are directly related to some aspect of Buddhist studies and a third falls within the general purview of South Asian languages and literature. A fourth field examination can have as its subject an adjacent field or discipline. Once these field examinations have been satisfactorily completed, the student is eligible to take a two-hour comprehensive oral examination, administered by the student's supervisory committee. When that has been passed, students are accorded candidate's status and are ready to submit a dissertation proposal. The Ph.D. is conferred once the completed dissertation has been defended successfully before the student's supervisory committee.

Doctor of Philosophy, Chinese

Admission Requirements

After successful completion of 45 credits (a minimum of three quarters) of graduate study in the department, a student wishing to enter the Ph.D. program with specialization in Chinese language and literature submits a formal petition to the Department stating post-M.A. academic plans and goals.

Ideally, the prospective candidate will have completed an M.A. degree in the field of Chinese language and literature prior to entering the Ph.D. program. If the student has an M.A. in another pertinent field, for example, in Linguistics, comparative literature, philosophy, history, or Asian regional studies, it is not be necessary to take an additional M.A. in Chinese language and literature. The student, however, is required to satisfy all course and examination requirements for the M.A. program in this department. Upon admission to the program, the student should be prepared to take courses in modern Chinese at the 500 level, and should have at least two years of Classical Chinese.

A student who intends to go directly from the B.A. to the Ph.D. program must present an exceptionally strong background preparation in the disciplines of literary study or linguistics. The student is expected in the course of his or her work to satisfy all curriculum requirements for the M.A., and must petition the department for special permission to bypass the M.A.

Degree Requirements

90 credits, as follows:

• Course Requirements: Students in the Ph.D. program must complete the course requirements for the M.A. in Chinese. Equivalent courses from other programs may be substituted subject to written approval by the regular instructor of the course in question. In addition, whichever quarters of the sequence CHIN 461, CHIN 462, CHIN 463 were not taken for the M.A. must be taken for the Ph.D. The student's post-M.A. course work should be designed, in consultation with the adviser, to fill in gaps or strengthen weaknesses in the student's background, and to establish and develop four fields of special study that the student pursues in some depth in preparation for the general examination.
• Field Requirements: The student is expected to familiarize himself or herself with both the original texts and the secondary scholarship of the field, and to show some potential for carrying out original research in the area or field in question. Each student must pursue four such fields of special study, and is examined separately by an appropriate faculty member prior to the general oral examination. The field examinations must be written.

• Examinations: The student is examined in each of the four fields separately by an appropriate faculty member. Prior to the General Examination the student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of an additional Asian language and a pertinent European language. (The student may apply the foreign language reading examination required for the M.A. to this requirement.)

Doctor of Philosophy, Japanese

Admission Requirements

Aside from having to complete at least two quarters of graduate study in the department, the student petitioning for admission to pre-candidacy status in the Ph.D. program must either hold the M.A. degree in Japanese language and literature or must have completed a minimum of 45 course credits and have satisfied the language requirement for the M.A. The student should also be taking at least 500-level courses in modern Japanese and should have studied classical Japanese for a minimum of one year. Any insufficiencies in background (e.g., in the case of a student holding an M.A. in an area other than Japanese language and literature) should be made up before the student petitions for admission to pre-candidacy. The petition indicates that the student feels he or she is prepared to take a written examination on the student's general knowledge of the field and an additional oral diagnostic examination on his or her background and plans for future study. The petition should only be submitted after consultation with the academic adviser.

Degree Requirements

95 credits, as follows:

• Course Requirements: In addition to the minimum of 45 credits or its equivalent required for the master's program, the student must take at least 50 credits of course work on the graduate level. The following courses and dissertation credits are required: JAPAN 501 (5); JAPAN 505, JAPAN 506, JAPAN 507 (5, 5, 5); JAPAN 531, JAPAN 532, JAPAN 533 (5, 5, 5); JAPAN 571, JAPAN 572, JAPAN 573 (5, 5, 5); JAPAN 590 (15); ASIAN 800 (27)

  Additional course work in related fields may be required to meet the needs of each program. In order to acquire the widest possible background, students are encouraged to take related courses in history, linguistics, religion, and the social sciences. Familiarity with Chinese literature and allied fields as well as with comparative literature is strongly recommended. Each student develops an individualized program of studies in consultation with the academic adviser.

• Language Examinations: In addition to a second language (usually European) required for the M.A., the student must demonstrate proficiency in a third language, usually Asian (Chinese is the usual choice for an Asian language, but the student should discuss other possibilities with the adviser). Proficiency must be demonstrated in the third language before the student may proceed to the General Examination.
• Field Examination: Upon becoming a precandidate, the student has completed a generalized study of the area of Japanese language and literature, and should choose four specialized fields to study for the next one or two years under the guidance of the Supervisory Committee. The four fields must be sufficiently diverse, and at least one of them must be in language. As the supervisor for each field becomes satisfied that the student has attained sufficient mastery, the supervisor and the student decide on a time for the student to take a written examination.
• General Examination: When the four field examinations and the third language requirement have been satisfied, the academic adviser arranges with the Graduate School for the student to take the oral General Examination for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
• Dissertation and Final Examination: After achieving candidate status, the student engages in research and the writing of the dissertation. When the Reading Committee has accepted the dissertation, the Dean of the Graduate School authorizes the Supervisory Committee to hold the Final Examination in defense of the dissertation, which completes the degree requirements for this program.

Doctor of Philosophy, Korean

Admission Requirements

A student shall petition for admission to the Ph.D. program with specialization in Korean literature after successful completion of at least two quarters of graduate study in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature. The student should either have the M.A. degree in Korean literature or the equivalent, or have satisfactorily completed all coursework required for the M.A. in Korean literature. The student should be prepared to take 500-level courses in Korean. The petition should be submitted after consultation with the student's academic advisor.

Degree Requirements

90 credits, as follows:

• Coursework:
• Korean Language and Literature: In addition to the course requirement and examination for the M.A. in Korean literature, students in the Ph.D. program must complete the following courses: KOREAN 531 (5), KOREAN 532 (5), ASIAN 800 (27)
• Chinese Language and Literature: Students interested in pre-modern Korean literature are required to take two years of Chinese, at least one year of classical Chinese, and a survey course on pre-modern Chinese literature. Students interested in modern Korean literature are required to take either: (1) three years of Chinese and a survey course in Chinese literature, or (2) three years of Japanese and a survey course in modern Japanese literature.
• Linguistics: Students are encouraged to take linguistics courses that help the student prepare for the field exam in a language-related area. Courses to choose from include the following: ASIAN 401 (5), JAPAN 440 Linguistics (5).
• Interdepartmental: Students are encouraged to take Korea-related courses in other disciplines such as history and anthropology. Familiarity with other literatures and cultures, and course work in other departments such as Comparative Literature or other language and literature programs is also recommended.
• Field Examinations: With the guidance of an adviser, students develop a plan of study that concentrates on four areas of study, or "fields". A student may offer no more than one Korea-related field from outside the department; three of the fields must be prepared with department faculty. One of the fields may be in another Asian language or literature, depending on the student's interests. At least one of the fields shall be related to language.
• Language Examinations: Prior to the General Examination, students must demonstrate proficiency of an additional Asian language and a European language. (The student may apply the foreign language required for the M.A. to this requirement.)
• General Examination, Dissertation, Final Examination: When the four field examinations have been successfully passed, and the second language requirement met, the academic adviser arranges with the Graduate School for the student to take the oral General Examination for admission to candidacy for the Doctoral degree. This is usually a two-hour long oral examination, and covers principally, but not exclusively, the four fields that the student has prepared. Passing this examination, the student then writes a dissertation, under the direction of a dissertation adviser. An oral Final Examination in defense of the finished dissertation completes the degree requirements for this program.

Doctor of Philosophy, South Asian Languages and Literature

Admission Requirements

Normally, entry into the program is contingent upon successful completion of the M.A. degree in Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington and a satisfactory evaluation by South Asian Language Program faculty. Students with sufficient background, usually the successful completion of a relevant M.A. degree at another institution, may be considered for admission into the Ph.D. program.

Degree Requirements

90 credits, as follows:

For the Ph.D., students are required to demonstrate competence in their major South Asian language and pass written examinations in two research languages other than English and the student's native language (that is, one written examination in addition to the examination completed at the M.A. level). One of these two research languages must be a European language.

Students are also required to pass four written field examinations, at least three of which must fall within the general purview of South Asian languages and literature. A fourth can have as its subject an adjacent field or discipline, of the candidate so chooses--an aspect of South Asian history or art history, for example. Once these field examinations have been satisfactorily completed, the student is eligible to take a two hour comprehensive oral examination, administered by his or her supervisory committee. When that has been passed, students are accorded candidate's status and are ready to submit a dissertation proposal. The Ph.D. is conferred once the completed dissertation has been defended before the student's supervisory committee.

Financial Aid

Financial aid for graduate students newly entering the department is very limited and is awarded on a competitive basis. National Resource Fellowships are awarded for the study of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The department offers incoming graduate students limited opportunities for teaching assistant positions in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Since some financial aid is wholly or partially determined by need, all prospective students are urged to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the College Scholarship Service in New Jersey, and to apply for other forms of aid mentioned in the department's cover letter to prospective students.