PARTMENT OF EA | NEW YORK UNIVERSITY | DEPARTMENT...

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PA R T M E N T O F E A | N E W Y O R K U N I V E R S I T Y | D E PA R T M E N T O F E A S T A S I A N S T U D I E SNEW YORK UNIVERSITY | DEPARTMENT OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES | NEW YORK UNIV

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ContentsWELCOME 1

THE M.A. PROGRAM 2

THE PH.D. PROGRAM 4

THE CURRICULUM 6

FACILITIES 9

ADMISSIONS 10

WWW.NYU.EDU/PAGES/EAST.ASIAN.STUDIES

BACKGROUND IMAGEInk rubbings of the Wu Liang Shrine.The Wu Liang Shrine is the mostimportant surviving pre-Buddhistmonument in China (created in A.D.151). It incorporates much of the his-tory and culture of Han dynastyChina.

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The Graduate Program in East Asian Culture offered by NYU’s Departmentof East Asian Studies is concerned with culture, media, and questions of rep-resentation as they relate to the formation of East Asian societies such asChina, Japan and Korea in modern times. Rather than pursue the practice ofarea studies in the traditional sense, the program is committed to a critical and,whenever possible interdisciplinary examination of East Asia's modernity in aglobal configuration. While the program will emphasize how received pastsinteract in the modern present of these societies, the principal emphasis willbe on the question of modernity in search of its own historicity as both anhistorical and theoretical problematic.

Welcome

In the course of their study, studentswill be challenged to develop a criticalawareness of the political, institution-al, and methodological consequences,as well as the historical provenance ofboth disciplinary-based and area stud-ies inquiry. Working with their advi-sors and other faculty inside and out-side the department, students will beencouraged to design their programsaround literary and film studies, as wellas studies of other media and formsof representation; theoretical or intel-lectual debates; historiographicalinquiry; questions of gender and sexu-ality; social and political movements;or any combination of the above.

The intellectual strength and iden-tity of our graduate program lies, firstof all, in its sharp focus on the mod-ern period and in its dedication to atheoretically informed, interdiscipli-nary approach to the study of cultureand society of modern East Asia.Our core faculty members specialize inmodern Chinese, Japanese, andKorean languages and literatures;Chinese and Japanese film and mediastudies; modern Chinese and Japaneseintellectual and cultural history; mod-ern Korean society; and comparativestudies of nationalism, colonialism,revolution, and cultural politics. Thisunit of expertise is further reinforced

by our truly impressive array of asso-ciated members in history, anthropolo-gy, religious studies, art history, andcinema studies, whose work are mainlyconcerned with modern East Asia.This intellectual configuration, bothsound in a traditional academic senseand marking a departure from theolder area studies model, allows us toaddress many deep-seated and press-ing issues of modern East Asia-as theytook shape in the complex of globalrelations-with a depth of knowledgeand critical rigor rarely seen in thefield.

As a part of theUniversity community, theGraduate Program in EastAsian Culture shares the gen-eral dynamic of NYU, whichhas been embarking on itspursuit to become a trulyglobal university. The pro-gram closely works with andbenefits form a plethora ofinterdisciplinary programs, centers,and institutes with a distinct interna-tional or internationalizing tendency,such as the International Center forAdvanced Studies; the Center forMedia, Culture, and History; theAsian/Pacific/ American StudiesProgram and Institute; the Center forthe Study of Gender and Sexuality;

the Institute of Fine Arts, the Instituteof the History of Production ofKnowledge; the Institute for Law andSociety, and so forth, with which ourfaculty have affiliations or workingrelations. This internal network ofknowledge and knowledge production,coupled with the University-wideresources committed to internationalstudent and scholarly exchanges, visits,and coordination, has created a trulystimulating environment in which thestudent can thrive in his or her studyof the modern East Asia.

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The program requires demonstratedstudent acquisition of two languagesother than English. As a rule, one ofthese languages must be Chinese,Japanese or Korean and attainmentmust be at a high level of proficiency.While it is ideally preferable for stu-dents to develop research competencein at least two East Asian languages,students will be permitted to use aEuropean language as their secondchoice under certain circumstances.

Students are normally expected toenter the program with at least threeyears of an East Asian language at the

college level. They will be expected tobe examined for proficiency some timebefore they take their general examina-tion, and each student will be requiredto complete a graduate reading/transla-tion course taught by a faculty memberor language lecturer involved in thegraduate curriculum.

Language requirements for a M.A.degree in East Asian Culture are comprised of one of the two followingoptions, met by formal course work, orits approved equivalent:

(1) Chinese: 3rd year level in mod-ern Chinese; 1st year level in literary

Chinese or first year level in Japanese;(2) Japanese: 3rd year level in

Japanese; 1st year level in Chinese orKorean.

In the 1st year the student shouldtake two to four language coursestoward fulfilling the language require-ments; one course from the Seminaron East Asian Studies series; onecourse from the Theory andMethodology Seminars; and othercourses in his or her chosen field. Atthe end of the 1st year, the student isrequired to complete a research paperbased on the completion of two semi-nars, which addresses the theoretical-historical questions concerning thefield of East Asian Culture. Thispaper, which takes the form of a take-home exam, is separate from the termpapers required by each course andconstitutes the 1st part of the generalexamination. Two members of the fac-ulty (one of whom is the student'sadvisor) will grade the examination. Inthe event of a failed performance, thestudent will be permitted to retake theexamination after consultation withhis/her advisor.

The M.A. ProgramThe M.A. program is integral and preparatory to the PhD. After success-ful completion of 32 points of credit in courses selected in consultationwith a faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies, the studentmust pass a written examination that will be prepared and read by twomembers of the faculty. They must also submit a research paper on anapproved special project; the paper will be read by two members of thefaculty. In addition, a student must take the 2nd part of the generalexamination in his or her chosen area of research by the end of the 2rdyear. The form of the 2nd examination can be either a 3-hour take-homeexam or a two-hour oral exam. When the paper has been accepted, andthe student has successfully passed the 2nd part of general examination,the student will be awarded an M.A.

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During the 2nd year of study, thestudent is required to fulfill the lan-guage requirements, including require-ment in a second East Asian languageand/or a major European language byeither enrolling in language or non-lan-guage courses offered in Chinese orJapanese. The bulk of the course workduring the 2nd year, however, shouldbe taken in the student's chosen fieldunder various specialized "topics" (inChinese literature, Chinese history,Japanese literature, Japanese history,etc.) A total of four topics coursesmust be taken within the student's cho-sen field. The student is advised totake the 2nd part of the general exami-nation in his or her chosen area ofresearch by the end of the 2rd year.The student will advance to candidacyupon successful completion of thisexamination. The topic is usually limit-ed to a national literature or history, butwith special permission from the facul-ty adviser, the student can choose to beexamined in an international movement(i.e. fascism) or a literary-cultural phe-nomenon (i.e. modernism or "NewCinema") which cuts cross the nationalborders. The examination may be the-oretical-oriented and interdisciplinary innature, but the purpose is to ensure thestudent's readiness for the job market,which is still divided by national anddisciplinary boundaries. A 3-memberfaculty committee (including the stu-dent's advisor) will be formed for eachstudent taking the second exam. Thestudent and the advisor will decide theformation of the committee after con-sultation. Questions will be based on abibliography and a statement of teach-ing interest submitted by the student.The form of the 2nd examination canbe either a 3-hour take-home exam or atwo-hour oral exam.

Academic Schedule

Year One

Semester 1 Semester 2

1. Complete 8-16 points in language courses 2. Complete one course in “Seminars in East Asian Culture” 3. Complete one course in “Contemporary Critical Theory” 4. Take the first part of the general exam on theory and methodology in

East Asian Culture.

Year Two


1. Satisfy all language requirements in East Asian Culture 2. Take one or two courses to meet the requirement for a European or East Asian

language 3. Take up to four courses in the “Topics” series in the chosen research field 4. Prepare for the second part of the general exam on the teaching field. 5. Submit and successfully have accepted a research paper on an approved

special project. 6. Successfully pass the second part of the general examination. 7. Receive MA by the end of the third semester.

For more information on courses, turn to page of this brochure.

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For a Ph.D. degree in East AsianCulture, the student must take 4 fullcourses or have equivalent proficiencyin their language major. In special cir-cumstances and by special permission,other East Asian languages such asKorean, or Vietnamese may be substi-tuted for Chinese or Japanese.Moreover, a reading knowledge of oneof the following languages, such asFrench, German, Spanish, or Russianmust be demonstrated, normally bytaking a graduate reading course orpassing an examination administeredby the pertinent language department.All language requirements must be ful-filled before the student can take thegeneral examination.

For Non-Native Language speak-ers of an East Asian language, tworeading courses are required. One ofthese courses should be at the fourthyear language level, which is advancedreading directed by a member of thelanguage staff. The other is a special-ized tutorial directed by a member ofthe faculty. For native speakers, a sec-

ond foreign language is strongly rec-ommended. All students working inChinese language materials are advisedto take at least a semester readingcourse in classical Chinese.Each student's program will be deter-mined in consultation with a facultyadviser and with the Director ofGraduate Studies in East AsianCulture. Courses in other departmentsmay be included whenever appropriate.Courses relevant to the student'sresearch but not available at NYU canbe taken through the consortium withColumbia, CUNY Graduate Center,and Princeton.

In order to complete the Ph.D.requirement, the student must acquire72 points, which are equivalent to 18courses. Among those, 40 points (10courses) must be taken within EastAsian Studies, while others can becompleted through courses taken out-side the EAS, such as directed readingcourses, and research credits (a maxi-mum of 16 research credits can betaken over five semesters).

In the 1st year the studentshould enroll in two to four languagecourses toward fulfilling the languagerequirements; one course from theSeminar on East Asian Studies series;one course from the Theory andMethodology Seminars; and othercourses in his or her chosen field. Atthe end of the 1st year, the student is

required to completea research paper based on the twocompleted seminars, which addressesthe theoretical-historical questions con-cerning the field of East Asian Studies.This paper, which takes the form of atake-home exam, is separate from theterm papers required by each courseand constitutes a part of the generalexamination. Two members of the fac-ulty (one of whom is the student'sadvisor) will grade the examination. Inthe event of a failed performance, thestudent will be permitted to retake theexamination after consultation withhis/her advisor.

During the 2nd year of study, thestudent is also required to fulfill thelanguage requirements, including

Course Requirements

The Ph.D. ProgramLanguage Requirements

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examination in his or her chosen areaof research by the end of the 2rd year.The student will advance to candidacyupon successful completion of thisexamination. The topic is usually limit-ed to a national literature or history, butwith special permission from the facul-ty adviser, the student can choose to beexamined in an international movement(i.e. fascism) or a literary-cultural phe-nomenon (i.e. modernism or "NewCinema") which cuts cross nationalborders. The examination may be the-oretical-oriented and interdisciplinary innature, but the purpose is to ensure thestudent's readiness for the job market,which is still divided by national anddisciplinary boundaries. A 3-memberfaculty committee (including the stu-dent's advisor) will be formed for eachstudent taking the second exam. Thestudent and the advisor will decide onthe formation of the committee afterconsultation. Questions will be basedon a bibliography and a statement ofteaching interest submitted by the stu-dent. The form of the 2nd examinationcan be either a 3-hour take-home examor a two-hour oral exam.

Coursework in the third year isdesigned to allow the student to renewtheir inquiry in theory and methodolo-gy and explore research areas that areinterdisciplinary in nature. By the firsthalf of the 3rd year, the student shouldfinish all the required courses in EastAsian Studies. The student is advisedto take the 3rd part of the generalexamination at the end of the 4th yearor the beginning of the 5th year. Thislast phase of the general examination isbased on the student's conception ofhis or her dissertation research, whichincludes a bibliography, a methodologi-cal statement, and a sample chapterfrom the dissertation. The 3rd examcommittee (a total of 3 people requiredby GSAS) will continue to function asthe student's dissertation committee.Upon successful passing of the 3rd andlast part of the general examination,the student enters the stage of disserta-tion writing. If the student fails to passthe examination, he or she will be givenan opportunity, depending upon thenature of the performance, to eitherretake those portions he or she failedor retake the entire examination at alater date. If the student fails once

more, he or she will be dropped fromthe program.

DefenseBefore graduating, the student mustdefend his or her dissertation by acommittee of five faculty members,including as many as two from out-side of the department. Thedefense will be oral.

Coursework

Year One


1. Complete 8-16 points in language courses 2. Complete one course in “Seminars in East Asian Culture” 3. Complete one course in “Contemporary Critical Theory” 4. Take the first part of the general exam on theory and methodology in

East Asian Culture.

Year Two


1. Satisfy all language requirements in East Asian Culture 2. Take one or two courses to meet the requirement for a European or East Asian

language 3. Take up to four courses in the “Topics” series in the chosen research field 4. Prepare for the second part of the general exam on the teaching field. 5. Submit and successfully have accepted a research paper on an approved

special project. 6. Successfully pass the second part of the general examination. 7. Receive MA by the end of the third semester.

Year Three


1. Complete the standing coursework2. Take up to two interdisciplinary seminars in a different field.

Year Four


1. Research on dissertation 2. Take the third part of the general examination

Year Five


1. Work on the dissertation 2. Start job search 3. Register and Defend 4. Graduate

For more information on courses, turn to page 6 of this brochure.

The program requires all Ph.D. stu-dents to complete a minimum of15 courses, eight or more of whichmust be in the program. In addi-tion, students are required to takesix courses in a coherent teachingfield of their choice.

Academic Schedule

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The CurriculumEach student will be encouraged todevelop a program best suited to theirintellectual and scholarly needs. While itis the purpose of the program to be asflexible as possible, given faculty andcourse offerings, students will normallypursue work in one of the language areasor comparatively around a commontheme.

Basic Seminars

All first year graduate students will berequired to enroll in a one year seminar,Introduction to Critical Asian Studies.This seminar will be team taught yearlyby different faculty and its aim is to intro-duce the student to the institutional andpolitical history of Oriental Studies andArea Studies as they have been practicedin the United States and, where relevant,elsewhere. Its purpose is to familiarizestudents with current and historically sig-nificant debates in the field and to theintellectual, theoretical and social implica-tions of the study of modern East Asia

in today's world. This first year seminarwill also concentrate on principal para-digms that have informed the develop-ment of research agendas.

Archives, Materials and ResearchProcedures is a one semester seminarrequired of all students in the program tobe taken in their third year. The seminaris designed to help students formulate anindividual research project. Although itsprimary purpose is to familiarize studentswith a diversity of research methods andtechniques related to the identification ofmaterials, the accessibility of collectionsand major research sites devoted toarchiving sources in East Asia, the formof the seminar will also be critical andinterdisciplinary in nature.

Core Theory and Method The 200 series seminars are designed toengage particular theories or clusters ofinter-related theories with wide-rangingrelevance in critical, interdisciplinaryresearch in modern East Asia. How

these theories are implicated in EastAsian situations will be explored toexplain how theoretical formulations aregrasped as crystallizations of East Asianhistorical, social and cultural circum-stances, rather than mere importedabstractions. Such explorations willinvolve seeing how appropriations oper-ate in specific circumstances to producedifferent and productive inflections thatsignify a lived and historical experience.In other words, theory (say, fromMarxism to postcolonialism, from psy-choanalysis to Maoism) will mark themoments of how East Asian societiesnegotiated their own modernity.

These core seminars will deal withquestions of nationalism, imperialism,colonialism, diasporic movements, global-ization and commodification, comparisonand comparability, Marxism, feminism,capitalist modernization and modernism,gender and sexuality, class formations,production of cultural identities etc.

Course Offerings100 Series 300 Series

A Political History of East Asian StudiesParadigmatic and Institutional Change in East Asian StudiesIntellectuals and East Asian Society Women and East Asian HistoryState, Society, and Culture in Modern East Asia

Literature and Social Change in Modern ChinaThe Vernacular EssayTopics in Classical Chinese Literature and PhilsophyThe Rise of Japanese NovelTopics in Korean LiteratureThe Fifth GenerationTopics in Modern Chinese HistoryTopics in Modern Japanese Intellectual HistoryModernity and Everyday Life in JapanTopics in Korean Society

200 Series 400 Series

Colonialism, Imperialism and East AsiaEast Asian EpicsNationalism and Social TheoryMarxism in East AsiaEast Asian ModernismIntroduction to Contemporary Theoretical DiscoursesFeminism in East AsiaApproaches in East Asian Film Studies

Socialist Relasim and AfterShanghai Urban CultureRural CinemaHong Lou Meng StudiesGender and Sexuality in Contemporary Japanese LiteratureOzuFascismRethinking One Hundred Day ReformsModernity and Translation

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Moreover, the 200 series seminars in coretheories and methods are intended to betaken by students across the languagegroups. With permission from theDirector of Graduate Studies or a stu-dent's academic advisor, these seminarscan be substituted to fulfill requirementsin the categories of Themes, SpecialTopics, Texts.

Themes, Special Topics, Texts:The 300 series seminars will deal withmajor themes, periods, movements,authors, genres, texts and other culturaland historical forms. (See list of depart-mental offerings.) The 400 series coursesoffer more specialize focus and theopportunity for greater in-depth investi-gations of historical, social and culturalphenomena reflecting the particularexpertise and competence of the depart-ment's faculty. Students will normallytake 400 series courses only after theyhave completed the required courseworkat 100, 200 and 300 levels

General Examinations

The general examination consists ofthree parts:

The first part of the examination, ontheory and history of the field, is to betaken at the end of the first year of grad-uate study. In this part, the students areexpected to show critical understandingof the institutional, social, and intellectualdevelopment of East Asian studies, aswell as to demonstrate familiarity withmajor theoretical and discursive para-digms in or relevant to the field. TheBasic Seminars series are designed tohelp the students prepare for the firstexam. The format will be a 4 hour longtake-home exam, during which studentswrite a few short essays on the given top-ics. The first part of the examination isadministered by an ad hoc faculty com-mittee, which decides on the topics andreads the results of the examinations.

The second examination, to be takentoward the end of the students' course-work, usually during the third year of thegraduate study, is on the students' chosen

fields of teaching. This is designed toensure the students' general competenceand viability as college teachers, although,under normal circumstances, the readinglist should be relevant and leading to thestudents' work on their dissertations. Theteaching field can be defined in more tra-ditional terms of national literature,national history, etc. (such as modernChinese literature or modern Japanesehistory) or in interdisciplinary or theoreti-cal terms as a phenomenon, a question, aproblematic (such as modernism ornationalism).

The third and final examination ison the prospectus, bibliography, andmethodological statement of the stu-dent's dissertation. The students areexpected to present a substantive propos-al of their dissertation research, a detailedprojection of the progress of the disser-tation, and, preferably, a sample chapter.Successful passing of the third examqualifies the students as Ph.D. candidates.

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FacilitiesLibrary

The Columbia-CUNY-NYU-Princeton research consortiumallows the student to take advantage of library and facultyresources at neighboring Universities. The closeness to themajor East Asian library collections is vital for the develop-ment of the program before NYU builds up its own collectionsuitable to graduate training.

We have already begun to accommodate the facilities cur-rently missing for the proposed program. Beside theUniversity funds, the Departments' current budget for booksand video is $30,000 a year and will grow over the next severalyears. Also, we are currently involved in seeking additionalfunds for Japanese books from a program funded by the JapanFoundation.

The Bobst Library has started to build a core collection onEast Asia, consisting of reference books, major literaryanthologies, and historical monographs. With funds from theFreeman Foundation, the Department of East Asian Studies ispurchasing books, periodicals, and some films on videotaperelevant to graduate teaching and research in addition to thedevelopment of library collection, currently at the beginningstage. Before our East Asian collections reach a meaningfullevel, however, the Department will continue to ensure theaccess of our faculty and graduate students to the major col-lections on East Asia in the region, such as the Starr Library atColumbia and the Guest Library at Princeton.

Language Laboratory

East Asian Studies has been granted $50,000 to establish acomputer language laboratory in the year 2005. The languagelab will be outfitted principally with 25 computers, a networkprinter and LCD screens.

NYU In Nanjing

The NYU in Nanjing Chinese language program will provideour graduate students excellent opportunities to study Chineselanguage, conduct research in China, and establish scholarlyties. The possible future NYU campus in Shanghai, aUniversity wide operation as part of NYU's "GlobalUniversity" initiative, would provide much wider array ofteaching and research opportunities for both our faculty andgraduate students.

General NYU Facilities

NYU has numerous facilities that cater to all aspects of stu-dent life-from sports and recreation centers to employmentservices to healthcare. All NYU students have access to thesefacilities and services.

Located on 726 Broadway, the NYU Health Center offersPrimary Care and Urgent Care to those who enrolled in the

university's health insurance plan. The NYU Office of CareerServices offers an assortment of services to NYU students.For example, they have walk-in resume critiques, seminars toimprove job preparation, and an online database of full-timeand part-time positions called CareerNet.

NYU provides two sports and recreation centers-Jerome S.Coles Sports and Recreation Center and Palladium AthleticFacility. Coles is open to anyone but only free for NYU facul-ty, staff, and students. Palladium is a new facility with the lat-est in cutting-edge sports complexes but is open only to theNYU community.

For those who are looking to learn about New York City'ssocial culture, NYU Ticket Central sells discount tickets toBroadway shows, plays, sports games, movies, NYU events,etc. Just join their list-serve to find out about the weekly spe-cials. NYU also has a Center for Music Performance.Information about dates, times, and locations for musicalevents can be found here.

Any inquiries dealing with visas should be directed to theOffice for International Students and Scholars. Internationalstudents are required to report any changes in academic pro-gram, address, or funding to the office.

The Student Services Center, located at 25 W. 4th St.,includes three very important offices for students-Bursar,Registrar, and Financial Aid. NYU documents like transcriptsand tuition receipts can only be acquired here.

The university has conveniently located computer labs-twoin the Bobst Library, one on Washington Place, one in TischHall UC level and one at the 3rd Ave. N. Lab.

Application

Application can be requested by phone at (212) 998-8050;or online at

http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/Admissions/MailApp.html

Applications can be downloaded at

http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/Admissions/ObtainApp.html

The completed application (with a $75 nonrefundablecheck or money order payable to New York University),three letters of academic reference, GRE scores, and offi-cial college transcripts in duplicate should be received byGraduate Enrollment Services by 5p.m. eastern time onthe following deadline dates:

Ph.D. applications: January 4Ph.D. applications are accepted for fall only.

Master’s applications:April 15: FallNovember 1: SpringApril 15: Summer

If an application deadline date falls on a Saturday, Sunday,or legal U.S. holiday, then the next business day will be thedeadline date. Applicants living outside the United States,particularly those from Asia, should use an express mailservice or mail their application materials at least six toeight weeks prior to the deadline date to ensure that theapplications are received on time.

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Selection Criteria

Admission is based on the applicant's previous record, general ability, and promise. The typical applicant will have anundergraduate background in the study of East Asia and or previous experience in East Asia itself. The GRE generaltest score is required. Although knowledge of an East Asian language is not a prerequisite, such training will be takeninto consideration. For international applicants whose language of college education is not English, TOEFL isrequired.

Admissions

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