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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

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Doctor of Philosophy Programs in Asian Languages

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Graduate Programs in Asian Languages

The Ph.D. degree is granted in Chinese and Japanese. Candidates for the degree are expected to acquire a thorough familiarity with Chinese or Japanese literature, an adequate command of relevant languages, and a comprehensive knowledge of East Asian history, social institutions, and thought. The University's basic requirements for the Ph.D. are given in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin. Department requirements are set forth below.

ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY

Students admitted with a B.A. only are evaluated by the graduate faculty during the Autumn Quarter of their second year at Stanford. The evaluation is based on written work and at least a portion of the M.A. thesis or translation. If the faculty have serious doubts about a student's ability to work for the Ph.D., they convey this to the student. During the subsequent Spring Quarter, the faculty formally decides whether a student should be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. or be terminated. In the case of a student who already has an M.A. in Chinese or Japanese when admitted to the department, the evaluation takes place in the Spring Quarter of the student's first year. If a student goes to the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP) at Tsinghua University or the Inter-University Center (IUC) for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama (see "Study Abroad" in the Asian Languages section of this bulletin) during the first two years of study, the department may consider an extension for admission to candidacy. The timing of the evaluation of a student admitted with an M.A. in East Asian Studies is decided on an individual basis.

Admission to candidacy does not mean that the student has fulfilled all requirements for the degree except the dissertation, but that the department faculty consider the student qualified to pursue a program of study leading to the Ph.D. and that, subject to continued satisfactory progress, the student's status in this department is secure.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN CHINESE

The Ph.D. program in Chinese is designed to prepare students for a doctoral degree in Chinese literature, history (pre-modern), philosophy, or linguistics. Applicants must have a minimum of three years of Chinese language study at Stanford or the equivalent to be considered for admission. Students on the Ph.D. track will complete the M.A. as described above on the way to advancing to Ph.D. candidacy (see department guidelines for admission to candidacy above). The majority of required coursework for Ph.D. students demands the ability to read primary and secondary materials in Chinese. Advanced standing may be considered for students entering the Ph.D. program who have already completed an M.A. in Chinese literature or linguistics elsewhere only in cases when the level of prior course work and research is deemed equivalent to departmental requirements for the Ph.D. track.

A candidate must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Meet the department's requirements for the M.A. in Chinese.
  2. Demonstrate proficiency in at least one supporting language, to be chosen in consultation with the primary adviser according to the candidate's specific research goals. Reading proficiency must be certified through a written examination or an appropriate amount of coursework, to be determined on a case-by-case basis. When deemed necessary by the student's adviser(s), working knowledge of a third language may also be required.
  3. Complete two relevant seminars at the 300 level. These seminars must be in different subjects.
  4. Pass a set of four comprehensive written examinations, one of which tests the candidate's methodological competence in the relevant discipline. The remaining three fields are chosen, with the approval of the graduate adviser in consultation with the student's individual adviser, from the following: anthropology, art, Chinese literature (for candidates emphasizing Chinese linguistics), history, Japanese literature, linguistics (for candidates emphasizing Chinese literature), philosophy, and religion. With the adviser's approval, a Ph.D. minor in a supporting field may be deemed equivalent to the completion of one of these four examinations.
  5. Demonstrate pedagogical proficiency by serving as a teaching assistant for a minimum of one quarter, and taking DLCL 201, The Learning and Teaching of Second Languages.
  6. Pass the University Oral Examination—General regulations governing the oral examination are found in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this Bulletin. The candidate is examined on questions related to the dissertation after acceptable parts of it have been completed in draft form.
  7. Submit a dissertation demonstrating ability to undertake original research based on primary materials in Chinese.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN JAPANESE

The Ph.D. program in Japanese is designed to prepare students for a doctoral degree in Japanese literature, cultural history, or linguistics. Applicants must have a minimum of three years of Japanese language study at Stanford or the equivalent to be considered for admission. Students on the Ph.D. track will complete an M.A. thesis on the way to advancing to Ph.D. candidacy (see department guidelines for admission to candidacy above). The majority of required coursework for Ph.D. students demands the ability to read primary and secondary materials in Japanese. Advanced standing may be considered for students entering the Ph.D. program who have already completed an M.A. in Japanese literature or linguistics elsewhere only in cases when the level of prior coursework and research is deemed equivalent to departmental requirements for the Ph.D. track.

A candidate must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in both modern and classical Japanese language by completing the following courses, or by demonstrating an equivalent level of linguistic attainment by passing the appropriate certifying examinations.
    1. fourth-year Japanese through JAPANLANG 213
    2. classical Japanese through JAPANLANG 246 and 247
  2. Demonstrate proficiency in at least one supporting language, to be chosen in consultation with the primary adviser according to the candidate's specific research goals. Reading proficiency must be certified through a written examination or an appropriate amount of course work, to be determined on a case-by-case basis. When deemed necessary by the student's adviser(s), working knowledge of a third language may also be required.
    Students concentrating in classical Japanese literature are normally expected to fulfill this requirement by completing
    1. kanbun (JAPANLANG 248 and/or 249), and
    2. first-year classical Chinese (CHINLIT 125, 126, 127)
  3. Complete four adviser-approved courses in Japanese literature and/or linguistics numbered between 260 and 298, and two relevant seminars at the 300 level. These seminars must be in different subjects.
  4. Complete two upper-division or graduate-level courses in fields such as Japanese anthropology, art, history, philosophy, politics, and religion, as approved by the graduate adviser in consultation with the student's primary adviser.
  5. Complete JAPANLIT 201: Introduction to Graduate Study in Japanese.
  6. Pass a set of four comprehensive qualifying examinations. One tests the candidate's breadth and depth in the primary field of research; one tests the candidate's methodological competence in the relevant discipline. The remaining two examinations test the candidate's competence in supporting fields, which are chosen in consultation with the student's primary adviser in accordance with the student's particular research goals.
    Supporting fields may include, but are not limited to, the following: anthropology, art, Chinese literature, comparative literature, history, Japanese literature (for candidates emphasizing Japanese linguistics), linguistics (for students emphasizing Japanese literature), philosophy, and religion. With the adviser's approval, a Ph.D. minor in a supporting field may be deemed equivalent to the successful completion of one of these four qualifying examinations.
  7. Demonstrate pedagogical proficiency by serving as a teaching assistant for a minimum of one quarter and taking DLCL 201, The Learning and Teaching of Second Languages.
  8. Pass the University Oral Examination. General regulations governing the oral examination are found in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this Bulletin. The candidate is examined on questions related to the dissertation after acceptable parts of it have been completed in draft form.
  9. Submit a dissertation demonstrating ability to undertake original research based on primary and secondary materials in Japanese.

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