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This archived information is dated to the 2010-11 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Doctor of Philosophy Programs in East Asian Languages and Cultures

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East Asian Languages and Cultures

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 and linguistics, 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 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 course work 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. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.

A candidate must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Complete advanced classical Chinese through CHINLIT 223 and 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 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.
  3. Complete both CHINLIT 201 and CHINGEN 201.
  4. Complete two relevant seminars at the 300 level. These seminars must be in different subjects.
  5. Pass a set of three comprehensive written examinations, one of which tests the candidate's methodological competence in the relevant discipline. The remaining two fields are chosen, with the approval of the graduate adviser in consultation with the student's individual adviser, from the following: archaeology, anthropology, art, Chinese literature, history, Japanese literature, linguistics, 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 three examinations.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Submit a dissertation demonstrating ability to undertake original research based on primary and secondary 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 course work 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 course work and research is deemed equivalent to departmental requirements for the Ph.D. track. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.

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 JAPANLIT 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 (JAPANLIT 248 and/or 249), and
    2. first-year classical Chinese (CHINLIT 205, 206, 207).
  3. Complete eight adviser-approved courses numbered above 200 from among the offerings of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. At least four of these eight courses must be advanced seminars numbered above 300. At least one of these eight courses must deal with Japanese linguistics. For students focusing on modern literature, at least two of these eight courses must deal with premodern material, and for students focusing on premodern literature, at least two of the eight courses must deal with modern material.
  4. Complete two upper-division or graduate-level courses in two supporting fields, for a total of four courses outside of Japanese literature or linguistics. Supporting fields, to be determined in consultation with the student's primary adviser, may include Japanese anthropology, art, history, philosophy, politics, and religion, Chinese literature, comparative literature, etc.
  5. Complete JAPANLIT 201. Introduction to Graduate Study in Japanese.
  6. Pass a comprehensive qualifying examination that tests the candidate's breadth and depth in the primary field of research and methodological competence in the relevant discipline.
  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.

A candidate specializing in Japanese linguistics 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 JAPANLIT 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.

3. Complete six adviser-approved courses numbered above 200 from among the offerings of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. At least one of these six courses must be advanced seminars numbered above 300. At least one of these six courses must deal with Japanese literature.

4. Complete five upper-division or graduate-level courses in linguistics and other supporting fields. Supporting fields, to be determined in consultation with the student's primary adviser, may include applied linguistics, Chinese linguistics, psychology, education, anthropology, sociology, etc.

5. Complete JAPANLIT 279. Research in Japanese Linguistics.

6. Submit two qualifying papers presenting substantial research in two different subfields of Japanese linguistics to be approved by a committee of the specific qualifying paper.

7. Submit an annotated bibliography pertaining to the topic of dissertation to the primary adviser.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Submit a dissertation demonstrating ability to undertake original research based on primary and secondary materials in Japanese.

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