Interdisciplinary Major - East Asian Studies

Universal Curriculum Requirements

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To be awarded a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, students are required to complete universal curriculum requirements in addition to the program requirements provided below. The school universal curriculum requirements can be found on the school Degree Programs page .

The Major and Minor in East Asian Studies

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The East Asian Studies major is an interdisciplinary major featuring a language core in DEALLC and additional coursework in both DEALLC and other departments. Not all concentration courses must be from within DEALLC. For instance, a course on Buddhism in Religious Studies would count towards the major. Current lists of possible concentration courses are on the DEALLC website. Students are also encouraged to take DEALLC and related courses outside their country concentration.

The Distinguished Majors Program

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The Distinguished Majors Program in East Asian Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers students with superior and accomplishment an opportunity to do advanced work beyond the ordinary undergraduate level in the form of a thesis based on independent research. DMP is intended for these students students who want to work with tenure-stream faculty in their areas of scholarly expertise. Sources from the target language are an essential component. If a translation is the centerpiece of the thesis, it must be annotated and accompanied by extensive analysis. Theses cannot be counted towards a second major.

To qualify, students must have a grade point average of 3.4 or better, both cumulatively and in the major, at the time of application and graduation. They must also take a two-semester sequence in their final year: EAST 4998-4999 if they are an East Asian Studies major, or EALC 4998-4999 if they are a Chinese or Japanese major. Expectations for completing these courses are described in more detail below.

For FORMS related to the DMP program, please click here. Please note that applications are always due on February 15^th. 

Application and Admission:

Applications are submitted to the Chair of the Department by February 15^th in the spring semester of the student’s third year. Materials should include:

1. A page-long proposal for the project that includes:

• a preliminary title;
• a brief explanation of: the topic’s significance, how you came to be interested in it, the questions you want to apply to it, and the means by which you will try to answer them;
• propose 2 readers for your thesis from faculty you have already taken courses with: a primary reader who will submit your final grade for both semesters, and a secondary reader who will participate in your defense of the thesis; be sure to justify your selection sufficiently, as approval is contingent upon the agreement of both readers;
• a brief description of how the project fits with your post-graduation plans;

2. one writing sample in the form of a research paper from a course that the student has taken;

3. one copy of the student’s most recent transcript. A minimum GPA of 3.4 is required at the time of application.

Grading:

In order to receive full credit for each half of the DMP sequence EALC 4998-4999 in the case of East Asian Languages and Literatures majors, or EAST 4998-4999 in the case of East Asian Studies majors, the following grading criteria are used:

• EALC/EAST 4998 mid-term grade: based on a bibliography of relevant secondary language materials that briefly describes each entry’s topic, and a detailed description of the nature and sources of the primary materials in the target language that are being used. These should follow an established format with a table of contents that incorporates East Asian script after keywords, bibliographical entries, and other generic conventions particular to the topic under study and the methodology used;
• EALC/EAST 4998 final grade: based on a research paper (thesis) and an evaluation of all of the secondary scholarship from the bibliography completed in the prior stage;
• EALC/EAST 4999 final grade: based on a final draft of at least 20 pages incorporating all the feedback from the first and second readers and submitted on May 3.

The Deadline for submitting a bibliography with a Table of Contents in EALC/EAST 4998:  October 30

The Deadline for submitting a working draft of a research paper (thesis) in EALC/EAST 4998:  December 5

The Deadline for submitting a first draft for the thesis in EALC/EAST 4999:  April 1

The Deadline for submitting a final draft of the thesis in EALC/EAST 4999:  May 3

All DMP students are also automatically eligible for the annual Mastercard Fellowship, established by Ms. Rebecca George and Mr. H. Eugene Lockhardt, Jr. to encourage the study of Asia. Receipt of the fellowship is based on merit with a successful candidate showing excellence in language study and creative approaches to topics relating to Asia. The award will go toward the payment of tuition or fees.

Commencement honors of Distinction, High Distinction and Highest Distinction require a minimum GPA of 3.4 as well as timely completion of the DMP senior thesis. Honors are awarded on the basis of overall academic performance as well as at the recommendation of the first and second readers of the thesis.

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  The following courses are required for the Distinguished Majors Program (DMP):

• EALC 4998 - Distinguished Majors Senior Thesis I Credits: 3
• EALC 4999 - Distinguished Majors Senior Thesis II Credits: 3
• EAST 4998 - Distinguished Majors Senior Thesis I Credits: 3
• EAST 4999 - Distinguished Majors Senior Thesis Credits: 3

Study Abroad Programs

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Shanghai Chinese Language Program: the UVA-in-Shanghai Intensive Chinese Language Program in the Department of East Asian Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Virginia is hosted by Fudan University.  It is intended to enable students who are serious about studying Chinese language in a total immersion environment to cover a year’s worth of material and to earn 8 UVA credits.  This rigorous, demanding, and rewarding language program allows the student to have first-hand experience using Chinese in real world situations as well as studying and practicing it in the classroom.  For more information, use the “Find a Program” link at http://www.studyabroad.virginia.edu.

UVA in Shanghai: Fudan University is offered through the partnership of University of Virginia, Fudan University, and The Education Abroad Network (TEAN). This program offers students the opportunity to spend a semester or year in Shanghai studying Chinese language for direct UVA credit, while choosing from a variety of English-taught electives for transfer credit.

Students will take a Chinese Language course at Fudan University, which is offered at the Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced level. The Chinese Language program is designed and guided by DEALLC professor Hsin-hsin Liang, and students will receive direct UVA credit.

Students will take non-language elective courses taught in English for transfer credit. Elective courses are available in areas such as Marketing, Economics, Management, Accounting, Finance, Sociology, Journalism, History and Political Science. Visit the Academics page on the TEAN website for course listings. Students will also have the option to participate in a part-time internship at a multinational or Chinese organization. Please visit the ISO Education Abroad website and select Program Search for detailed information: https://www.programs.studyabroad.virginia.edu/.

Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS): the University of Virginia joins Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan and about a dozen other Ivy Leagues in running KCJS, a well-regarded study abroad program based in Japan’s historic capital city available for one semester, an entire academic year, or the summer, or the combination of the summer and the fall.  KCJS’s summer program offers classical and advanced modern Japanese, details for which can be found on the website below.  The program requires students to have two full years of college-level Japanese language coursework as a prerequisite, and it works to improve students’ language abilities through small-group instruction tailored to each student’s ability level. Content courses on Japan in the social sciences and humanities are also offered and are typically taught in English. KCJS also facilitates daily use of the language outside the classroom by placing all students who want to take advantage of this opportunity with host families and the community. For more information on the program, application deadlines, and financial aid opportunities, please visit  www.ogp.columbia.edu.  

The Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP) is also a consortia program jointly administered by the 14 North American universities distinguished in Chinese studies. Established in Taipei, Taiwan in 1963, IUP has for more than a half century been the gold standard for advanced Chinese instruction, and attracts more graduate and professional school students with China-related career plans than any other language program. Located at Tsinghua University in Beijing since 1997, IUP is headquartered at the University of California at Berkeley. The University of Virginia joined the consortium in 2010. IUP is a purely language instruction program with a proficiency threshold for admission of approximately the completion of third year college-level Chinese. Students are in classes no larger than 3, with daily one-on-one sessions, and enjoy a student-teacher ratio well under 2:1. The basic program is one academic year, but qualified students may attend for the summer, fall, or spring terms only, or any combination thereof. For application, fees, schedule, and other program information, please visit http://ieas.berkeley.edu/iup/.

In addition to study abroad programs administered by U.Va., students are encouraged to develop their language skills at the many other study-abroad programs that are available throughout East Asia. Please note that in order to receive transfer credit for language courses offered at such programs, students must first consult with our faculty and the International Studies Office in Minor Hall.

Scholarships

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East Asia Center Scholarship: A generous endowment from the Weedon family allows the East Asia Center to award travel grants to undergraduates enrolled in language programs in East Asia as well as research travel grants to graduate students and faculty. Applications are due in mid-March.

Mastercard Asian Studies Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded annually to a rising fourth-year major in Asian Studies, be it in the East Asian Studies Major or Chinese or Japanese Language and Literature. To be competitive, students applying for this scholarship should also be applying for the Distinguished Majors Program. This scholarship is in the amount of approximately $4000 for tuition, and it carries with it the possibility to apply for a paid summer internship with Mastercard. Unless we are informed otherwise, we assume that all applicants for the DMP are also applying for this scholarship.

Centers and Programs

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Arts and Sciences Center for Instructional Technology (ASCIT): A resource containing many audio-visual materials which are used to help bring the culture surrounding our different languages alive for students. It is conveniently located in Cabell Hall along with most DEALLC classrooms and offices. The language laboratory is used to help students practice and reinforce their speaking and listening skills.

East Asia Center: For more than thirty years the East Asia Center has promoted activities and events that enhance the study of East Asia at the University of Virginia. The Center sponsors more than twenty lectures and other events each year. It also manages graduate programs granting an M.A., in East Asian Studies as well as an MA/MBA in conjunction with the Darden School of Business.

For a comprehensive list of funding available for study abroad, please visit the East Asia Center website, www.virginia.edu/eastasia.

Additional Information

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For more information, contact DEALLC@virginia.edu; http://eastasian.virginia.edu.