How to Apply

All applicants must submit the online application by the stated deadline.  Within the application form, applicants must indicate their methodological approach (Humanities or Social Sciences) and primary region of interest (China, Japan, Korea) via the drop down menus. Students may indicate a secondary region of interest if applicable. A complete application will include the minimum following items:

1. Completed Online Application
2. Transcripts. Scanned copies of unofficial transcripts from all schools attended must be uploaded to the online application prior to submission. If admitted to the program, official transcripts will be required at that time.
3. Letters of recommendation. Applicants must solicit three letters of recommendation, and enter their recommenders' email addresses and other data in the online application. Each recommender will receive an email with instructions on how to upload their letter to the online portal. Recommendations should be submitted in English, or in a foreign language with an English translation. Please use recommenders' official email addresses versus personal email addresses in the system. Recommendation letters from language course instructors are discouraged.
4. Statement of Purpose. Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admission committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. The maximum recommended length is 1,000 words.
5. Writing Sample. Applicants must submit only the first 15 double-spaced pages of a representative English-language writing sample (seminar paper, term paper, honors thesis, journal article, etc.). We understand this may mean a truncated submission; do not rewrite or condense the submission, and do not submit more than 15 pages. Bibliography/citations may be omitted. You may choose to remove images and captions. The paper does not need to be focused on East Asia specifically, but should be an academic non-fiction work.
6. Test Scores.

• GRE scores are not required or considered in the CEAS admissions process.
• For international student applicants who do not meet the exemption criteria defined by the Stanford Graduate Admission website gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/test-scores#toefl, an English language score must be submitted that meets the university's minimum acceptance level. TOEFL or IELTS scores of tests taken within the past 2 years must be officially submitted to Stanford at the time of application, see these links for additional information:  Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System Academic Test (IELTS Academic).

Please note that an applicant must check "yes" to the question "Are you applying for financial aid such as fellowships or assistantships from Stanford University?" in order to be considered for CEAS fellowship funding.  In some cases, CEAS will conduct an additional interview via phone or Skype.  If an interview is required, applicants will be contacted with more details.  Some applicants may be eligible for an application fee waiver.  To determine eligibility, please see review the Graduate Fee Waivers webpage.

We uphold and advance Stanford's values by maintaining recruitment activities that are accessible and free from discrimination. Learn more about Stanford Values and Commitment to Compliance.

The Center admits a limited number of Stanford undergraduates to work toward a coterminal M.A. degree in East Asian Studies. All applicants are expected to meet the same general standards as external candidates seeking admission to the program, and must submit the online application by the stated deadline. Within the application form, applicants must indicate their methodological approach (Humanities or Social Sciences) and primary region of interest (China, Japan, Korea) via the drop down menus. Students may indicate a secondary region of interest if applicable. A complete application will include the minimum following items:

1. Completed Coterminal Online Application
2. Transcripts. Scanned copies of unofficial transcripts from all schools attended must be uploaded to the online application prior to submission. If admitted to the program, official transcripts will be required at that time.
3. Letters of recommendation. Applicants must solicit three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from members of the undergraduate department of concentration. Each recommender will receive an email with instructions on how to upload their letter to the online portal. Please use recommenders' official email addresses versus personal email addresses in the system. Recommendation letters from language course instructors are discouraged.
4. Statement of Purpose. Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admission committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. The maximum recommended length is 1,000 words.
5. Writing Sample. Applicants must submit only the first 15 double-spaced pages of a representative English-language writing sample (seminar paper, term paper, honors thesis, journal article, etc.). We understand this may mean a truncated submission; do not rewrite or condense the submission, and do not submit more than 15 pages. Bibliography/citations may be omitted. You may choose to remove images and captions. The paper does not need to be focused on East Asia specifically, but should be an academic non-fiction work.
6. Test Scores.

• GRE scores are not required or considered in the CEAS admissions process.
• International student applicants currently attending Stanford meet the exemption criteria defined by the Stanford Graduate Admission website gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/test-scores#toefl, and do not need to submit TOEFL or IELTS test scores.

Coterm applications will be reviewed along with peer applications by the M.A. Admissions Committee of the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS).  In some cases, CEAS will conduct an additional interview via phone or Skype.  If an interview is required, applicants will be contacted with more details.  Some applicants may be eligible for an application fee waiver.  To determine eligibility, please see review the Graduate Fee Waivers webpage. Coterminal students must meet all requirements for both B.A. and M.A. degrees, completing a minimum total of 46 units in addition to completing the minimum units required for the Bachelor's Degree.

Coterm students are not eligible for university financial aid once they have reached graduate student status, but are eligible to apply for other fellowships administered by CEAS. Undergraduates will not be eligible to receive program aid until they have completed twelve quarters enrolled at Stanford. Please note that an applicant must check "yes" to the question "Are you applying for financial aid such as fellowships or assistantships from Stanford University?" in order to be considered for applicable CEAS fellowship funding. 

Our program allows coursework taken in the three quarters immediately prior to the first graduate enrollment quarter (not including Summer) to count towards M.A. degree requirements. Students are reminded that course transfer is subject to approval of both the undergraduate and graduate departments. 

We uphold and advance Stanford's values by maintaining recruitment activities that are accessible and free from discrimination. Learn more about Stanford Values and Commitment to Compliance.

CEAS offers a limited number of fellowships each year for incoming M.A. students. Students interested in the Master's Degree program in East Asian Studies may apply for support (contingent upon availability) at the time of their initial application for admission. Eligibility varies. Applicants should also be aware that CEAS generally does not offer TA-ships or RA-ships to incoming M.A. students during the first year. Applications for financial aid are considered independently of applications for admission. A request for support does not affect the applicant's chances of admission.

Applicants may consider the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, which cultivates and supports a highly-engaged, multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers a diverse collection of educational experiences, preparing graduates to address complex challenges facing the world. Each year, Knight-Hennessy Scholars selects up to 100 students who are newly enrolling in a graduate degree program (including the East Asian Studies M.A. Program) in any of Stanford’s seven schools. Knight-Hennessy Scholars participate in an experiential leadership development program and receive funding for up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. Candidates must submit two applications to be considered; one to Knight-Hennessy Scholars by early October and one to the graduate degree program by its deadline. 

U.S. Citizen/Permanent Residents and International Students:

Financial Aid from Stanford University. Check "yes" on the application form. You will then be considered for the following fellowships: Japan Studies (full tuition) or Chinese Studies (full tuition).  Each year, depending on funding, we may also award additional fellowships.

U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents Only:

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who will be taking advanced Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language should apply for the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship, which provides full tuition plus modest stipend. This application is separate from your admission application.
Students who wish to be considered for federal aid or loan programs should file a FAFSA and an additional Graduate Financial Aid form online with the Stanford Financial Aid Office. CEAS does not have Federal Work-Study allocations available, but students interested in loans and the small awards from the Graduate Student Aid Fund must submit a FAFSA and the Graduate Financial Aid Application, available on the Stanford Financial Aid Office website.

Many Stanford graduate students receive fellowships from outside sources to help offset tuition costs. Applicants to Stanford programs are encouraged to apply for outside funding grants whenever possible. The Cornell Fellowship Database provides an extensive list of fellowships and may be a helpful search tool.

• Please see general Stanford University Frequently Asked Questions about the admissions process at Stanford Graduate Admissions FAQ
• Should the writing sample and statement of purpose be single- or double-spaced?
  • Application writing samples are typically double-spaced whereas statements of purpose are typically single-spaced.
• What is the deadline for official test scores and reference letters to arrive?
  • We ask that official test scores and reference letters are submitted as close to the application deadline as possible.  The review process begins quickly after the application deadline passes and it is at the individual reviewer's discretion how to handle applications with missing components. 
• Can I request an interview as part of this process?
  • No- we will reach out to individual applicants if we will require an interview.  Please note that interviews in this process are very rare, so not being contacted about an interview does not indicate a negative admission decision.
• When will I be notified regarding admissions decisions?
  • All admissions decisions notifications will be sent via email by March 15.  Any funding opportunity decisions, including the FLAS fellowship, will also be notified in the same decision letter.