Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures (EALL) offers an interdisciplinary Master of Arts in East Asian Studies (IDMA), focusing on China or Japan.

Contact Information

Department Chair (EALL): Elizabeth Oyler
Main Office: 2714 Cathedral of Learning
Graduate Administrator: Michael Orbin
412-624-5227
Fax: 412-624-3458
E-mail: mio43@pitt.edu
http://deall.pitt.edu/graduate

Admission and Application Form: To apply, go to http://deall.pitt.edu/graduate/apply and click on Apply Yourself.

The interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree in East Asian studies (IDMA) combines advanced language training with study in the social sciences and humanities focusing on East Asia. It is designed for graduate students who plan professional careers in government, business, journalism, or pre-college teaching; or for those who want intensive area training before pursuing a doctoral program in a particular discipline. The IDMA is typically a two-year program. It is designed for students who have already had at least two years of Chinese or Japanese language study. The interdisciplinary nature of the program comes not from specially constructed interdisciplinary courses but from taking a planned complement of graduate-level courses in different departments. The strength of this interdisciplinary approach lies in the fact that students are able to elect to work with faculty in several disciplines, as well as to take courses in different areas in the humanities and social sciences. The applicant’s academic interests must be compatible with the expertise of the East Asian faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

Applicants for admission must submit a 500-600 words statement in English that identifies the student’s academic and intellectual goals through discussing a book that has influenced them in applying to the IDMA program. They must submit transcripts of all college-level work, three letters of recommendation in English, and a writing sample in English. International applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit the TOEFL administered by the Educational Testing Service: The required TOEFL score of 90 (with at least a score of 22 in all of the four sections of speaking, listening, reading, and writing); the required minimum IELTS of 7.0 (with at least 6.5 in each of its four sections). The deadline each year for submitting applications is January 15. Notification can be expected by the middle of March. The program admits students only for the fall term.

Financial Assistance

Current as well as prospective students in Asian Studies are eligible to apply for a variety of scholarships and fellowships administered by the Asian Studies Center. See the Web site https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/asc/students/graduate-students/funding for descriptions of awards.

The dean of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences has approved some Tuition Reduction Scholarships for out-of-state students accepted into the IDMA program each year. As a result, most IDMA students pay in-state tuition rates.

Faculty

The Asian Studies faculty affiliated with the IDMA Program comprise an outstanding group of specialists in the social sciences and humanities. They share a common dedication to teaching and a vigorous commitment to scholarly research as well as service to the profession. Academic disciplines of individual faculty members and their teaching specializations are noted on the website above.

Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Faculty

Course Note

Not all courses are offered every term. Students should consult with their academic advisers for course selections. 30 credits of graduate courses are required for the degree. For more detailed information about the requirement, refer to the department website: http://deall.pitt.edu/graduate/requirements.

Programs

Master’s

East Asian Studies, MA

Courses

Chinese

East Asian Studies

Japanese

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