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Thesis

photo of thesis strip binding

Standard Strip Binding

All East Asian Studies M.A. students must submit a Master's Thesis representing a substantial piece of original research.  

Requirements

The submitted thesis must meet the following requirements:

  • 10,000 words minimum, excluding references, citations, appendices, etc.
  • Printed, bound, and submitted to the CEAS offices by the standard university thesis deadline
    • Theses should be bound using "strip binding" with a clear plastic cover and black plastic back cover (can be done at Kinko's on campus)
  • Containing the adviser's signature on the Standard Thesis Title Page

Thesis Proposal

Students must submit an approved thesis proposal and literature review by the end of the quarter prior to the quarter in which they intend to graduate.  The proposal is the statement of the research question, the rationale for the research, the theoretical and empirical background that the student is bringing to bear, and the methodology.  The 5-10 page proposal must be reviewed and approved by the student's adviser.  The Thesis Proposal and Literature Review Guidelines contain the cover page for the proposal, which must be printed out, approved, and signed by the student's adviser, and submitted to CEAS.  

Resources

Thesis Workshop

Students are required to attend one CEAS thesis workshop during their time in the M.A. program.  The biannual workshop includes topics such as: developing a manageable and successful thesis topic, working efficiently and effectively with faculty, and managing a working timeline.  It is the student's reponsibility to ensure that they enroll in the workshop and attend prior to graduation. 

Campus Resources

Students may find it valuable to review past submitted thesis topics in our past theses database.  Submitted theses are also available to read in the CEAS Offices.

Recent Thesis Topics

Sound and Cultural Synaesthesia in Japan: Chanoyu, Haikai and Zen

WILCUT, Lisa | 2017 #379
Region: Japan | Steven D. Carter , East Asian Languages and Cultures

Contemporary Politics of Heritage Management in South Korea and Japan: Global Dimensions of Contested National Memory

VU, Lillian | 2017 #378
Region: East Asia | Gi-Wook Shin , Sociology

What Makes a Danwei Employee More Willing to Join a Protest? The Impact of China's Danwei Reforms on Individual Protest Propensity from 2003 to 2013

TIAN, Ziyao | 2017 #377
Region: China | Andrew Walder , Sociology

Can China Successfully Kill its Zombie Firms? Lessons from Japan

POH, Michelle Jeanne | 2017 #376
Region: East Asia | Takeo Hoshi , Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies