Application Deadline
The online application for 2017-18 Academic Year is now closed. The application process will reopen in September 2017 for the 2018-19 application cycle.
For more information about the application process, please see the following webpage:
Stanford Office of Graduate Admissions.
For general admissions questions, email us at CEAS-Admissions@stanford.edu, or call (650)723-3362.
Please do not contact us to inquire about your application status. We will contact you if any part of the application is incomplete. Admissions decisions are sent out each year in mid-March via email.
General Applicants
All applicants must submit the online application by the stated deadline. Within the application, applicants must indicate their region of interest (China, Japan, Korea, or East Asia) and discipline (Humanities or Social Sciences) via the drop down menus in the online portal. Please note that students are admitted only to the fall quarter. A complete application will include the following items:
- Personal statement (2 pages max). Please see the following page for guidance: personal statement
- GRE scores of tests taken within the past 5 years must be officially submitted to Stanford from ETS using the code 4704
- TOEFL scores of tests taken within the past 18 months must be officially submitted to Stanford using code 4704. For more information regarding TOEFL requirements, please see: https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/about/frequently-asked-questions/gre-and-toefl
- A writing sample in English. Applicants must submit only the first 15 pages of a representative writing sample (seminar paper, term paper, honors thesis, journal article, etc.) via the document upload function in the online application. Do not submit more than 15 pages. The paper does not need to be focused on East Asia specifically, but should be an academic non-fiction work.
- At least 3 letters of recommendation. Applicants must enter recommenders' email addresses 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.
- Two official hard copies of transcripts. A scanned copy of all transcripts must be uploaded to the online application prior to submission. Additionally, two official hard copies of transcripts, in sealed original envelopes, must be submitted directly to the following address:
CENTER FOR EAST ASIAN STUDIES
ATTN: ADMISSIONS
521 MEMORIAL WAY, ROOM 112
STANFORD, CA 94305
Subject tests, resumes, and other supplementary materials are not required. 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.
Stanford Undergraduate Coterminal Applicants (Current Stanford undergraduates only)
The Center admits a limited number of Stanford undergraduates to work toward a coterminal M.A. degree in East Asian Studies. Students must follow the regular application deadline for admission into the program and are expected to meet the same general standards as external candidates seeking admission to the program.
Complete coterminal master's applications should include the following:
- Completed Coterminal Online Application
- A written 1-2 page statement of purpose
- An unofficial Stanford transcript
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from members of the undergraduate department of concentration
- Official scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Official test scores must be reported directly to Stanford from Educational Testing Service (ETS). Stanford's ETS institutional code is 4704; an individual department code number is not necessary. Please be sure to list Stanford University as a Score Recipient in addition to listing it as your Graduate Institution (GI)
- Writing sample as described above
Coterm applications will be reviewed along with peer applications by the M.A. Admissions Committee of the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS). Students must meet all requirements for both B.A. and M.A. degrees, completing a total of 46 units after completing the 180 units required for the Bachelor's Degree, for a total of 226 units. Coterms are not eligible for university financial aid, but are eligible to apply for other fellowships administered by CEAS. Please note that for coterminal students, we will follow the university suggested guideline of allowing students to count coursework taken in the three quarters immediately prior to their first graduate quarter toward their graduate degree (summer is not included in the back count). Students are reminded that course transfer is subject to approval of the undergraduate and graduate departments.
Financial Aid
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 is designed to build a multidisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Applicants to the East Asian Studies M.A. Program are eligible to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, which funds up to the first three years of your graduate education. Please note that the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program has an early autumn deadline and that students applying to the East Asian Studies M.A. Program would need to submit an early program application in order to be considered. For more information, please see the following timeline.
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.
