Graduate Degrees in Asian Languages & Civilizations

Asian Languages & Civilizations

Celebrating a history of over 30 years, the Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations at CU Boulder brings global diversity to the curriculum and the Boulder campus. Our department’s focus on a broad swath of the non-Western world puts us in a position to share worldviews and traditions of literature, culture, thought and artistic expression developed by civilizations in premodern, modern and contemporary South Asia, East Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

The department offers a Bachelor’s–Accelerated Master’s degree program, Master of Arts, dual MAs and a Doctor of Philosophy in Asian languages and civilizations with specializations in Chinese or Japanese.

Degree Types

BMA ᐧ MA ᐧ Dual MAs ᐧ PhD

Small class sizes allow our graduate students to work closely with faculty who are noted scholars in their fields.

Generous funding opportunities for our MA and PhD candidates include fellowships, tuition reimbursement, health insurance assistance, and stipends for teaching assistantships and graduate part-time instructorships.

The department will offer 5-year PhD fellowships, which will include a tuition waiver, teaching exemption in the first year and a competitive monthly stipend.

Degree Options & Application Requirements

Asian Languages and Civilizations

Bachelor’s–Accelerated Master’s Degree Program

Students may earn this degree as part of the Bachelor’s-Accelerated Master’s (BAM) degree program, which allows currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese or Japanese, and Master of Arts in Asian languages and civilizations in a shorter period of time.

For program details, review the Accelerated Master’s tab for the associated bachelor’s degree(s) in the course catalog:

Master of Arts

The program offers two specializations: Chinese and Japanese.
Prospective graduates will be required to present at least 30 hours of approved coursework or, in exceptional cases, 24 hours of coursework plus a thesis. The 24 hours must be completed at the 5000 level or above. Up to 6 credits from other departments may be completed at the 3000 or 4000 level at the discretion of the department.

Application Deadlines & Requirements

To learn about the upcoming term application deadlines, please visit the Graduate School website.

For program details, review the course catalog for the MA in Asian languages in civilizations.

Dual MAs

The Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations participates in a dual master’s program with the departments of History and Religious Studies. Students admitted to the MA programs in these departments may apply to complete a second MA in one of the other programs. Such degrees serve the needs of students who seek a truly interdisciplinary experience among intellectually affiliated departments.
- 4-year program
- 42 credit hours

For full program details, review the course catalog for the dual MA and visit the dual MA program webpage.

Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD requires a minimum of 45 credits in graduate courses numbered 5000 or above in Chinese or Japanese, and 30 credits of dissertation work beyond the required coursework.
Selection of courses should be made in consultation with the director of graduate studies in Chinese or Japanese (see the department's Graduate Advising webpage). Academic preparation is expected in both classical and modern language.
Offers specializations in Chinese or Japanese with concentrations in literary and/or cultural studies of either the premodern or modern periods

Application Deadlines & Requirements

To learn about the upcoming term application deadlines, please visit the Graduate School website.

For program details, review the course catalog for the PhD in Asian languages in civilizations.

Research Areas

Faculty research includes various specialized topics in Chinese and Japanese literature and cultural history, from early times to the present day, in fields such as:

Poetry
Literary Criticism
Manuscript Studies
Religious and Intellectual History
Fiction
Drama
Film

Learn More About Research Areas at CU Boulder

Funding Opportunities

We understand funding opportunities play a major role in helping you to decide whether a program is right for you. At CU Boulder, PhD students are supported through research and teaching assistantships. Students are also encouraged to apply for their own sources of funding.

Explore General Funding Explore Department-Specific Funding

Graduate Student Resources

Student success is best met with holistic support and resources. CU Boulder offers robust resources, programming and opportunities to help students establish meaningful connections, adjust to graduate student life and find assistance when they need it. Whether it’s academic, social, or health and wellness support, the university provides an array of resources to meet the diverse needs of our students.

Graduate Student Organizations