Degree Requirements

The master's degree requires ten courses (30 semester hours -- including an integrated core course), of which at least eight courses (24 semester hours) must be in East Asian studies, drawn from two or more departments or programs. Two language courses (six semester hours) may be counted as part of the ten courses needed for the degree. In lieu of a thesis, each student, after consulting with his/her advisor, will submit a research paper or annotated bibliography produced in a capstone course taken during the program, to their capstone committee, composed of three faculty, at least two of which must be from the APSI core faculty list. The degree is dependent on the acceptance of the research paper or annotated bibliography and successful completion of an oral examination on this paper/annotated bibliography by the capstone committee.

Students are directed in their course of study by the APSI Director of Graduate Studies along with an individual faculty advisor from the Graduate Committee. Once an area of research interest is identified, students can request a capstone advisor, other than the faculty advisor, to choose the capstone course and direct his/her research paper or annotated bibliography.

At the conclusion of the Program, students must have attained advanced proficiency in one East Asian language, equivalent to three years of college-level study. It is strongly recommended that applicants complete at least one year of such language study before beginning the program at Duke. Students who are native speakers of an East Asian language are encouraged to take one year (two semesters) of another East Asian language.

Above: some of our students meet with Ambassador Yang Jiechi at the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute