91社区

Master of Arts

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Program Requirements

For the M.A. program, the student is required to complete 45 credits, including 21 credits of coursework, a thesis proposal and a thesis (24 credits). In order to obtain the required 24 thesis credits, you must register for the 鈥淭hesis Course鈥� (EAST 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 695, 696D1 & 696 D2, etc., ideally two per semester), and complete & submit your MA thesis. The coursework typically consists of seven 3-credit graduate courses and must include one 3-credit seminar in theory/methodology and 6 further credits of graduate seminars. A maximum of 6 credits of language courses at the 500-level or in a classical language may be counted towards course requirements. Students must have 4th level language equivalency by the completion of their MA program.

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Additional notes on thesis credits & thesis proposal

• In order to obtain the required 24 thesis credits, you must register for the 鈥淭hesis Course鈥� (EAST 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 695, 696D1 & 696 D2, etc., ideally two per semester), and complete & submit your MA thesis.
• The aim of the proposal is to outline the object of study of the thesis, its objectives, the research hypothesis, and the methodology that will be used or developed, as well as a brief survey of the relevant literature related to your topic.
• This proposal could become the basis of the introduction to your thesis.

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Notes on thesis submission

• Your thesis goes through 鈥渋nitial submission鈥� and 鈥渇inal submission鈥� stages. You will write, revise, and finalize the thesis in consultation with your supervisor and the feedback you receive from the external examiner. You should plan on submitting your chapters to your supervisor as you write them. Your supervisor will give you comments on your chapter, normally within 3-4 weeks. You should then revise the chapter based on your supervisor鈥檚 comments.

• Be aware that the GPS takes about 2 weeks to process your initial submission, and the external review will take about 4-6 weeks. After you receive the evaluation from your external reviewer, you will need another 2-4 weeks to revise and finalize your thesis based on the feedback from your external reviewer. The whole process could take up to three months.
• The GPS set specific deadlines for initial and final submissions. Missing these deadlines will affect the exact date of your graduation. For more information, see: /gps/thesis/deadlines
• The GPS guideline for the length: 鈥淣ormally, a Master鈥檚 thesis does not exceed 100 pages in length. GPS considers 150 pages to be the maximum (including title page, abstracts, table of contents, contribution of authors/preface, acknowledgements, bibliography/reference list, and appendices).鈥�

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Notes on language proficiency

• Students must have 4th-level language equivalency of their research language (e.g. Korean, Chinese, Japanese) by the completion of their M.A. program.
• Language courses taken at 91社区 during your program will not count towards your coursework requirements unless they are 500 level or above (e.g. Classical Chinese). A maximum of 6 credits of language courses at the 500-level may be counted towards course requirements.

The language proficiency can be demonstrated by: 1) completing the 4^th-level language courses or their equivalents; or 2) providing a proof of native fluency (e.g., primary and secondary education in the chosen language); or 3) passing a translation examination administered by the Department.

Doctor of Philosophy

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Program Requirements

There are four requirements for obtaining the Doctoral Degree:

1. Course work. Students must complete at least 24 course credits at the graduate level, with a grade point average of 3.5 or better. On the basis of this course work, the student should identify three distinct fields for the Comprehensive Evaluation. Students may take up to 6 credits in another department with the approval of the Graduate Advisory Committee.
2. Language. Candidate will be required to demonstrate proficiency in a second research language, which may include either modern or literary (classical) language, in addition to the primary Asian language of their research.
3. PhD comprehensive evaluation. The student is required to pass the Comprehensive Evaluation by the end of PhD 3 (by end of summer). PhD 3 means the second year of our PhD program (since everyone starts at PhD 2).
4. Exceptions have to be approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee.
   comprehensive_examination_policy_for_ph.d.pdf
5. Doctoral dissertation. A thesis proposal (15-25 pages) should be submitted to the Graduate Advisory Committee within six months after successful completion of the PhD Comprehensive Evaluation, after consultation with the Graduate Program Director and the thesis supervisor. Before submission of the dissertation, candidates are expected to spend time in Asia researching their project. The PhD thesis should represent original scholarship.

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Notes on language proficiency

• Students entering our PhD program are expected to have an equivalent of at least 4th-level language proficiency of their primary research language (e.g. Korean, Chinese, Japanese).
• Language proficiency for their primary research language can be demonstrated by: 1) completing the 4^th-level language courses or their equivalents; or 2) providing a proof of native fluency (e.g., primary and secondary education in the chosen language); or 3) passing a translation examination administered by the Department.
• They will also be required to demonstrate proficiency in a second research language, which may include either modern or literary (classical) language, in addition to the primary Asian language of their research.
• Language courses taken at 91社区 during your program will not count towards your coursework requirements unless they are 500 level or above (e.g. Classical Chinese). A maximum of 6 credits of language courses at the 500-level may be counted towards course requirements.

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Comprehensive examination policy

Scheduling of the comprehensive must be specified by the unit and the comprehensive exam must be completed by the end of PhD3. Students must be informed of the date of the exam with sufficient time to prepare for it. PhD 3 means the second year of our PhD program (since everyone starts at PhD 2).

Candidates for the doctoral degree in the Department of East Asian Studies ad-hoc Ph.D. program will be expected to pass a comprehensive examination in three fields.

The exam will generally be taken within one year after completing coursework, normally by the end of the second year in the program (end of Ph.D. 2 or Ph.D. 3). A candidate must complete the second research language requirement prior to taking the comprehensive examination. S/he must also demonstrate competence in other languages essential for her/his research. The three fields must be chosen in consultation with the candidate鈥檚 supervisor as well as with the Graduate Program Director. The fields shall consist of one major and two minor areas of specialization. The two minor fields may be complementary to the major research area as well as preparatory for teaching areas in future employment. Preparation for the comprehensive examination should be done in consultation with the individual examiners. The candidate should prepare reading lists (approximately 20-25 sources for each minor field, and approximately 30-50 sources for the major field, depending on the areas of specialization) in consultation with each of the examiners. The reading lists must be finalized no later than 6 months prior to the examination. The candidate should always work closely with the examiners in preparation for the examination and the reading lists shall be shared among the examiners. The exam consists of both written and oral components.

Based on the reading lists in the three fields, the examiners will provide a set of questions to the candidate. Based on the examiners鈥� decision, the candidate will write either one unified paper (approximately 30-40 pages) or two/three separate papers (approximately 10-20 pages each) responding to these questions within 2 weeks after the receipt of the exam questions. Failure to submit the written exam(s) on time will result in failure. The completed written exam(s) must be read by all the examiners.

The written examination will be followed by the oral examination, which shall take place within 2-3 weeks after the submission of the paper(s). The oral exam will last for approximately 3 hours. The supervisor will have one hour to question the candidate on the main field, and the secondary field examiners will have approximately 30 minutes each to ask questions. The oral exam will cover the reading list in general and questions arising from the written exam. Time will be provided for examiners to ask questions in all three segments of the oral exam, if they wish. The examiners together with the candidate will establish the order of the fields to be examined. There will be a 15-minute break taken at the end of the first or second period of questioning, at the candidate鈥檚 discretion. No one else may be permitted in the examination. The proceedings may be recorded at the discretion of the candidate.

Grades for the Comprehensive Examination (50% oral exam and 50% written exam) are superior (85 and above), pass (70-84), and fail (below 70). The principal advisor鈥檚 assessment is set at 40%, and the secondary examiners鈥� assessments are 30% each. If the candidate fails the first comprehensive exam, s/he is entitled to a second examination not more than six months later. At that time, the candidate may also request that the second oral exam be recorded. If the candidate fails the second comprehensive examination, s/he will be required to leave the Ph.D. program.

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Notes on dissertation proposal

• You should consult your supervisor and committee members on the structure and content of your proposal (15-25 pages). The aim is to outline the object of study of the thesis, its objectives, the research hypothesis, and the methodology that will be used or developed, as well as a brief survey of the relevant literature.
• In general, a doctoral dissertation proposal includes the following components: 1) a clear description of your research topic; 2) a set of specific research questions, hypotheses, and problems that your dissertation will explore and answer; 2) a literature review that contextualize existing scholarship related to your research topic; 3) an explanation of research methodology and theoretical frameworks that you will use to analyze your objects; 4) the significance and scholarly contribution of your research to the field(s); 5) a chapter breakdown; 6) a timeline to completion; 7) a bibliography.

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Notes on dissertation submission & oral defense

• Your dissertation goes through 鈥渋nitial submission鈥� and 鈥渇inal submission鈥� stages. You will need to revise and finalize your dissertation in consultation with your supervisor and in light of the feedback you receive from the external examiner and other committee members during the oral defense.

• GPS sets specific deadlines for initial and final submissions. Missing these deadlines will affect the exact date of your graduation. For more information, see: /gps/thesis/deadlines

For more on the oral defense, see /gps/thesis/thesis-guidelines/oral-defence

Admission

Please visit the听

MA

Applicants must hold, or expect to hold by September of the year of entry, a bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies or related fields. Applicants are expected to have proficiency in the East Asian Language(s) most useful for the proposed graduate work (preferably three years or more of course work or equivalent).

PhD

Applicants must hold, or expect to hold by September of the year of entry, a Master's degree in East Asian Studies or related fields.

Deadline for the Fall term: January 10

Find detailed instructions on .

You must pay a non-refundable application fee or your application will not be processed.

Should you decide to formally apply, all supplemental application materials and supporting documents must be uploaded directly to the 91社区 admissions processing system.

Uploading documents FAQ

1. Transcripts.听Your record of study from each university-level institution or college attended so far. An unofficial copy of your complete university-level academic record to date must be uploaded, using听听(to which you will have access upon application). Please note that uploaded transcripts will be considered as unofficial. Once you are admitted, you will be required to supply official transcripts before enrolling for courses.
2. Two letters of reference听submitted on the official letterhead of the recommending professor's department.
   You must identify on the application form two instructors, who are familiar with your work, and who are willing to write the letters of recommendation. You must provide a valid institutional e-mail address for each referee.
   91社区 will send an e-mail to each referee you identify on the application form, asking for a reference in support of your application to be admitted. 听If no response is received, a reminder message will be sent every two weeks. In rare cases a referee may decline the request; you will be advised by e-mail if your selected referee declines, and you will be asked to provide an alternate. Referees will be invited to log-in to a secure portion of the 91社区 website, where they can upload the letter(s) of reference.
3. Writing sample. You must provide a 15-20 page writing sample.
4. Curriculum Vitae听and research proposal.听The research proposal (approximately 500 words for Master's and 5 pages for PhD) should indicate potential supervisor, the field in which the applicant wishes to pursue, and the reasons for applying to the program. A description of the proposed research project, with brief bibliography, should be included.
5. Test scores. For all non-native speakers of English, the Department of East Asian Studies also requires proof of proficiency in English. The most common test is the听TOEFL听(Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum score required by the Department is 577 the paper-based test or 86 on the internet-based test. The codes for reporting TOEFL scores to the department are as follows: the Institutional Code for 91社区 is听0935听and the code for the Department ("Far Eastern Languages and Literatures") is听29.
   
   Alternatively, students proving their English proficiency may use the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination, for which the minimum score is an overall band average of 6.5 (academic module).
   91社区 only accepts IELTS scores submitted electronically by an IELTS test center. No paper test report forms will be accepted. An institutional code is NOT required. Applicants must directly ask the test center where the test is taken to send the test scores to 91社区 electronically using the IELTS system.听 IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to 91社区.
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   Any student who has not studied at a Canadian institution must submit official听 copies of their GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores. These score reports must come directly from the Educational Testing Service; a photocopy will not be accepted.The codes for reporting GRE scores to the department are as follows: the Institutional Code for 91社区 is 0935 and the code for the department ("Asian Languages") is 2601.

Funding

Applicants for the M.A. or Ph.D. programs in East Asian Studies are automatically considered for financial support. For more information on Graduate Funding and Fellowship awards contact the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office.

In addition, there are 4 basic ways to finance your graduate studies at 91社区:

• Competitive fellowships: These are scholarships awarded to students through national and university level competitions. Fellowships are the most prestigious awards because of the high level of competition. In general they range from a minimum of $5,000 per year to as high as $35,000 or more per year. Fellowships are awarded by a variety of organizations and there are a number of internal fellowships.
• Stipends: These are scholarships paid to graduate students from a professor鈥檚 grant. Because they are paid from a professor鈥檚 grant, it is up to him or her to decide who to award it to. The value of individual stipends is determined by the professor, although some research councils set minimum levels.
• Assistantships: Graduate students can be offered two types of assistantships; teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Both are open to all graduate students, regardless of nationality.
• Loans and bursaries: These are based on financial need rather than merit. The is responsible for administering all needs鈥揵ased financial aid.

Program requirements

Please refer to the program options section above

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Supervision
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The听Graduate and Postdoctoral Support website听offers research and evidence-based advice to graduate students and their supervisors on how to work together effectively and avoid common problems in supervision.

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Advising

Graduate Program Director (GPD)

Associate Professor Gal Gvili
680 Sherbrooke St. West, office 0272 (2nd floor)
Montr茅al, QC听 H3A 2M7
E-mail:听gal.gvili [at] mcgill.ca
Phone: (514) 398-5854
Office hours: by appointment

Contact:

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Graduate Program Director (GPD)

Associate Professor Gal Gvili
E-mail: gal.gvili [at] mcgill.ca
680 Sherbrooke St. West, office 0272

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Graduate Program Coordinator

Ms. Sarah Curci听
E-mail:听sarah.curci [at] mcgill.ca
680 Sherbrooke St. West, office 0425

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