Master's Examination in East Asian Studies

All candidates for the Master’s degree in East Asian Studies are required to take a written and oral examination. It is the candidate’s responsibility to:

1. select two distinct fields of study;
2. secure the cooperation of two appropriate faculty members who approve of the student’s field selection and who will be willing to participate in the examination;
3. secure the cooperation of a third professor (usually the Program Director) who will serve as the moderator for the examinations;
4. in consultation with the faculty members and the moderator, arrange a date and time for both the Written and the Oral examinations (see below) that is convenient for all parties concerned;
5. inform the Program Office of the approved schedule;
6. apprise the Program Director well in advance of the examinations of the selected fields, faculty examiners, and examination schedule.

Written Examination

The Written Examination contains three questions: one for each field of study and a bibliographic question. Upon notification by the candidate of the pre-arranged examination schedule, the East Asian Studies office will obtain a room for the examination. The Office will also facilitate the exam procedure by providing the student with a copy of the examination questions (previously submitted by the selected examiners), timing the examination, and collecting the examination booklets upon completion. The examination booklets will be copied and distributed to the three examination committee members.

The student has three hours to complete the exam. No reference books are permitted. The moderator will check on the student once or twice to insure that all is satisfactory.

Oral Examination

The Written Examination provides the basis for the Oral Examination, which is usually scheduled two or three days after the Written Examination. During the Oral Examination, the examiners ask the candidate to clarify or elaborate on his/her written answers. This portion of the examination normally takes one hour. Following this discussion, the committee confers to decide if the candidate has met the requirements of the examination. Having informed the candidate of the result, the committee makes a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Completion Dates

All degree requirements for graduation must be completed by the appropriate date. Students should remember that it is their responsibility to apply for graduation by submitting the proper paperwork.

Students are asked to remember that the end of the term is a very busy time for faculty and staff. Preparation for the Exit Examinations should be made well in advance of the end of the term, preferably by the midterm.