About PhD Program,
The doctoral degree in Asian Languages and Cultures is administered by the Rackham Graduate School. Students with at least a Bachelors degree and a strong desire to pursue research should apply to the Ph.D. Program in Asian Languages and Cultures. Department faculty specialize in the areas of East, South and Southeast Asia, with expertise in disciplines which include cultural studies, intellectual history, linguistics, literature, performance studies, philosophy, religion, and visual culture. Students accepted into the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures may craft and pursue programs of graduate study in fields such as Asian film, Chinese history, Korean culture, Japanese literature, Javanese cultural studies, Buddhist studies or any other combination of geographical area and academic discipline for which there is sufficient faculty availability and interest.
All applicants must have proficiency in at least one Asian language and must demonstrate some background in the study of Asian culture. They must also exhibit a strong interest and background in related humanistic disciplines.
The Department offers language instruction in Bengali, Chinese (classical and modern), Filipino, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese (classical and modern), Javanese, Korean, Punjabi, Thai, Tibetan (classical and modern), Urdu and Vietnamese.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Applicants with an M.A. from another program or university should be aware that their prior graduate work will not fulfill any of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at the University of Michigan. The Department offers courses for graduate credit at the 500-level and above, but courses at the 400-level may also qualify for Rackham credit. Current course offerings can be found on the LSA Graduate Class Search.
Specific language requirements will be determined by the Chair of the Mentoring Committee. By the time the preliminary examinations are completed the student will be required to demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in the Asian language most relevant to the student’s research plans. In some cases this will involve both modern and pre-modern forms of that language. This requirement can be satisfied by completion of approved sequences of course work in the language or by passing an approved test whose results are evaluated by a faculty member appointed by the Graduate Program Committee.
In order to advance to candidacy, a student must have: (1) successfully completed 36 credit hours in approved courses, (2) finished all incomplete course work, (3) met the first and second research languages requirement, and (4) passed preliminary examinations. The Graduate Program Committee should be notified in writing by the Chair of the student’s Mentoring Committee once the student completes each of these benchmarks. The Graduate Program Coordinator will then file the necessary paperwork with Rackham to have the student advanced to candidacy.
PhD Funding Coverage,
The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures offers a competitive five-year funding package to all students admitted to the PhD program. The standard funding model is:
Year 1: Pre-candidacy tuition and fees, stipend, yearly book award, health care, and a summer stipend.
Year 2: Fall and Winter Graduate Student Instructor position (includes full tuition waiver, stipend, and health care), yearly book award, and a summer stipend.
Year 3: Fall and Winter Graduate Student Instructor position (includes full tuition waiver, stipend, and health care), yearly book award, and a summer stipend.
Year 4: Candidacy tuition and fees, stipend, yearly book award, and health care.
Year 5: Fall and Winter Graduate Student Instructor position (includes full tuition waiver, stipend, and healthcare), and yearly book award.
The department has funding available for ALC graduate students beyond their initial admissions package. This ad hoc funding can be used for summer research, travel to conferences, language study, etc. ALC graduate students are also encouraged to apply for awards from the International Institute Centers, Rackham Graduate School, FLAS, and the department’s competitive research awards: The Hide Shohara Fellowship, Charles and Myrl Hucker Research Award, and the Phillip Thomas Lincoln Memorial Endowment Fellowship.
For information on the cost of tuition at the University of Michigan, please refer to the Office of the Registrar website. The Rackham Graduate School also lists details regarding funding on their website.
Application Requirement,
Applications to our graduate program are accepted beginning in September of the previous year for which you are applying. All materials must be submitted by December 1st, including Letters of Recommendation. Applications without all components received by December 1st will be considered incomplete.
When applying to the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, the following materials will be required and must be submitted electronically to the Rackham Graduate School:
Application
Students can apply to our graduate program online via CollegeNet. To access the CollegeNet application please go to the Rackham Graduate School website. All materials must be submitted electronically online, except for official transcripts which should be mailed to Rackham. Other mailed in materials will not be considered.
We encourage all applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents to apply for a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) academic year fellowship when they apply to the graduate program. FLAS fellowships extend the time for our students to complete coursework and research for the doctorate.
Academic Statement of Purpose
The Statement of Purpose is the single most important item in your application. The purpose of this essay is to give the faculty a clear idea of a) why you want to pursue a degree in Asian Languages and Cultures; b) what questions or problems interest you; c) how you want to address these questions; d) why you want to pursue your graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This statement should be about 800 words long and double-spaced.
Personal Statement
How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan? For example, if you grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, you might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests. This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree. Please do not repeat your Academic Statement of Purpose. The personal statement should be around 800-words double-spaced.
At least one writing sample in English
This should be a good representation of your academic work, between 10-30 pages long. Most applicants submit a term paper on the subject in which they are applying to do graduate work.
Three letters of recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required for a complete application. Recommenders are required to submit their recommendations electronically through the Rackham online application. Recommenders should also complete the Rackham Letter of Recommendation Cover Sheet, and will be automatically prompted to do so when submitting a letter through the online portal.
Application Deadline,
Dec 01, 2024
Application Fee,
The application fee is due when you submit your application. The fee is non-refundable and subject to change. If you pay the application fee and you are later approved to receive a fee waiver, the fee will not be refunded.
- United States citizens and those with permanent resident visa status, $75
- Non-U.S. citizens, $90
- Current Rackham student (regardless of citizenship) $10
