Asian and Asian American Studies (MA, certificate)

Program Overview

The Department of Asian and Asian American Studies offers graduate studies leading to the Master of Arts (MA) degree. Our program is committed to promoting intercultural understanding and rigorous scholarship of Asian societies, cultures, histories, languages and migrations, as well as preparing students for success in a global environment.

The program encompasses six fields of study:

• Asian American and diaspora studies
• Global Asia
• Korean studies
• Japanese studies
• Chinese studies
• South Asian studies

In addition to the MA, the department offer a 5-year combined BA-MA, an AAAS-MPA degree and a graduate certificate.

One of the greatest strengths of our Asian and Asian American studies program is its emphasis on interdisciplinary scholarship and collaboration among faculty and students. This sort of community building is reflected in the intense, creative and pioneering scholarship emerging from the department, and in how the program positions graduates well for entering into PhD programs or industries such as education, business, government, public policy, NGOs and arts and culture.

Degrees Offered

• MA in Asian and Asian American Studies
• certificate in Asian and Asian American Studies

Internships, Research Opportunities and More

The department has an active Community Engagement Program (CEP) that seeks to bridge the gap between academy and community by encouraging students to develop supervised projects in the fields of education, business, social sciences, sciences, and the humanities. Eligible students can take advantage of the Peter T. and Shun Yee Chang Memorial Internship that provides a stipend for interns to undertake projects related to the history, experiences and contributions of Chinese Americans and their communities.

The department also enjoys consistent collaboration with various institutes both on and off campus, such as the Institute for Asian and Asian Diasporas and the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera.

Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for graduate study, you must:

• Provide a complete set of your undergraduate (and, if applicable, graduate) transcripts showing one of the following:
  • You have earned a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
  • You are within one academic year of earning a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
  • You are eligible to apply as part of a memorandum of understanding between your current institution and Binghamton University
• Have earned, at minimum, one of the following:
  • A 3.0 GPA over your entire undergraduate career
  • A 3.0 GPA during your last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits of your undergraduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as "pass/fail")
  • A 3.0 GPA in a graduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as "pass/fail")
  • In consideration of the different grading scales used around the world, each academic department evaluates international transcripts to determine on a case-by-case basis whether they demonstrate one of the above requirements.

To apply, you must submit the following materials. For general guidelines for these materials, see the Admission Requirements website.

• Online graduate degree application with graduate degree application fee
• Transcripts from each college or university that you have attended
• Personal statement of no longer than 2 pages describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your career aspirations, your special interests within your field, and any unusual features of your background that might need explanation or be of interest to the graduate admissions committee
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation
• Writing sample: an example of written work, such as a paper submitted in an advanced undergraduate or graduate course

International students must also submit the following materials. For more information about these materials, see the International Students section of the Admission Requirements website.

• International Student Financial Statement (ISFS) form
• Supporting financial documentation (such as bank statements, scholarship or sponsor letters, etc.)
• Proof of English proficiency (such as official TOEFL/IELTS/PTE Academic/Duolingo* scores)
  • *In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Graduate School at Binghamton University has temporarily approved the use of the Duolingo English Test as proof of English proficiency through the 2023 application cycle.

This information is subject to change. While we make every effort to update these program pages, we recommend that you contact the department with questions about program-specific requirements.

See certificate requirements.

Deadlines

Accelerated/4+1 Degrees

You may also be interested in our accelerated/4+1 degree programs which allow students to complete their bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just 5 years!

For more information, visit the Asian and Asian American Studies website.