Doctor of Philosophy - Chinese

The graduate program in East Asian Languages and Civilizations: China provides a research-intensive, inter-disciplinary, area-based program of study in the traditional and modern languages and cultures of China. Students may focus on literature, literary criticism, comparative cultural studies, cultural history, religious texts, or linguistics. In every case students will be expected to acquire a solid grounding in classical and modern Mandarin Chinese.

THE PH. D. PROGRAM prepares students to become scholars and teachers of Chinese literature and culture or prepares them for the increasing number of professional careers that utilize knowledge at a high-level of proficiency in Chinese language and culture.
 

ADMISSION/APPLICATION

Potential applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in a related field are eligible to apply to the program. The following entry-level competencies are needed for admission to the program:

•    Completion of at least three years of modern Chinese
•    Completion of at least one year of classical Chinese

Regular admission may be granted to applicants who have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 (4.0 scale) or better in the last two years of work leading to the bachelor’s degree and who are competitive in the applicant pool as evidenced by GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical), writing sample, the statement of career and educational goals, and the letters of recommendation. A normal grade-point average in Master’s work is expected to be 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. In addition, because the doctorate is a research degree that normally prepares the student for university teaching and scholarly investigation, the committee takes into account the level of work in graduate literature and related courses at the Master’s level.

Application Process

Candidates must first apply for admission to the graduate program independently through the Graduate College. All students applying for admission to the Ph.D. program must submit recent scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students whose B.A. work was completed in a language other than English should also submit TOEFL scores. Materials to be submitted directly to the Graduate College are:

•    Graduate admission application
•    Graduate application fee
•    Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work
•    Any necessary test scores (e.g., GRE, TOEFL)

Deadlines

To be considered for any form of financial aid in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, including Teaching or Research Assistantships or Associateships, an applicant’s application for admission for the Fall semester of the next academic year must be received before 5:00 p.m. December 15 of the preceding year. For all others, the deadline is April 15. Applications for Graduate Assistantships are not considered until the applicant has been admitted with regular status to the Graduate College. The application for a Teaching or Research Assistantship should be submitted to the School of International Letters and Cultures along with your admission application. Assistantships are normally awarded only for the full academic year (fall and spring semesters).

Materials for Admission to be Submitted Directly to the Chinese Graduate Program

Please submit the following materials to:

Chinese Graduate Program
School of International Letters and Cultures
Arizona State University
P.O. Box 870202
Tempe, AZ 85287-0202

•    Personal statement of career and educational goals
•    Writing sample that represents your thinking as well as your writing skills (on a topic connected with the language or Chinese culture, no more than 15 pages)
•    Three letters of recommendation (two of which should be academic recommendations) addressing your expertise in Chinese and commenting on your language and intellectual skills as well as your teaching potential.

Additional Materials Required for Graduate Teaching Assistant/Associate Positions

If a candidate is interested in obtaining a teaching assistant or association position, the three letters of recommendation should also address his/her competence in Chinese and his/her ability (potential or demonstrated) to conduct a university-level language course. If the authors of the academic letters are unfamiliar with a candidate's teaching ability, a separate letter addressing this issue from a more appropriate source should be included in the application package. Completed application forms must be received by December 15.

If you are a non-native Chinese speaker
A four-minute (approximately) recorded message in Chinese on a topic of your choice. (Please do not read your message. This is to help the committee evaluate your level, and your message should realistically reflect your spoken Chinese).

If you are a non-native English speaker
A four-minute (approximately) recorded message in English on a topic of your choice. (The same criteria are applied as above) In order to teach, non-native English speakers are required to pass the ASU SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit) given during orientation.

Application for Graduate Teaching Assistantship

    * R.A. and T.A. Application Form (PDF)

International Students

All Graduate Teaching Assistants/Associates for whom English is not a native language must have a minimum TOEFL score of 550 for paper-based, 213 for computer-based and 83 for internet-based for admission; and must also take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the ASU SPEAK Test (only given on campus at the ITA program office). Potential TAs must pass this test with a minimum of 55 (230 on the old scale), in order to secure their position. It is advisable that students take the TSE test in their home country, preferably at the time they take the TOEFL. If potential TAs do not take and pass the test prior to being offered a TA contract, they will have to arrange it as soon as possible—this is often logistically difficult and may put a TA position in jeopardy if not handled well in advance. If a potential TA does not receive the minimum passing score, their contract will automatically be voided. For more information contact Barbara Tibbets (barbara.tibbets@asu.edu) SILC Graduate Student Coordinator. International students should apply as early as possible in the fall semester.

Participating Faculty