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General Information
The Department of Asian Languages and Literature
offers a variety of graduate degree programs in literature and linguistics. The department ranks
among
the best in the country for graduate studies. Its reputation
for rigorous scholarship and academic quality make it an
excellent choice for the pursuit of a graduate degree.
The Department's graduate programs provide professional training in the description, analysis, and critical interpretation of Asian languages and literary texts. The Department seeks to develop in its students a solid competence in and sensitivity to language and text, as well as an understanding of appropriate literary, linguistic, or cultural theory. There are several research areas in which the Department has achieved particular renown. These include the following: literary history, analysis, and interpretation; linguistics; philology; epigraphy, paleography, and the history of writing systems; religious studies; and language pedagogy.
The department offers the following degree
programs:
You can find detailed information about these
programs by selecting one of the links above. You may also
want to consult the department
faculty list for information on the research interests
of faculty members.
For general information on graduate studies
at the University of Washington, visit the Graduate
School web site.
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Qualifications for Admission
Applicants for admission should present an undergraduate major in the relevant language and literature specialization, or background and training equivalent to such a major. Students without such a background may be qualified for admission, but will need initially to acquire the expected program prerequisites for graduate study.
Students who seek admission to graduate programs at the University of Washington must have a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in their last 90 graded quarter hours or last 60 semester hours.
Post-M.A. students applying to the Department of Asian Languages and Literature, as well as doctoral students desiring to transfer, are advised that no new student is accepted directly into a doctoral program. While it is not necessary to take a second M.A., all students are expected to complete the course work required for the M.A. in this Department and present a portfolio documenting their M.A. work, together with a formal petition before they can be accepted for pre-candidacy, and thus be considered formally within the doctoral program.
Applicants who are not native speakers of English must follow the requirements outlined in Graduate Memo 8 to demonstrate proficiency in English.
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Application Procedure
The Department of Asian Languages and Literature admits new graduate students for Autumn Quarter entry only. The application deadline is December 15th. We recommend that everyone, especially international applicants, submit the application earlier than that to allow time to ensure all requirements are being met. We continue to accept applications, letters of recommendation, and test scores until late December, but give priority to those who submit all materials by December 15th.
The Graduate School Application
Please use the Graduate School online application to upload these documents.
(a) unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary education (We will ask for official transcripts from any applicant who accepts our offer of admission.)
(b) a statement of purpose that describes your academic goals and proposed course of study at the University of Washington (not to exceed five double-spaced pages)
(c) an English writing sample (recommended for all programs, required for Japanese); should not be a translation; academic essay recommended
Advice regarding the statement of purpose
One of the most important parts of your application is the statement of purpose. In that statement, please be sure to address the following:
- Why you seek to pursue graduate studies in this department.
- What research interests you hope to pursue.
- Your preparation in the following areas: proficiency in the primary language of research and any secondary languages; academic preparation in your discipline of specialization; English-language proficiency, including writing skills.
- Areas that will require further training. We appreciate an honest self-appraisal; no one expects applicants to have mastered all necessary skills.
- Why you have chosen UW for your graduate studies.
Letters of Recommendation:
Please use the Graduate School online application system to provide contact information for three people who will write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Recommenders should be academic instructors familiar with your academic ability, especially in your intended major language and discipline.
GRE and TOEFL
The Department of Asian Languages & Literature requires all incoming graduate students to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE -- see next paragraph). Applicants whose native language is other than English must pass the Test of English As a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – for details please see Graduate Memo 8.
Please ask the Educational Testing Service to send your score to the University of Washington using the University's institutional code of 4854. You can also include our departmental code of 2601 if it is required by ETS.
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the Graduate School has received all the necessary scores by the deadline. There is a certain degree of flexibility, but at the very latest the scores should arrive at the end of December.
If you have questions about application procedures, please call or email the Graduate Adviser, Abby Petty abbyp@uw.edu, 206-543-4997.
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Financial Aid
Financial aid for graduate students newly entering the Department is awarded on a competitive basis. The Department in a given year has typically one Top Scholars Award to recruit an exceptionally promising incoming graduate student.
Please note that with the exception of the Top Scholars Award, application for admission to the Department’s graduate program does not automatically constitute an application for financial aid. You must separately apply for financial aid.
There are a variety of other funding opportunities. To apply for any of these, including TA positions and FLAS awards, you must put in a separate application. Each requires a separate appliction and we will not consider you for any of these unless you do put in a separate application.
Foreign
Language and Area Studies, or FLAS fellowships, are awarded
to graduate students for the study of Chinese, Japanese,
Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Korean. Applicants to the program
are encouraged to apply for an FLAS. Please note that international
students are not eligible for FLAS fellowships. See
the Jackson
School information page for more information and an application.
The Chester Fritz Endowment offers fellowship assistance to students for the study of Chinese. Please request applications and further information about the Chester Fritz Endowment directly from the Jackson School of International Studies, Box 353650, 111 Thomson Hall, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (206) 543-6001, jsisinfo@u.washington.edu.
The Department of Asian Languages and Literature offers its graduate students opportunities for teaching assistant positions in Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and Korean. Teaching assistants must be proficient in the language they wish to teach and must meet other specified requirements. Further information and application forms are available here.
For a full description of the International Teaching Assistant Program at the University of Washington, see http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/.
The 70th Dhammachai Scholarship for Gāndhārī Studies provides full fellowship support for up to five years for graduate students in the Buddhist Studies Program who will study of Buddhist manuscripts and texts in the Gāndhārī language in conjunction with the University of Washington Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project. For more information, see a description of the scholarship and the application form. Applicants must submit this separate application form, due January 15, 2012, separately and in addition to their application to the Department of Asian Languages and Literature (Buddhist Studies Program).
International students should check with their own home country’s scholar’s exchange programs with the U.S. in order to see what opportunities for funding graduate study in the U.S. are available.
Several forms of financial assistance available to new and continuing students of the University of Washington, including work-study graduate assistantships, require submission of a Free Financial Aid Form (FAFSA) with the College Scholarship Service in New Jersey no later than February 28. For information about the FAFSA and other forms of financial assistance, including the National Direct Student Loan and Guaranteed Student Loan, please write to the Office of Financial Aid, Box 355880, 105 Schmitz Hall, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, or call (206) 543-6101.
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Residency, Visas, Housing
Inquiries about residency classification should be addressed to the Registrar’s Office, Box 355850, 209 Schmitz Hall, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, phone (206) 543-4188, email, regoff@u.washington.edu.
Questions concerning international
student visas should be addressed to
the Office of Graduate Admissions, Box 351280, University
of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, phone (206) 543-5929,
email, uwgrad2@grad.washington.edu.
For information about University-sponsored student housing, contact Housing and Food Services, Box 355842, 301 Schmitz Hall, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, phone (206) 543-4059, http://hfs.washington.edu/student_housing/. International students can contact FIUTS, which often arranges for a homestay for the first week or so until a student has found more permanent accommodation at (206) 543-0735, or at http://www.fiuts.washington.edu/forStudents/HomestayFC/index.htm.
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