Contact Info

Phone:314-935-4448
Email:ealc@wustl.edu
Website:http://ealc.wustl.edu

To earn a PhD at Washington University, a student must complete all courses required by their department; maintain satisfactory academic progress; pass certain examinations; complete all requirements for doctoral candidacy; fulfill residence and Mentored Experience Requirements; write, defend, and submit a dissertation; and apply for program completion (graduation) via Workday Student.

For the details of doctoral degree general requirements in Arts & Sciences, including an explanation of Satisfactory Academic Progress, students should review the Doctoral Degree Academic Information page of the Arts & Sciences Bulletin.

Program Requirements

  • Total Units Required: 30
  • Degree Length: Five years
    • Note: Students must be enrolled in at least 9 graduate credits each semester to retain full-time status. As students complete their coursework, if enrolled in fewer than 9 graduate credits, they must enroll in a specific Arts & Sciences graduate course that will show 0 units but does count as full-time status. Students should connect with their department to ensure proper enrollment prior to Add/Drop.
  • Grade Requirement: The minimum grade required for a course to count toward the PhD is a B–.

Required Courses

Course Requirements

All PhD candidates must complete a minimum of 30 graduate-level credits selected to yield a broad and deep familiarity with the literary and cultural history of the country of focus and a secondary area (or areas) of focus. Language courses will not count toward the 30 required credits.

For the EALC degree, the 30 credits must include the following:

  • At least one course in literary and cultural theory, methodology, and pedagogy to be determined in consultation with the advisor.
  • Two courses in the literary and cultural traditions of a second East Asian culture, including courses offered through other departments and programs.
  • For students focused on modern literature and culture, one course focused on premodern East Asia. Students focused on premodern literature and culture must take at least one course focused on modern East Asia.
  • Beyond these requirements, students may pursue an Arts & Sciences graduate certificate in Film and Media Studies; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Data Science in the Humanities; Early Modern Studies; or Translation Studies to supplement their training. If admitted to the graduate certificate program, up to 50% of the credits required for that certificate may count toward the elective requirements for the PhD, subject to approval from the Director of Graduate Studies and the Certificate Director.
  • The remaining courses are elective courses that the student may choose in consultation with their advisor.

Language Requirements

All PhD students must demonstrate native or near-native competence in both the language of focus (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) and English. Coursework in premodern forms of the language of focus may also be required. 

Qualifying Examinations

Progress toward the PhD is contingent upon the student passing examinations that are variously called preliminary, qualifying, general, comprehensive, or major field exams. The qualifying process varies according to the program. In some programs, it consists of a series of incremental, sequential, and cumulative exams over a considerable time. In others, the exams are held during a relatively short period of time. Exams may be replaced by one or more papers. The program, which determines the structure and schedule of the required examinations, is responsible for notifying the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, of the student’s outcome, whether successful or unsuccessful.

Qualifying Evaluation

The Graduate Committee will conduct a screening of PhD students no later than the end of their third semester. By November 15 of their third semester, students will submit a research statement (approx. 500 words) and a writing sample (complete seminar paper). During reading week, they will be expected to give a 10-minute formal presentation to the department faculty. The Graduate Committee will then assess each student's academic performance and either recommend or not recommend advancement. Students not advancing will be recommended for conferral of the MA degree in lieu of a PhD. The second element of this qualifying evaluation assesses the student's progress in their primary language of focus (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean). This evaluation will be waived in the case of native speakers.

Comprehensive Examinations

The PhD comprehensive examinations are intended to test a student's general knowledge as well as their mastery of their area or areas of specialization. Near the end of formal courses, students begin preparing to complete two examinations, which include the following:

  • Their major field, generally defined as the modern or premodern literature/culture of China, Japan, or Korea
  • One minor field, defined in consultation with and approved by the student's advisory committee. The minor field may be directly related to the student's dissertation research, but it can demonstrate greater breadth in terms of period, discipline, or cultural-linguistic area. The minor field may also be comparative or theoretical.
  • Students who have completed a certificate in Film and Media Studies; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Data Science in the Humanities; Early Modern Studies; or Translation Studies, with advisory committee permission, waive the minor exam. Up to 6 certificate credits may count toward the degree coursework.

Students should expect to have completed both exams by the end of the fifth semester.

Dissertation Prospectus

Following the successful completion of the two comprehensive examinations and prior to starting their sixth semester in the program, students will present their dissertation prospectus in a public forum before a panel of relevant faculty.

The Title, Scope, and Procedure form must also be submitted before starting the sixth semester.

Dissertation

Students will complete a doctoral dissertation based on extensive research on a literary or cultural topic that produces new knowledge of publishable quality in the field of East Asian Studies. Dissertation research and writing is usually completed during the last five semesters of graduate study.

Doctoral Candidacy

Candidacy marks the transition from coursework and initial study to independent research and dissertation writing. At this stage, the student is considered prepared to contribute to their field through independent scholarship.

The status of candidacy for WashU Arts & Sciences doctoral students indicates a student has, at minimum, completed and passed their qualifying exam/paper and pre-candidacy requirements. Pre-candidacy requirements are determined by each PhD program. Those requirements may include, for example, completion of required coursework; completion of required foreign language exams; completion of the Mentored Experience Requirement; successful submission of the Title, Scope and Procedure form; and completion of the oral presentation to propose the dissertation to their Research Advisory Committee.

Pre-candidacy for EALC requirements include the completion of required coursework; the completion of the comprehensive exams; the submission of the Title, Scope, and Procedure form; and the completion of the oral defense of the dissertation prospectus. Students must advance to doctoral candidacy prior to the sixth semester.

Mentored Experience Requirement

Doctoral students, MFA in Writing students, and MFA in Dance students at Washington University must complete a department-defined Mentored Experience Requirement. The Mentored Experience Requirement is a degree requirement that is notated on the student's transcript when complete. Each department has an established Mentored Experience Implementation Plan in which the number of units that a student must earn through Mentored Teaching Experience(s) and/or Mentored Professional Experience(s) is defined. Each Mentored Experience Implementation Plan outlines how doctoral students within the discipline will be mentored to achieve competencies in teaching at basic and advanced levels. Some departments may elect to include Mentored Professional Experiences as an avenue for completing some units of the Mentored Experience Requirement. Doctoral students will enroll in ASGS 8005 MTE - Assistant in Instruction Experience, ASGS 8010 MTE - Assistant in Instruction Experience, or ASGS 8015 MTE - Assistant in Instruction Experience; ASGS 8020 MTE - Mentored Independent Teaching Experience; or ASGS 8120 MTE - Mentored Professional Experience to signify their progression toward completing the overall Mentored Experience Requirement for the degree.

The Doctoral Dissertation

A Research Advisory Committee (RAC) must be created no later than the end of the student's second year; departments may set shorter timelines (e.g., by the end of the student's third semester) for this requirement. As evidence of the mastery of a specific field of knowledge and of the capacity for original scholarly work, each candidate must complete a dissertation that is approved by their RAC.

A Title, Scope, and Procedure form for the dissertation must be signed by the committee members and by the program chair. It must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, at least one year before the degree is expected to be conferred or before beginning the eighth semester of full-time enrollment, whichever is earlier.

A Doctoral Dissertation Guide and a Dissertation Template that give instructions regarding the format of the dissertation are available on the website of the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences. Both should be read carefully at every stage of dissertation preparation.

The Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, requires each student to make the full text of the dissertation available to the committee members for their review at least one week before the defense. Most degree programs require two or more weeks for the review period; students should check with their faculty.

The Dissertation Defense

Approval of the written dissertation by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) is strongly recommended before the student can orally defend the dissertation. The Doctoral Dissertation Committee that examines the student during the defense consists of at least five members. Normally, the members of the RAC also serve on the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The dissertation committee is then additionally augmented to ensure that the following criteria are met:

  1. Three of the five members (or a similar proportion of a larger committee) must be full-time Washington University in St. Louis faculty members or, for programs involving Washington University in St. Louis-affiliated partners, full-time members of a Washington University in St. Louis-affiliated partner institution. All members must be authorized to supervise PhD students and have appropriate expertise in the proposed field of study. One of these three members must be the PhD student's primary thesis advisor, and one may be a member of the emeritus faculty.
  2. All other committee members must be active in research/scholarship and have appropriate expertise in the proposed field of study whether at Washington University in St. Louis, at another university, in government, or in industry.
  3. At least one of the five members must bring expertise outside of the student's field of study to the committee, as judged by the relevant department/program and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences.

The approval processes outlined in the RAC section of the Doctoral Council bylaws also apply to the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, including approval of each dissertation committee by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences.

The student is responsible for making the full text of the dissertation accessible to their committee members for their review in advance of the defense according to program rules. Washington University in St. Louis community members and guests of the student who are interested in the subject of the dissertation are normally welcome to attend all or part of the defense but may ask questions only at the discretion of the committee chair. Although there is some variation among degree programs, the defense ordinarily focuses on the dissertation itself and its relation to the student's field of expertise.

Attendance by a minimum of four members of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, including the committee chair and an outside member, is required for the defense to take place. This provision is designed to permit the student's defense to proceed in case of a situation that unexpectedly prevents one of the five members from attending. Students should not plan in advance to only have four members in attendance. If four members cannot attend, the defense must be rescheduled. The absence of all outside members or of the committee chair also requires rescheduling the defense.

Students, with the support of their Doctoral Dissertation Committee chair, may opt to hold their dissertation defense in person or by utilizing a virtual or hybrid format.

Submission of the Dissertation

After the defense, the student must submit an electronic copy of the dissertation online to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, by the established deadline for their graduation term. Dissertations must be submitted no later than three months after the oral defense of the dissertation. Petitions for an extension to the three-month limit may be submitted to the director of graduate studies for consideration and approval. 

The submission website requires students to choose among publishing and copyrighting services offered by ProQuest's ETD Administrator. Students are asked to submit the Survey of Earned Doctorates separately. The degree program is responsible for delivering the final approval form, signed by the committee members at the defense and then by the program chair or director, to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences. Students who defend their dissertations successfully have not yet completed their PhD requirements; they finish earning their degree only when their dissertation submission has been accepted by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences.

Master's Degree Along the Way/In Lieu of a PhD

Students who are not advancing after the Qualifying Evaluation during their third semester will be recommended for conferral of the MA degree in lieu of a PhD. The EALC MA degree in lieu of a PhD follows the requirements of the EALC MA, which include a minimum of 10 courses (30 credit units of coursework) and a master's essay or master's thesis. EALC does not offer an MA along the way.

Visit the East Asian Languages and Cultures page
for additional information about this program.

As part of their degree requirements, PhD students must complete a program-defined Mentored Experience Requirement (MER) as per these guidelines. The Mentored Experience Implementation Plan (MEIP) is the written articulation of a program-defined degree requirement for PhD students to engage in mentored teaching activities and/or mentored professional activities, collectively referred to as the MER.

Mentored Experience Requirement (MER)

Philosophy of Teaching

Given the intense competition in the current academic job market for which nearly all PhD students in East Asian Languages and Cultures prepare, it is essential that our students acquire extensive teaching experience in their research areas, as well as training in pedagogy, under the supervision of our faculty. PhD students in EALC are expected to assist in teaching a wide array of courses in language, literature and culture, film and media studies, gender and sexuality studies, and/or digital humanities. Our PhD students are carefully mentored in the preparation and practice of excellent teaching, including course development, syllabus design, lecturing, leading discussions, student guidance, and the evaluation of students' work. To complement and enhance their experiences in the classroom, all EALC PhD students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of programs and workshops offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), both prior to and throughout their time teaching.

Preparatory Engagement

Preparatory Engagement activities are those that represent an introduction to the foundational skills associated with teaching or communication. Pedagogical preparation engagement activities are normally completed before students are permitted to engage in assisting or teaching in a classroom.

EALC PhD students are required to participate in two types of Preparatory Engagement:

  1. Graduate Student Mentored Teaching Orientation
  2. One Preparatory Engagement activity offered by the CTL during their first year, such as the following:
  • 90-minute Graduate Student and Postdoc Workshop
  • EPIC Learning Community
  • Tech Trainings

To complement and enhance their experiences in the classroom, all EALC PhD students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of programs and workshops offered by the CTL.

Mentored Teaching Experiences (MTEs)

Assistant in Instruction (AI)

An Assistant in Instruction (AI) is a PhD student who is directly engaged in the organization, instruction, and/or support of a semester-long course primarily taught by a faculty member. An AI receives mentorship from a faculty member related to best practices in classroom engagement, instruction in the field, interpersonal engagement, and other relevant skills. Students and mentors complete a mentorship plan prior to the start of each AI experience. To complete each AI assignment and to ensure that it applies toward their degree requirements, students must register for the appropriate course number for each semester of engagement. Refer to the "Required Pathways for Completion" section below for course numbers and details.

Students must complete six to eight AI engagements totaling 60 to 70 MER units based on the following guidelines. 5-unit and 15-unit engagements are allowed up to (and no more than) two times.

  • 5- and 10-unit engagement roughly corresponds to per-week hours with tasks such as attending class sessions; assisting with Canvas management; assisting with in-class activities; holding weekly office hours; assisting with grading; leading weekly discussion sessions; attending instructional plan meetings with the instructor; conducting one-on-one sessions; and weekly language drills or sub-session teaching.
  • 15-unit engagement will be considered for advanced AIs only for content-based courses. In addition to selecting tasks for 5- and 10-unit engagements, 15-unit engagement may include co-designing and teaching up to four class sessions.

Required Pathways for Completion

Students work with their faculty mentor and their Director of Graduate Studies to plan how and when they will complete their MER. Students register during the normal registration period for courses in accordance with one of these approved pathways.

Students must complete six to eight AI engagements totaling 60 to 70 MER units based on one of the following pathways. 5-unit and 15-unit engagements are allowed up to (and no more than) two times.

  • Preparatory Engagement

Pathway #1
ASGS 8010 Take seven times

Pathway #2
ASGS 8010 Take six times

Pathway #3
ASGS 8005 Take one time
ASGS 8010 Take six times

Pathway #4
ASGS 8005 Take two times
ASGS 8010 Take six times

Pathway #5
ASGS 8005 Take two times
ASGS 8010 Take five times

Pathway #6
ASGS 8010 Take five times
ASGS 8015 Take one time

Pathway #7
ASGS 8005 Take one time
ASGS 8010 Take five times
ASGS 8015 Take one time

Pathway #8
ASGS 8005 Take one time
ASGS 8010 Take four times
ASGS 8015 Take one time

Pathway #9
ASGS 8005 Take two times
ASGS 8010 Take four times
ASGS 8015 Take one time

Pathway #10
ASGS 8005 Take one time
ASGS 8010 Take three times
ASGS 8015 Take two times

Pathway #11
ASGS 8005 Take two times
ASGS 8010 Take three times
ASGS 8015 Take two times

Pathway #12
ASGS 8005 Take two times
ASGS 8010 Take two times
ASGS 8015 Take two times

Optional Activity: Teaching Intensive Pathway (TIP)

The TIP is an optional pathway for those students whose career interests lie in academia or another field that would benefit from extended teaching experiences. This immersive experience allows students to further explore the breadth and depth of teaching best practices and pedagogy related to their respective field. Students who are interested in participating in this elective experience must formally request to participate, which is subject to program approval. Due to this experience being an elective, unpaid experience, students who participate in the TIP will not receive compensation.

Students have the opportunity to complete a TIP experience by teaching as the main instructor of a course for 20 MER units.

  • Language teaching (Chinese/Japanese/Korean): The student must submit the lesson plan to the faculty-mentor for approval and adjustment. The faculty-mentor observes the class multiple times throughout the semester and offers suggestions for improvement. In addition, the student assists in the language program's extracurricular events and social media posts as needed.
  • Content courses (undergraduate levels): The student must work with the faculty-mentor to design the syllabus and then submit the syllabus and course description for the department Undergraduate Committee’s review and approval. The faculty-mentor visits the course and offers suggestions for improvement throughout the semester.

Optional Pathway
ASGS 8020 Take one time

Optional Activity: Professional Intensive Pathway (PIP)

The PIP is an optional pathway for those students whose career interests lie outside of academia or who want to benefit from mentored professional experiences (MPEs). An MPE is an unpaid professional experience for PhD students that allows students to develop skills and experiences relevant to their intended career outcomes. Students and mentors complete a mentorship plan prior to the start of each MPE. Students who are interested in participating in this elective experience must formally request to participate, which is subject to program approval. Due to this experience being an elective, unpaid experience, students who participate in the PIP will not receive compensation. 

Optional Pathway
ASGS 8120 Take one time