M.A. in Contemporary Asian & Asian American Studies
Graduate Director: Atsuko Oyama
What does it mean to be an Asian in America? What are the contributions by and challenges facing Asian Americans? What is the role of linguistic, racial and ethnic identities in shaping global communication? What are the language and cultural resources we can use to combat discrimination against racialized and minoritized communities? How can we leverage Asian and Asian American languages and cultures for personal growth and societal transformation?
The Master of Arts in Contemporary Asia and Asian American Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary training to develop critical skills and stances in areas ranging from Asian diaspora and cultural studies to multilingualism and intercultural communication to literary and translation studies to intellectual history.
The program prepares students for careers in teaching of Asian languages, global business, government, nonprofit organizations, education, communication, or further advanced studies in Asian and Asian American languages and cultures. The program will also provide students with opportunities for experiential learning and professional development.
We welcome students of all backgrounds who are eager to learn about Asia and Asian America in depth as they relate to the contemporary transnational and multicultural world.
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Course Requirements and Specializations
30-credits, including 24-credits of course work and 6-credits of thesis/project work, over two semesters. More specifically, students are required to take the following:
- A fall pro-seminar in research methods (3 credits)
- One course in each of five categories (15 credits):
- Language and Cross-Cultural Communication
- Religions and Philosophies of Asia
- Culture and Heritage
- Politics and Society
- Contemporary Asian Diaspora
- Two elective courses in any field of interest, chosen in consultation with and subject to approval of the Graduate Director (6 credits)
- A thesis or final project (6 credits)
Students who have a strong background and interest in Asian Languages or Multilingualism and Intercultural Communication Studies should consult with the Graduate Program Director in order to choose courses for requirements 2 and 3, to appropriately focus on these areas.
Graduate-level courses in Asian & Asian American Studies
Admission
- Statement of purpose (500-1000 words)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Undergraduate transcript
- Official report of TOEFL (including TOEFL Home Edition), or IELTS (for international applicants from non-English speaking countries). See the details.
- GRE is NOT required
Deadlines
Fall admissions: May 1st
Spring admissions: November 1st
Early consideration deadline for all students: February 15th
Priority deadline for domestic students for a scholarship consideration: January 15th
Scholarships
- Graduate Assistantships may be available through the Centers affiliated with the department.
- The Center for Korean Studies: Graduate Scholarship Opportunities
Links and Resources:
Graduate Student Organizations
AAS (Asian & Asian American Studies) graduate courses
CHI (Chinese) graduate courses
JPN (Japanese) graduate courses
Graduate Research in MA-CAAAS: List of Thesis and Projects
Affiliated Centers:
Center for Multilingual and Intercultural Communication
Mattoo Center for Indian Studies
Contact
Professor Atsuko Oyama
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Asian and Asian American Studies
College of Arts and Sciences, Stony Brook University
Atsuko Oyama
631-632-4030