East Asian Studies

The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) opens in a new tab serves as the central intellectual gathering point for a collaborative and innovative community of scholars and students. As a proud part of Stanford Global Studies within the School of Humanities and Sciences, CEAS supports interdisciplinary teaching and research on East Asia-related topics across all academic divisions.

Designated as an East Asia National Resource Center (NRC) by the U.S. Department of Education, the Center works to strengthen access to and training in the major languages of East Asia. By facilitating outreach, exchange, and research partnerships with schools, departments, research centers, and student groups, CEAS broadens East Asian area studies research and disseminates crucial regional knowledge on local, national, and international scales.

Academic Programs and Language Training

The Center for East Asian Studies offers versatile and customized academic pathways designed to build deep linguistic fluency and comprehensive area expertise:

• Coterminal Master’s Program (M.A.): Allows Stanford undergraduates to concurrently work toward an M.A. in East Asian Studies alongside their undergraduate major, with applications due by their senior year.

• Master’s Program (M.A.): A flexible, typically two-year program designed for students preparing for a Ph.D. or pursuing professional careers in business, law, education, journalism, or government. The curriculum requires third-year language proficiency in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, a foundational core course, at least eight additional graduate-level area studies courses (with a concentrated departmental or thematic focus), and a completed master’s thesis.

Research Frontiers and Scholarly Exchange

CEAS drives innovative, cross-disciplinary research by uniting scholars from across the university and providing:

• Interdisciplinary Faculty Collaboration: Specialized research and course curriculum taught by East Asian specialists situated across various Stanford departments and professional schools.

• Postdoctoral Programs: An annual postdoctoral fellowship in Chinese Studies, while actively collaborating with other campus units—such as the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), and the Stanford Humanities Center—to host postdoctoral researchers.

• Student Fellowships and Financial Aid: Competitive academic-year and summer funding to support new and continuing students’ field research, language study, internships, coursework, or additional academic activities.