Top Global Colleges and Universities for East Asian Studies programs
Top Global Colleges and Universities for East Asian Studies Programs
What are East Asian Studies?
East Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary field of education exploring the East Asian region. This field looks into the past and the present of East Asian regions of China, Japan, and South Korea. The studies expose students to the countries’ cultures, traditions, history, and languages.
East Asian Studies fall within the broader subject of Asian Studies. It blends Social Sciences with Humanities to understand the socio-political and cultural scenarios. Students interested in East Asian cultures will enjoy the best East Asian programs at the top universities. They can receive scholarly education to understand and appreciate some of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Popular East Asian Studies programs
East Asian Studies programs are available at top universities like Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UCLA, Oxford, etc. These programs are usually within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. East Asian studies majors may focus on one area such as business, religion, language, literature, music, or politics.
East Asian Studies bachelor/undergraduate programs
- BA in East Asian Studies
- BA in East Asian Languages and Civilizations
- Bachelor’s in East Asian Business Studies
- BA in East Asian Languages and Literature
East Asian Studies master/postgraduate programs
- MSc in East Asian Relations
- MA in East Asian Studies
- JD/MA in East Asian Studies
- MA in International Politics and East Asia
- MSc East Asian Development and the Global Economy
East Asian Studies Ph.D./research programs
- MPhil in Traditional East Asia
- MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese/Chinese Studies)
- Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literature
- Ph.D. East Asian Studies
- Ph.D. in East Asian History
Duration of East Asian Studies programs
| Country | Bachelor’s level | Master’s level | Doctoral level |
| United States | 4 years | 2 years | 3 years |
| United Kingdom | 3 years | 1-2 years | 3-6 years |
| Canada | 4 years | 2-3 years | 3-6 years |
| Australia | 3 years | 2 years | 3 years |
Best global universities for East Asian Studies
The universities presented in this list offer bachelors and masters programs (or either of those) with a major in East Asian Studies. Some universities may offer specific courses for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean studies.
| QS Ranking | Shanghai Rankings | US News Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s program | Master’s program |
| 1 | 7 | 5 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 2 | 3 | 8 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | Harvard University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | University of California, Berkeley | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | Stanford University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 6 | 11 | 12 | Yale University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 7 | 8 | 6 | Columbia University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 8 | 27 | 30 | New York University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 9 | 38 | 32 | The University of Edinburgh | United Kingdom | Click here | NA |
| 10 | 14 | 14 | University of California, Los Angeles | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 11 | 17 | 16 | University College London | United Kingdom | Click here | NA |
| 12 | 75 | 29 | National University of Singapore | Singapore | NA | NA |
| 13 | 4 | 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 14 | 10 | 15 | University of Chicago | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 15 | 6 | 16 | Princeton University | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 16 | 33 | 25 | The University of Melbourne | Australia | Click here | Click here |
| 17 | 22 | 16 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click here | Click here |
| 18 | 151-200 | 230 | London School of Economics and Political Science | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 19 | NA | 78 | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Germany | NA | Click here |
| 20 | 101-150 | 76 | The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | NA | NA |
| 21 | NA | 38 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click here | Click here |
| 22 | 101-150 | 28 | The University of Sydney | Australia | Click here | Click here |
| 23 | 35 | 46 | Sorbonne University | France | NA | NA |
| 24 | 24 | 77 | University of Tokyo | Japan | NA | NA |
| 25 | 78 | 56 | The Australian National University | Australia | NA | Click here |
| 26 | NA | NA | Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne | France | NA | NA |
| 27 | 47 | 33 | King’s College London | United Kingdom | Click here | Click here |
| 28 | NA | 95 | Freie Universitaet Berlin | Germany | Click here | Click here |
| 29 | 26 | 19 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | United States | Click here | Click here |
| 30 | 42 | 35 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click here | Click here |
East Asian Studies programs in the USA
Several best-ranking universities in the USA offer a range of courses in East Asian Studies. According to UC Davis, students prefer to major in East Asian Studies along with other subjects. These subjects could be economics, international relations, sociology, and many others. Most bachelor’s programs at the top universities in the US for East Asian Studies tend to be general. More specialization options are available for master’s programs.
Some popular programs available in the US are
Undergraduate level
- BA in East Asian Languages and Civilizations
- BA in East Asian Languages and Literature
- BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies – Chinese
- BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies – Korean
Postgraduate level
- Master of Arts in East Asian Studies – Critical Asian Humanities
- Master of Arts in East Asian Languages and Cultures
- Master of Arts in History Specialization in East Asian History
- Master of Arts in East Asian Languages and Literatures
Graduates of Bachelors in East Asian Studies typically receive an average annual salary of USD 71,000.
Top universities for East Asian Studies programs in the USA
| QS Ranking | Shanghai Rankings | US News Ranking | University | Bachelor’s program | Master’s program |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | Harvard University | Click here | Click here |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | University of California, Berkeley | Click here | Click here |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | Stanford University | Click here | Click here |
| 6 | 11 | 12 | Yale University | Click here | Click here |
| 7 | 8 | 6 | Columbia University | Click here | Click here |
East Asian Studies programs in the UK
East Asian Studies at the graduate level are usually available as research programs in the UK. Universities like Cambridge offer MPhil courses that can be pursued before a doctoral degree. Bachelor’s programs in the UK are more specialized than those in the US. Most of these undergraduate programs have a duration of 3 years.
Most students combine their East Asian Studies with other subjects to develop their specialized niche. Popular degrees in the UK are
Undergraduate level
- BA in East Asian Studies
- BA in Film Studies and East Asian Studies
- Bachelors in Chinese and East Asian Religions and Cultures
- Bachelors in Music and East Asian Studies
Postgraduate level
- MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese/Chinese Studies)
- MPhil East Asian Studies
- MA in International Politics and East Asia
- International Relations (East Asia)
- MA in History of Art and Archaeology of East Asia
The average annual salary of East Asian Studies undergraduates in the UK is GBP 31,000.
Top universities for East Asian Studies programs in the UK
| QS Ranking | Shanghai Rankings | US News Ranking | University | Bachelor’s program | Master’s program |
| 1 | 7 | 5 | University of Oxford | Click here | Click here |
| 2 | 3 | 8 | University of Cambridge | Click here | Click here |
| 9 | 38 | 32 | The University of Edinburgh | Click here | NA |
| 11 | 17 | 16 | University College London | Click here | NA |
| 18 | 151-200 | 230 | London School of Economics and Political Science | Click here | Click here |
East Asian Studies programs in Canada
Education in East Asian Studies in Canada is theoretically advanced. Canadian programs explore China, Japan, and Korea as places of dynamic transformation. Both Bachelor’s degrees and graduate-level courses tend to be general with limited options for specializations. The duration is four years for bachelor’s and master’s programs can span two to three years.
Undergraduate level
- Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Language Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies
- East Asian Business Studies
Postgraduate level
- Master of Arts in East Asian Studies
Graduates in East Asian Studies usually have an average annual salary of CAD 46,000.
Top universities for East Asian Studies programs in Canada
| QS Ranking | Shanghai Rankings | US News Ranking | University | Bachelor’s program | Master’s program |
| 17 | 22 | 16 | University of Toronto | Click here | Click here |
| 30 | 42 | 35 | University of British Columbia | Click here | Click here |
| 37 | 67 | 51 | McGill University | Click here | Click here |
| 120 | 101-150 | 151 | University of Montreal | NA | NA |
| 159 | 301-400 | 456 | York University | Click here | Click here |
East Asian Studies programs in Australia
East Asian Studies is structured differently in Australia compared to the US and the UK. There are very few programs focusing solely on East Asian Studies. However, bachelor’s programs in Asian Studies are available with a choice to focus on an individual country. These programs have a length of three years. Graduate programs are available as a master of arts degree in Asian Studies, which has two years duration.
Undergraduate level
- Bachelor of Philosophy – Asia and the Pacific (Korean/Japanese/Chinese Language)
- Bachelor of Asian Studies (Korean/Japanese/Chinese Studies)
- Bachelor of Languages (Korean/Japanese/Chinese Language)
- Bachelor of Arts (Korean/Japanese/Chinese Language)
- Bachelor of International Studies (with a Specialization in Chinese International Studies)
Postgraduate level
- Master of Asian and Pacific Studies
- Master of Arts in Asian Studies
East Asian Studies/Asian Studies undergraduates earn an average annual salary of AUD 73,000.
Top universities for East Asian Studies programs in Australia
| QS Ranking | Shanghai Rankings | US News Ranking | University | Bachelor’s program | Master’s program |
| 16 | 33 | 25 | The University of Melbourne | Click here | Click here |
| 22 | 101-150 | 28 | The University of Sydney | Click here | Click here |
| 25 | 78 | 56 | The Australian National University | NA | Click here |
| 42 | 80 | 40 | Monash University | NA | Click here |
| 46 | 65 | 41 | The University of New South Wales | Click here | Click here |
Admission requirements for East Asian Studies programs
This section states the general requirements for an undergraduate/graduate program in East Asian Studies. Some universities may have additional requirements besides the ones listed here. Students should visit the course pages of their preferred university to check additional details.
Undergraduate level
- Secondary school certificate
- English proficiency with an overall score of 6.5 in IELTS or equivalent
- Standardized test scores of ACT/SAT (if required by universities)
- Letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
Postgraduate level
- Relevant bachelor’s degree with a CGPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Official copy of Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- English proficiency with a minimum score of 86 in TOEFL-iBT or 6.5 in IELTS (or equivalent scores of other exams)
- Research proposal (for research-based programs)
- Writing sample
- Curriculum vitae
- Letters of recommendation
Tuition Fees for popular East Asian Studies courses
| Country | University | Level | Program | Yearly Fees in USD |
| USA | Harvard University | Bachelor | East Asian Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics | 50,000-60,000 |
| USA | Stanford University | Bachelor | East Asian Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics | 50,000-60,000 |
| USA | Stanford University | Master | East Asian Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics | 50,000-60,000 |
| UK | University of Oxford | Master | Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 34,668 |
| UK | University of Cambridge | Bachelor | Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 27,486 |
| UK | University of Cambridge | Master | Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Chinese Studies) | 52,192 |
| Canada | University of British Columbia | Bachelor | Asian Language and Culture | 30,000-35,000 |
| Australia | The Australian National University | Master | Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies | 46,680 |
Careers with East Asian Studies degrees
Careers after a degree in East Asian Studies is not limited to a particular industry or sector. Graduates may work in foreign services or languages. They may be working for multinational corporations, government agencies, or international organizations. East Asian Studies graduates may also take additional teacher education courses to become licensed teachers/professors.
Some career options after an East Asian Studies degree are:
- Translator/Interpreter
- Public Relations Specialist/Manager
- Area and Cultural Studies Professor
- Historian
- Museum Curator
- Copywriter
- Ambassador
- NGO Professional
- Government Advisor/Executive
- Journalists/Travel Writer
- International Marketing Specialist
- Foreign Affairs Analyst/Consultant
Students of East Asian Studies have access to a wide range of professions. Education in this field can open up opportunities for an international career. Most students combine a degree in East Asian Studies with another study area.
Average salary for East Asian Studies undergraduates
Average salary range of East Asian Studies undergraduates is below the average. The US and the UK tend to pay higher salaries than Canada and Australia. Higher salaries are conditional upon various factors such as experience, employer, and country.
| Country | Average Annual Salary in USD* |
| United States | $50,000-71,000 |
| United Kingdom | $38,700-75,000 |
| Canada | $35,900-41,300 |
| Australia | $30,600-52,000 |
*Salary figures mentioned in the table are converted from local currencies to USD at the current exchange rates. Please note that exchange rates may vary from time to time.
