Princeton East Asian Studies - Certificate Programs

Certificate Programs

EAST ASIAN STUDIES CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS 2008/2009

OVERVIEW

IF YOU'RE DEVOTING YOURSELF to the study of East Asian Languages at Princeton, there are a number of options available to you that may affect your Princeton experience and your future career. Although you may choose not to major in East Asian Studies, it is still possible for you to get either an East Asian Studies Program Certificate, or a Certificate in Language and Culture.
On this page you will find the necessary information for making an application for either a Program Certificate or a Language and Culture Certificate.

You may apply for the EAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM CERTIFICATE while majoring in any other department. Requirements are as follows:
1. Two years study (four courses) of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean
    -at least two of the four must be at the second-year level or higher
2. Four East Asia content courses
3. Written work using East Asian language sources, at least in part
The written work may be
    -a senior thesis with an East Asian component,
    -a junior paper using East Asian Language materials, or
    -a substantial paper for a ninth course (a course that you’re not already using to fulfill the language or cognate requirement)

The Program Certificate is administered by the East Asian Studies Program, which is located in Frist 219 where you may pick up an application. You should contact the East Asian Studies Program Coordinator, Megan Santosusso ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or 8-9350), for more information.

For the LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CERTIFICATE, you will need:
1. Three courses of language study beyond the second year level, (7 total)
2. At least one East Asia content course, and
3. The equivalent of a senior thesis on a humanities topic making extensive use of East Asian language materials (please see guidelines regarding use of East Asian language materials)

The Language and Culture Certificate is administered by the East Asian Studies Department, and you should contact the departmental representative, June Balint ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or 8-4279) for more information.

DETAIL

I. EAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM CERTIFICATE
a. Requirements for the East Asian Studies Program Certificate
a.i. Independent work requirement guidelines
a.ii. Procedure for submission

II. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CERTIFICATE
b. Requirements for the Language and Culture Certificate
b.i. Independent work requirement for the Language and Culture Certificate
b.ii. Procedure for submission

a. REQUIREMENTS: EAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM CERTIFICATE

The Program Certificate candidate will take four language courses, four cognate courses, and submit a paper dealing with an area of East Asia and using Asian language sources, at least in part. The student may submit his/her thesis or substitute a junior independent paper or an original research paper that meets the same standards of relevance to Asia and use of Asian-language sources.

a.i. INDEPENDENT WORK GUIDELINES FOR THE PROGRAM CERTIFICATE

The standard way to meet the requirement for independent work is by writing a senior thesis that
-Is on an East Asian topic
"East Asian Topic" means more than half about Asia. For example, if you want to study U.S. Japanese attitudes and policies toward the U.S., not U.S. policies toward Japan. The role of Westerners in China in the 19th century is in bounds; life in Chinatowns in the U.S. is not (it is a fine area of study, but falls under American studies rather than East Asian studies).
-Uses East Asian language sources, at least in part
"East Asian language sources" means Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language sources. They can be either primary or secondary sources, and can be either written, or if appropriate, oral. Your work does not have to be based entirely on such sources. But the use must not be trivial, that is, you must show that you have learned something important from the Asian language sources that reach beyond what you have learned in English.

If you cannot write a senior thesis that meets these criteria, you can substitute either a junior paper or an original seminar paper assuming the criteria for East Asian topic and East Asian language sources as stated above is met.
The substituted paper is a substantial research paper. That is, it must report the results of your independent investigation of a scholarly question whose answer you did not know, and (as far as you know) no one else knew when you began. Essays, book reports, and standard course term papers aren’t acceptable. If you are submitting a seminar paper, the seminar for which it was written cannot count toward your course requirement for the EAS certificate. It must be a "ninth course." The department must approve of your proposed substitution. Normally your advisor will make the approval. If your advisor is unavailable, the Departmental Representative can make the approval instead.

a.ii. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMISSION

Students should come by the Program Office and fill out an application form, which will enable the Program Coordinator to access your academic record. You may turn in the application form any time before May 1 of your senior year, however, applying early will you provide you with the benefits of inclusion in the mailing list for news and events in East Asian Studies at Princeton, as well as allow the Program Coordinator to notify you about your progress, etc.
The Program Coordinator will email candidates regarding their certification by mid-to late May.

b. REQUIREMENTS: LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CERTIFICATE IN CHINESE, JAPANESE, OR KOREAN

Students pursuing a major other than East Asian studies may earn a certificate in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean by completing three or more language courses beyond the second-year level, and one or more East Asian studies or cognate courses in linguistics, religion, history, or anthropology. Students must also complete a substantial piece of independent research based at least in part on Chinese or Japanese sources dealing with aspects of East Asia. This work could be an original piece of research, a junior paper, or senior thesis. East Asian studies majors concentrating on one language can earn a certificate in the other. Students interested in earning a certificate should apply at the department office by the end of their junior year.

If a student wants both the East Asian Studies Program certificate and the Language and Culture certificate, then he must have two lists of different courses with no overlap and two different pieces of independent work. This is a campus-wide policy.

b.i. THE INDEPENDENT WORK GUIDELINES FOR THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CERTIFICATE:

The independent work can be a paper written for the certificate, or it can be a piece of work—like a senior thesis or junior paper—submitted to another department. In any case, it has to be at least 50% on an East Asian subject. Usually, other departments require the same from their side, which then may result in a paper that is evenly divided. If you write a paper unrelated/unconnected to another department, the independent work should be no less than 25 pages. As part of a paper submitted to another department, its East Asian component should be comparably substantial. The work should be done in the Humanities. For subjects outside the Humanities, students are encouraged to explore the East Asian Studies Program certificate.

The work has to substantially involve original language sources. Students should use sources in Chinese or Japanese to find things out that one cannot find out by use of Western sources. In other words, they are expected to make some real research use of these original language sources. Also, in general, there should be a number of such sources used, not just one or two. The focus of the work should be on something East Asian (see rule 2 in the EAS Program certificate guidelines). The work has to be a real piece of research, that is, it has to present new knowledge (new not only to the student but to the field, as far as the student can ascertain).

b.ii. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMISSION

A student submits the independent work to an appropriate member of the EAS faculty and reports the name of this faculty member to the undergraduate secretary (June Balint). The deadline for submission is Dean's Date. Along with the work, the student submits a form (see next page—more of these forms are available from the undergraduate secretary) that certifies that the independent work meets the requirements outlined above. The faculty member then returns the completed form to the undergraduate secretary.

In order to receive a certificate in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean Languages and Cultures, a student must complete a substantial piece of independent work that is:

Primarily (i.e. more than 50%) about China, Japan, or Korea; a research paper (i.e., one that produces new knowledge) in the area of the humanities, not the natural or social sciences (i.e. in language, literature, history, religion, art, archeology, film) based in part on Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language sources.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

EARNING BOTH PROGRAM AND L&C CERTIFICATES:
Please note that if a student wants both the East Asian Studies Program certificate and the Language and Culture certificate, then he or she must have two lists of different courses with no overlap and two different pieces of independent work. This is a campus-wide policy.

HERITAGE/ADVANCED SPEAKERS AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
The Program Certficate requires eight East Asian studies content courses and written work; the Language and Culture Certificate requires seven language courses and one East Asian studies content course. Students with advanced language ability who place out of the language track before taking four or seven courses can often meet the certificate course requirement by taking extra content courses.

HERITAGE/ADVANCED SPEAKERS AND WRITTEN WORK:
It is acceptable if, say, a heritage or advanced speaker of Chinese studies Korean to fulfill the certificate language requirements, but chooses to write a JP or thesis concerning China and using Chinese language sources.

WRITING A PAPER INDEPENDENTLY:
Students pursuing a major that prevents writing a long paper on an East Asian topic but who would like to apply for the certificate have the option of writing a paper independent of a course. He or she should find a faculty member in the East Asian Studies Department to advise them. Students should be aware that they will not be awarded credit through the University for this independent work; it will count only toward the attainment of the East Asian Studies Program certificate.

PASS/FAIL:
Candidates may take only one course pass/fail toward certificate requirements.

SUMMER LANGUAGE COURSES/COURSES TAKEN ABROAD:
Candidates should get approval from the Program Director for language or content courses taken over the summer or abroad to be certain that they will count toward attainment of the certificate. This does not apply to language courses taken with PIB or PII.