Asian Literature, Religion and Culture (PhD)

Graduate School

Program Website

Graduate Field

Asian Literature, Religion and Culture

Program Description

The Field of Asian Literature, Religion and Culture offers students interested in pursuing advanced studies of the literature, culture, religion(s), and intellectual history of any given region in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Students are required to take, for credit, twelve to fourteen courses (six or seven during the first year) and complete an M.A. thesis by the end of the second year. Students who wrote an M.A. thesis (in English) in their major subject before matriculation at Cornell may request a waiver of the thesis requirement. Each student then chooses three areas of specialization (usually two in the major discipline and one in another literature, theoretical field, or a different discipline) and chooses one faculty member to represent each concentration. The student works with this faculty committee to define the three areas and prepare appropriate reading lists. By the end of the third year the student must pass written and oral examinations in each subject (these are called Admission to Candidacy Exams or A Exams). By the time of the A Exams, students must be fluent in their major language and have at least a reading knowledge of a second Asian language and one non-English European language. Doctoral students are encouraged to spend a year in Asia for advanced language training or dissertation research. Teacher training and one year of classroom teaching are part of the professional preparation.

Concentrations

  • Asian religions
  • East Asian literature and culture
  • South Asian literature and culture
  • Southeast Asian literature and culture
  • Theory and method (minor)