Graduate Certificate Opportunities
East Asian Cultures Certificate
Students pursuing the Graduate Certificate in East Asian Cultures will specialize in one of three areas of East Asia, and have the flexibility to study the country through the scope of other disciplines (Anthropology, Art History, Business, Film, Folklore, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Religious Studies, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies). Understanding the culture of China, Japan, or Korea is increasingly important in more and more fields - from environmental studies to supply chain management, from international finance and politics to military affairs, from web-fiction to screenplay writing. This certificate enables students to document valuable expertise gained from the many faculty members at KU who conduct research and teach about East Asia by choosing one of the follow tracks:
- China Studies
- Japan Studies
- Korea Studies
Certificate Requirements:
Students are required to complete 12 credits of graduate–level coursework to successfully earn an East Asian Cultures certificate in their chosen area of concentration.
Required Course:
EALC 704 Contemporary East Asia
Elective Courses:
One language course at 4th year level or above may fulfill one of the three elective course requirements
The following restrictions apply to the choice of electives:
- Two courses must concentrate on the country the student is studying.
- The third elective course may either concentrate on the country of study, OR on East Asia in general.
In consultation with the department’s Director of Graduate Studies, students must choose the three elective 3-credit courses from either:
East Asian Languages & Cultures graduate-level courses, see the Academic Catalog for current offerings.
Elective courses that have a cultural application through other disciplines may be approved for certificate completion upon review by the certificate Faculty Director. Some commonly approved elective courses are listed below:
COMS 557 East Asian Communication
ECON 583 Economic Issues of East Asia
GEOG 796 Asian Regions:_____
HIST 510 Topics in:_____
HIST 582 Ancient Japan
HIST 605 Medieval Japan
HA 503 Japanese Prints
HA 545 Early Chinese Art
HA 586 Japanese Painting
HA 705 Major Artist:_____
HA 788 Proseminar in Japanese Art:_____
HA 789 Proseminar in Chinese Art:_____
HA 822 Seminar in Buddhist Art:____
HA 980 Seminar in Chinese Art:____
HA 990 Seminar in Japanese Art:____
REL 510 Religion in Korea
Admissions:
Current KU Students and Non-Degree Seeking Students
Students must formally apply to the certificate program no later than the last semester they take a course that will count towards the certificate.
For more information of admission to a graduate certificate program at KU, see the policy on Graduate Certificate Programs-Eligibility and Admission Criteria. The application process entails completing the online application, payment of the $30 application fee (for non-current KU students), and submitting materials required for the East Asian Cultures Certificate:
- A C.V. or Resume.
- A personal statement declaring your interest in East Asian Cultures and its relationship to your graduate course of study and/or career objectives.
- 2 letters of recommendation from your graduate degree program.
- A KU Advising report in lieu of an official transcript.
Contact:
Aley Pennington, Graduate Academic Advisor
Second Language Studies Graduate Certificate
The purpose of the graduate certificate in Second Language Studies (SLS) is to enhance the preparation and professionalization of graduate students of languages, literatures, cultures, and linguistics in CLAS and School of Education departments. The certificate provides these students with a new opportunity to add a concentration in applied linguistics and highlight their training in research-based language pedagogy. This is an important addition for both M.A. and Ph.D. students who plan a career in language teaching at institutions of higher education and/or wish to continue their graduate education in SLS.
Certificate Requirements:
The certificate is awarded to M.A. or Ph.D. students who successfully complete 4 graduate-level courses across disciplines (12 credits total) as outlined below:
- LING 715 Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition
- LA&S 720 Introduction to Language Teaching Research or another approved* related graduate-level course offered by Linguistics, CLAS languages, literatures, and cultures departments, or by the School of Education.
- A graduate-level course in Linguistics, or another approved* related graduate-level course offered by Linguistics, CLAS languages, literatures, and cultures departments, or by the School of Education.
- Elective course in Second Language Studies. This may be fulfilled by a Teaching Methods course required of GTAs teaching in the SLLC (FREN 704, SLAV 824, SPAN 801) or by other approved related courses, including those offered by the School of Education.
A student who has prior coursework deemed equivalent to any of the required courses may replace the required course with an approved elective.
*Graduate-level course equivalents will be approved by the Linguistics Academic Administrator for the Second Language Studies certificate program for Linguistics students and by the Academic Director for the Second Language Studies certificate program for all other students.
Admissions:
Current KU Students
Students must formally apply to the certificate program no later than the last semester they take a course that will count towards the certificate.
A student must be in good standing with their graduate degree program in order to participate in the certificate program. The application process entails completing the online application, and submitting materials required for the Second Language Studies (SLS) Certificate:
- A C.V. or Resume.
- A personal statement declaring your interest in Second Language Studies and its relationship to your graduate course of study and/or career objectives.
- 1 letter of recommendation from your graduate degree program.
- A KU Advising report in lieu of an official transcript.
Non-KU students or KU Alumni
Non-KU students or KU Alumni must have a previously completed advanced degree in an applicable field. The application process entails completing the online application, submitting materials required for the Second Language Studies (SLS) Certificate:
- A C.V. or Resume.
- A personal statement declaring your interest in Second Language Studies and its relationship to your graduate course of study and/or career objectives.
- 2 letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic work or potential for graduate study.
- Official transcripts from any institutions where coursework related to study in your second language was completed.
Send official sealed transcripts to:
Graduate Admissions
1450 Jayhawk Blvd.
Strong Hall, Room 313
Lawrence, KS 66045
Contact:
Aley Pennington, Graduate Academic Advisor