MA Asian Languages/Civilizations (Japanese) at Arizona State University

Programme overview

The Asian languages faculty in the School of International Letters and Cultures offer you a graduate program leading to a Master of Arts degree in Asian languages and civilizations with a concentration in Japanese. ASU's Japanese master's degree program enables you to pursue your interests in Japanese history, literature and culture through advanced training in modern and classical Japanese, and through in-depth study of specific historical and cultural periods.

What you will study

30 credit hours and a thesis, or 30 credit hours including the required applied project course (JPN 593) Required Core (3 credit hours) CHI 501 or JPN 501 Proseminar: East Asian Humanities (3) Concentration (3 credit hours) JPN 586 History of Japanology (3) Electives (18 credit hours) Culminating Experience (6 credit hours) JPN 593 Applied Project (6) or JPN 599 Thesis (6) Additional Curriculum Information The MA in Asian languages and civilizations has concentrations in Chinese and Japanese.

Career pathways

Professionals with this degree can confidently move into academic, business and international fields. Skills developed through this program are valued for teaching positions, translation work or work in a larger sector such as governmental, diplomatic and international business career opportunities. Career examples: foreign service, interpreters and translators, lawyers, reporters and correspondents, social and community service managers, state department, supply chain managers, teachers and professors of area, ethnic and cultural studies.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in Japanese or a related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 credit hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00= "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: graduate admission application and application fee official transcripts personal statement resume writing sample three letters of recommendation proof of English proficiency Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. The writing sample should represent the applicant's thinking and writing skills on a topic connected with Japanese culture. An academic writing sample, such as a research paper from a previous course, is preferred.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search; the application opens almost a year before the start term. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S. Apply with ASU's graduate application (Law applicants use the law college's site); GRE/GMAT requirements vary by programme.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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