BA East Asian Studies at Stanford University

Programme overview

The program’s mission in East Asian Studies is to enable students to obtain a comprehensive understanding of East Asia broadly conceived, which is the area stretching from Japan through Korea and China to the contiguous areas of the Central Asian landmass. Students are expected to have a good mastery of an East Asian language and focus on a particular sub-region or a substantive issue involving the region as a whole. The classes emphasize the developing powers of critical thinking and expression, which serve students well regardless of their ultimate career goals in business, government service, academia, or the professions.

Faculty: School of Humanities and Sciences | Department: East Asian Languages and Cultures | Duration: 78 units in the programme; 180 minimum university units | Study mode: full-time | Location: Stanford, CA, United States

What you will study

Programme load is 78 units in the programme and 180 minimum university units. Requirements are organised into: Core Program Requirements; Breadth in Discipline; Depth in Discipline; Writing in the Major (WIM); Capstone Experience; Honors; China Subplan.

Career pathways

The classes emphasize the developing powers of critical thinking and expression, which serve students well regardless of their ultimate career goals in business, government service, academia, or the professions.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to Stanford University, not to a major: first-year applicants apply through the Common Application with ACT or SAT scores, the School Report and counselor recommendation, official transcripts and letters of recommendation from two academic teachers (Restrictive Early Action deadline November 1; Regular Decision deadline January 5). Majors are declared after enrolment; no separate programme application. Programme-specific prerequisites are listed in the requirements of the major.

USD 67,731 a year (2026-27). Undergraduate full-time tuition for Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters combined; a single undergraduate rate applies to all undergraduate majors and is stated for all students. Excludes student fees, housing and food, books and personal expenses. The unde Source

Tuition is charged for Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters (Summer quarter also billed separately). Graduate programmes such as PhD and Master's in Computer Science admit for Autumn entry only; Education PhD and Master's programmes begin September 20, 2027.

First-year applicants apply through the Common Application. Restrictive Early Action deadline is October 15 with an optional arts portfolio or November 1 for the standard application, with decisions by mid-December. Regular Decision deadline is December 5 with an optional arts portfolio or January 5 for the standard application, with decisions by early April. The reply date is May 1. The application fee is $100, nonrefundable, or a fee waiver request. ACT or SAT scores are required.

Transfer applicants apply through the Common Application by March 15, with decisions by mid-May. The application fee is $100 or a fee waiver request, and ACT or SAT scores are required.

ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year applicants, with no minimum score; Stanford has no preferred exam.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/

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