Graduate School FAQ

Thinking About Grad Schools

 

  1. Why am I interested in graduate school?

    • If your answer is “I don’t know what to do after graduation,” then you need to think again. Graduate school is not an extension of Furman—it is a professional program, and very competitive. You do not earn a Master’s or Ph.D. degree simply by passively taking classes.

    • If your answer is “I’m interested in pursuing my studies of Asia,” then you’ve passed the first hurdle. Keep on reading.  
  1. Am I interested in a particular discipline (History, Anthropology, Literature, etc) or generally “Asian Studies?” Which part of Asia—China, Japan, or South Asia?
  • If your answer is discipline-based (e.g. I want to study Chinese politics and be Dr. Kaup!), then you should start by looking at Political Science programs (note: programs, not schools), figuring out the faculty members and their specialties, and the types of research they have done. If you like what you see, delve further. After you have done this preliminary research, you should contact the relevant Furman faculty member or Grad School Advisor for more advice.
  • If your answer is “Asian Studies,” you should know that there are only Master’s programs with this designation. Most of these programs take two years to complete, and offer a variety of courses, due to its inherent interdisciplinary nature. Each program will have specific requirements, usually with a master’s thesis requirement. You can find some of the programs listed below.
    • However, you should be aware that “Asian Studies” means different things in different schools. For most graduate programs, “Asia” is divided into “East Asia” and “South Asia,” and you need to keep this in mind.
  • If your answer is either China, Japan, or South Asia, you may be interested in interdisciplinary M.A/Ph.D. “area studies” programs such as South Asian Languages and Civilizations (SALC), East Asian Languages and Civilizations (EALC), or some variation of these names. However, it is important to note that, if you are interested in teaching after obtaining a doctorate, some universities may be hesitant to hire a candidate who is not “trained” in a traditional discipline (history, anthropology, etc.) It may be in your best interest to integrate discipline-based training in your graduate curriculum. While this is not a hard and fast rule, it is important to keep in mind.
  • If your answer is somewhere in between, or you are more interested in certain themes and issues, you should consider interdisciplinary programs that provide a much more theoretically oriented focus. Committee on Social Thought at University of Chicago, History of Consciousness at the University of California: Santa Cruz, and The New School for Social Research are some programs to examine.
  • If you are interested in business or law degrees, there are an increasing number of programs with an Asian focus and partner universities. Both the University of Chicago and University of California: Berkeley business schools partnered with the National University of Singapore, Cornell and Harvard Law Schools have an East Asian Law program, and the list goes on. Some schools have a joint J.D./M.A/Ph.D. curriculum. Do your research and ask around.
  1. How much language training do I have/need?
  • Most, if not all, graduate programs in Asia-related fields will require advanced training in the language or several languages. For example, if you are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Chinese history, you will need to be highly proficient in reading modern Chinese in order to conduct archival research, and most likely need a reading knowledge of classical Chinese and modern Japanese. However, you do not need to have all of this before you apply! Different disciplines have differing levels of language requirements. At the very least, a strong background in a language makes you a competitive applicant.
  • The JET program and Furman Teachers in China program are two ways you can go to Japan or China, live there and teach English while improving your language skills.
  • There are also language programs, such as the IUP (Inter-University Program) in Beijing, or the IUC (Inter-University Center) in Yokohama, to conduct intensive language training.
  1. What are my long-term goals?
  • This may help you determine whether you want to pursue a M.A. or Ph.D. Often, I receive questions such as “What can I do with a M.A. or Ph.D. in Asian studies?” OR “I want to do business in China. What kind of degree should I get?” The most important thing to remember: the degree does not get you a job—it is what you make of it. With the exception of academia (where you need a Ph.D. to be a professor), most “jobs” do not have a degree requirement beyond a B.A, although it may be of great advantage to have an advanced degree. There are many paths to a particular career-goal, so it is important to keep an open mind, and make sure that every step you take is an investment to your intellectual development, attractiveness, marketability.
  1. How do I apply?
  • FIRST, you need to ask yourself whether you are ready for graduate school or not. If you are considering a Ph.D. program, you should seriously ask yourself if you need a break from school.  Most first-year graduate students do not come straight from undergrad; they spend time working or teaching abroad, improving their language skills, or doing something completely different and unrelated to the academic world. In the admissions process, you will be competing with candidates who may have several years of professional experience or higher levels of language proficiency. If you want to make yourself a more qualified candidate, taking several years off after graduation to work is highly recommended.

THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

  • You need to obtain the application form (hard copy or web) for the specific program/school.
  • Graduate programs generally require the following: GRE, letters of recommendation, writing sample, and a personal statement.
  • The GRE exam is the graduate school version of the SATs. Some faculty members studied for it, others winged it. This is the easiest part of the application process—you can prepare for it, take it, and get the scores. It might be easier to take the GRE exam while you are still in school (imagine working 8 hours a day and trying to study for this exam…). Most programs require that the GRE score be no more than five years old.
  • The letters of recommendation are extremely important. Most schools ask for two or three letters. If you are going to ask a Furman faculty member to write you a letter, you MUST:

1) ask if they would be able to write a strong letter for you (DO NOT assume that all letters will be strong or positive)
2) provide the faculty member with a copy of your transcript, resume, and personal statement (if required) outlining your goals and interests to help them write the letter
3) provide AT LEAST three weeks for the faculty member to write it; your last-minute emergency is not their problem
4) provide a mailing address for the letter, if it needs to be sent separately from your application package
5) inform them of the results of your application

  • Writing samples are often required for the application. You should keep track of longer papers (10~15+ pages) you wrote for classes here, and think about revising them for the writing sample. If you are planning to apply in the fall, start thinking about this in the summer.
  • Most students struggle the most with personal statements, partly because they have never read or written one. While the length differs by school, most statements are 1 to 2 pages long. This document should not be narrating your personal history. I recommend the following format:

1) First paragraph: succinct summary of your intellectual background (skills, language training, issues you’ve pursued in your senior thesis)
2) Second paragraph: link paragraph 1 to why and what you are interested in pursuing further in graduate school
3) Third paragraph: elaborate further, and indicate why this particular program (certain faculty members, institutes, etc) is what you want, etc. For Ph.D. applicants, you should have done enough research to identify who you want to work with (your main advisor) in the program.

  • NOTE: The above is my personal recommendation, but it is important to remember that different disciplines have specific practices for personal statements. Make sure you ask faculty members (at least two) to read and critique your statement.
  1. I got in! What about financial aid? 
  • If you are accepted into a Ph.D. program, it is likely that you receive a financial package providing tuition (at the very least), and some type of stipend (teaching/research assistantships, grants, etc). If you are accepted with no financial support, you should seriously consider whether you want to invest your time and money into a Ph.D. program when the economic returns may not outweigh the costs.
  • Most M.A. programs offer some financial assistance, but very few provide the packages that Ph.D. applicants receive. On average, a master’s degree takes two years to complete, and this may be a good investment for students who are not interested in entering academia, but prefer working in the public or private sectors.
  • Ultimately, the decision is yours. Think hard, talk to faculty members, and ask graduate students who are already enrolled in the particular program. Ask about potential funding in the future through teaching or research assistantships, placement data (where graduates of the program have ended up), and take these into consideration. In the end, if this is what you want to do, then go for it.
  • NOTE: There are outside fellowships that help you finance graduate studies. Look into Mellon Foundation grants, AAUW (American Association of University Women), and other sources in the summer before applying to graduate schools.

All of this may seem daunting. However, if you were willing to read this entire document, you’re probably motivated and seriously interested in graduate school. In the end, it is your interest and motivation that will propel your career, and hopefully produce the desired results. GOOD LUCK!

 

Written by Izumi Nakayama
On behalf of the Asian Studies Department
Furman University
May 2008