East Asian History at the University of Kansas

Students concentrating in a non-East Asian area (U.S., Europe, etc.) are encouraged to consider a secondary or minor field in East Asian history. Knowledge of an East Asian language is not required for East Asian secondary fields (at the Ph.D. level) or East Asian minor fields (at the M.A. level). TA and AI appointments are sometimes available for qualified East Asianists in the History Department. History graduate students can also be considered for TA positions in the Eastern Civilizations program and in language courses taught by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. FLAS grants are administered by the KU Center for East Asian Studies. Graduate students in East Asian history have also gained significant University and external funding in recent years, including Fulbright, Truman-Good Neighbor and University dissertation fellowships.

Faculty in East Asian History at the University of Kansas

Ph.D. East Asia as Major Field

Track A

Students are required to complete course work and written comprehensive examinations in one "primary area" and in the two "secondary areas" listed below the "primary area" as follows:

Primary Area:
Premodern China
Modern China
Premodern Japan
Modern Japan
Secondary Area Modern China Premodern China Modern Japan Premodern Japan
Secondary Area Premodern Japan Modern Japan Premodern China Modern China

Students must take three colloquia or readings courses in their primary area, and one colloquium or readings course in each of their secondary areas. Upper-level undergraduate courses will generally not be considered adequate substitutes for these colloquia and readings courses.

All students must enroll in HIST 955 Seminar in East Asian History or a substitute readings course.

Students must demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages (one of which must be the language of their primary area) prior to their oral comprehensive examinations.

Track B

Students are required to complete course work and written comprehensive examinations in two areas that together make up one of the following tracks:

Track
Premodern East Asia
Modern East Asia
China
Japan
Area 1
 Premodern China Modern China Premodern China Premodern Japan
Area 2
 Premodern Japan Modern Japan Modern China Modern Japan

Students must take at least one colloquium or readings courses in each of their required areas. Upper-level undergraduate courses will generally not be considered adequate substitutes for these colloquia and readings courses.

All students must enroll in HIST 955 Seminar in East Asian History or a substitute readings course.

Students must demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages (one of which must be the language of their primary area) prior to their oral comprehensive examinations.

Ph.D. East Asia as a Secondary Field

Students are required to complete course work and written comprehensive examinations in two areas under one of the following tracks:

Track
Premodern East Asia
Modern East Asia
China
Japan
Area 1
 Premodern China Modern China Premodern China Premodern Japan
Area 2
 Premodern Japan Modern Japan Modern China Modern Japan

Students must take one colloquium or readings course in each of their required areas. Upper-level undergraduate courses will generally not be considered adequate substitutes for these colloquia and readings courses.

Knowledge of an East Asian language is not required.

M.A. East Asia as a Major Field

Students are required to complete course work in a "primary area" and two "secondary areas." Students must choose one of the following tracks:

Primary Area:
Premodern China
Modern China
Premodern Japan
Modern Japan
Secondary Area Modern China Premodern China Modern Japan Premodern Japan
Secondary Area Premodern Japan Modern Japan Premodern China Modern China

Students must take 18 hours in all, including at least two courses in their primary area and at least one course in each of their secondary areas. At least two of these courses should be 800-level colloquia or readings courses; at least 3 hours must be in seminars or substitute readings courses.

Foreign languages are not required at the M.A. level but it is strongly recommended that students pursuing East Asia as a major field gain proficiency in the relevant East Asian language.

M.A. East Asia as a Minor Field

Students are required to complete course work in two areas under one of the following tracks:

Track
Premodern East Asia
Modern East Asia
China
Japan
Area 1
 Premodern China Modern China Premodern China Premodern Japan
Area 2
 Premodern Japan Modern Japan Modern China Modern Japan

Students must take 9 hours in all, including at least one course in each of their required areas. At least one of these courses should be an 800-level colloquium or readings course.

Knowledge of an East Asian language is not required.

Recent Doctoral Candidates

  • Paul Dunscomb, "'The People Will Not Be Cheated," Domestic Criticism of Japan's Siberian Intervention and 'Imperial Democracy,' 1918-1922" (2001).

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