Korea Studies | M.A. Requirements 2012-13 (entering class)

Asian Studies

Students also must fulfill the general requirements for the field of Asian Studies, that is, an additional three Asian Studies courses, outside of Korea Studies. One of those courses must be from China Studies and one must be from Japan Studies.

Students in Korea Studies also have the option of pursuing a specialization in the International Relations of Asia (AsiaIR).

International Economics

All candidates for the M.A. degree must complete a concentration in the field of International Economics by taking four to six economics courses at SAIS. Students can also pursue a specialization within International Economics by taking additional course work.

Core Courses

All SAIS students must pass two core exams and/or courses. If the core(s) is not completed by the start of his/her final semester, the student must enroll in a core course.

Language Proficiency

Korea Studies M.A. candidates must pass exams to demonstrate proficiency in Korean. All non-native English speakers are required to pass an English placement exam upon entering SAIS. Native Korean speakers must pass proficiency in a second language, which can include English.

Capstone

Korea Studies concentrators must complete ONE of the following capstones:

1.  Submission of a substantial (no less than 8,000 words, including footnotes or endnotes) research paper of publishable quality by April 1* of their final semester. This paper must have Korea as a central focus, and can be the revised product of a regular SAIS course or independent research supervised by a Korea Studies faculty member.

2.  Korea Studies Oral Exam

3.  M.A. Oral Exam (to compete for honors—if eligible)

*For those whose final semester is fall, consult the program director for due date.

A total of 16 courses taken for credit are required for an M.A. degree (unless a student has advanced standing or is in a dual-degree program).

Concentration Files