<p>Can anyone tell me anything, either from personal experience or heard from others, about the Masters programs in East Asian Studies offered at Harvard or Yale?</p>
<p>Do most people who pursue an MA in East Asian Studies use it as a stepping stone toward a PhD program? If not, are there any simple benefits in pursuing the Masters degree or would working be time better spent? I'm current a junior Political Science and Asian Studies double major at another Ivy with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 and I'm trying to decide whether or not to try and get a Masters degree.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any information/input!</p>
<p>If you want to incorporate more political science or perhaps international development or economics at the masters level, take a look at the full member APSIA schools. Including Harvard, Yale, Princeton and other great schools, there are a number of regionally focused programs that might be of interest. In addition to Harvard, look at Johns Hopkins and UC San Diego. Both have strong regional focuses or programs for East Asia. </p>
<p>APSIA is the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs and is at <a href=“http://www.apsia.org%5B/url%5D”>www.apsia.org</a>.</p>
<p>I’m currently in Yale’s EAS MA program. It seems that most people do use it as a stepping stone to a PhD or to narrow down their field. I have actually changed my mind and decided not to continue on to a PhD, but I do feel that when looking for a job, an MA will set me apart from those with just a BA, and I will be qualified for more interesting positions.</p>
<p>There is a lot of flexibility within the program. If you’ve fulfilled the language requirement (basically 2 years of college-level study), you can take non-Asia courses that relate to your interests (e.g. if you’re interested in Japanese politics you can take a non-Asia related political science course). I took 4th year Japanese, anthropology, literature and history courses all relating to Japan, but I also don’t have a focus like some students in the program.</p>
<p>The Yale program is only one year rather than two, which was a change made so that they could fully fund more students. I am fully funded with a stipend, but I believe that not everyone in the program is. Getting paid to get a Masters for a year seemed worth it to me, even if it doesn’t directly lead to a specific career path.</p>
<p>Do you know what you want to do with your career? What within EAS are you most interested in?</p>
<p>Let me know if you have any questions about the program!</p>
<p>straightadmit & lydia - thanks so much for your responses! definitely much appreciated.</p>
<p>In terms of what I’m interested in - I’m definitely interested in Asian politics and US-China relations. Because of this, I’ve definitely thought about an MA in IR or the schools in the APSIA that straight talked about, but from everything that I’ve read, most of the admits are those who have had ~3 to 4 years of work experience already. Most likely, I’d be looking to go straight into grad school, which seems more realistic with the MA in East Asian Studies. Furthermore, I feel like the MA in EAS seems broader/more interesting and I believe that I’d still be able to concentrate on the political science realm within Asia - is that correct, Lydia?</p>
<p>Lydia - I think it’s so interesting that you’re not planning on pursuing a PhD, because I feel like I might be in the same boat as you. Do you have any particular reasons why as to you’re not pursuing it anymore? I’m just not sure if I’d be able to handle that much school haha, like an addition 6 or 7 years. I also love how the Yale program is only one year, although other schools’ two year masters programs aren’t that much longer haha. Most masters programs aren’t funded correct? That’s absolutely incredible that you’re getting fully funded to get your Masters, along with a stipend! Congratulations!</p>
<p>I honestly have no idea what I’d end up doing - but most likely, I’d probably go into think-tank policy or become a professor (which obviously would require more schooling). Unrealistically, I would love to become any type of a political analyst on the East Asian region/work for CNN etc. haha</p>
<p>Lydia - what are you thinking of doing in the future… do you think the MA will help you achieve your goals any more than the Bachelors’ did?</p>
<p>Sorry for the long post haha…genuinely appreciate all the feedback and input!</p>
<p>I’m Japan focused, so I’m not sure about the extent of China-related course offerings, but yes, you would be able to focus within the program. This year there are students focused on history, literature and politics that I’m aware of - though I haven’t seen several people since the begging of the term because everyone takes such different courses, so I’m not sure what the rest of the group are up to.</p>
<p>The main reason I decided not to continue on to a PhD is that I haven’t found anything I like enough to spend 6 years studying that and only that. I was hoping to find something this year, but at this point, after talking to several PhD students in the field, I know I’d have to find something I really, really loved in order to work that hard at it for so long.</p>
<p>Most MA programs aren’t funded, but I think since this is a humanities program and most go on to PhDs, Yale really wants to encourage people - as opposed to IR or Law School where people are doing it to go make money in the “real world.” Occasionally people who applied Yale’s PhD programs in East Asian Languages and Literature or History or Anthropology are asked to complete the MA first before reapplying to the PhD if they show promise but are a bit weak as PhD candidates for whatever reason. </p>
<p>Thanks! I believe 4 or 5 out of the 8 of us this year are funded, but that’s based on speculation…</p>
<p>I’m hoping to find something at an Asia-related organization (Japan Society, etc.) after graduation. I think an MA will help because everyone has a BA now, so an MA shows that I really am very interested in East Asia, and the Yale name certainly doesn’t hurt either! Building my language skills will help too. I don’t know that I’ll get paid any more than someone with a BA, but it will (hopefully) help me get the job to begin with.</p>
<p>Why do you want to get an MA? What do you want to do with it? What degrees do people have who have the kinds of jobs you want to have? Those are the questions you need to answer. Look at the folks who have the kinds of jobs you want, and get what degrees they have or what degrees they recommend you get.</p>
<p>If you’re not sure or don’t have access to those people, I personally think it’s much better to work for a couple of years and spend some time figuring it out than to spend thousands of dollars earning a degree (especially in the humanities) that you may not need. You may decide that an MPA or an MPP is better for your work - or maybe an MIA - or maybe even a JD. You never know.</p>
<p>If you don’t already have a clear plan of what you intend to do with that specific degree, take some time to come up with a plan first.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, if you DO get fully-funded - it doesn’t matter what you do, lol. If they’re going to pay for it you might as well. There are worse things to get paid to do for a year or two!</p>
<p>Most likely, I’d be looking to go straight into grad school, which seems more realistic with the MA in East Asian Studies.</p>
<p>Why? Don’t “settle” on a degree because you might have to work first for the degree you want. There’s a reason - MPA and MIA candidates benefit from some work experience to bring into the classroom.</p>
<p>Those are definitely all valid points, which is why I was (wonderfully) surprised to hear that Yale perhaps fully funds their MA East Asian candidates. I agree that especially if the program is fully funded - even with a stipend - it’s a no-brainer to get to the degree.</p>
<p>The reason I’m possibly looking into MA degrees if because I’m thinking about getting a PhD in the future. Rather than working for a few years and then going back for a PhD (which I feel like is highly unrealistic…probably wouldn’t have the motivation to go back to school anymore), I feel like an MA would be an appropriate stepping stone to help me realize whether or not I’d want to further pursue the academic road. If not, I’d still be able to graduate with an MA, which as Lydia pointed out, perhaps will help with the job search as an MA may stand out in a field of otherwise BAs. </p>
<p>There is absolutely no doubt that if the MA program I get accepted or eventually enrolled into requires me to fully pay for the degree…that I’d much rather be working. So, I guess my next step would be to figure out what paths I’d be most interested in going into if I don’t end up enrolling in grad school.</p>
<p>Too much to think about! Even if I do decide to get a Masters…that’s so much to think about and prepare in itself!</p>