All application materials must be submitted through the Graduate Division Online Application System. Click the link below to submit your application. Be sure to select the correct semester you are applying for, as each semester has a different link.

Who Can Apply

Before you apply, please review our Graduate Programs. We offer M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in East Asian Languages and Literatures with concentrations in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean and tracks in language/linguistics and literature.

Applicants to our graduate program are expected to have sufficient training in the language of their intended research focus (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) in order to be considered for admission to our program. Students with little or no background in the target language are unlikely to be accepted.  

The specific level of proficiency required in the target language, as well as the skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) expected of applicants, varies depending on:

• The level of the program (M.A. vs. Ph.D.)
• The discipline (literature or language/linguistics)
• The expectations of faculty members in the respective language section (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean)

*While students may improve their proficiency in the target language during the program, the primary goal of our graduate program is to train students to conduct academic research using the language.

Application Deadlines

Application Materials

Click the link below, create an account, and submit all the required application materials by the deadline. (Note: There is a $100 Application Fee when submitting your application.)

Click here to see where to submit the following documents.

1. Transcripts
   • One transcript is required from each post-secondary institution attended, including any study abroad, exchange programs, summer programs, non-degree work, and extension programs.
   • Applicants may submit unofficial transcripts while applying for admission. However, admitted students must provide official transcripts in order to enroll at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
   • Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution(s), or in sealed institutional envelopes if submitted with the application, to:
     • Graduate Division
       2540 Maile Way
       Spalding Hall 354
       Honolulu, HI 96822
2. TOEFL or IELTS Scores (for applicants whose native language is not English)
   • Scores must be no older than 2 years.
   • See the UHM Graduate Division policy on English Proficiency and Standardized Exams.
   • Official scores must be sent directly to Graduate Division Student Services. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) code for UHM is 4867.

	TOEFL IBT	TOEFL PBT	IELTS
EALL Minimum Score	100	600	7.0
Graduate Teaching Assistantship Minimum Score	100 (Listening: 25) (Speaking: 25)	600	7.0

Program Materials

Click here to see where to submit the following documents.

1. Statement of Objectives (Use this template)
   • Describe your current research interests, prior study or experiences that led to these interests, your long-term objectives, and your plans for achieving these goals while enrolled in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at UH Manoa.
   • Indicate your track and concentration.
2. A current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. GRE Score (Optional)
   • While optional, Ph.D. applicants are strongly encouraged to submit GRE scores. Use ETS code: 4867.
4. Writing Sample (for PhD applicants only)
   • Submit a completed paper in your major area of interest to demonstrate your research capabilities, analytical skills, and ability to follow academic research conventions.
   • Proposals, abstracts, or literature reviews are not acceptable substitutes.
5. 3 Letters of Recommendation
   • Request recommendations from the online application website. (Program Materials > Recommendations)
   • Once you have saved an electronic recommendation, an email request will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out.
   • Letters should address your capacity to engage in academic work at the graduate level – for this reason; letters from former faculty are generally most informative.
6. Korean Language Background Form (MA in Korean for Professionals applicants only)
   • Upload this form via the Supplemental Material tab.
   • For more information about the MA in Korean for Professionals, visit this page.

Graduate Assistantship Application

• Click the Graduate Assistantship Application Form
• Review the GA qualifications carefully. If eligible, complete this form and upload it via Program Materials > Documents > Supplemental Materials tab.

Questions?

For questions, contact the Graduate Advisor (Tyler Miyashiro):
Email: eallgrad@hawaii.edu
Phone: 1 (808) 956-2069