Graduate Programs

Many students pursuing graduate degrees at Boston University specialize in Asia while working through traditional academic departments and professional programs. Students in consultation with their departments can take a full range of Asian Studies and language courses across the disciplines.

Scholarships and other financial aid are available in all departments, and many are open to both U.S. citizens and international students. Specific grants for Asian Studies, are, for example, those offered in the Department of Art History, including a Fellowship of Asian Art History, and grants funded by the Henry Luce Foundation for students pursuing a Master’s Degree in Asian Art History in addition to the Certificate in Museum Studies.

Students wishing to learn more about pursuing a graduate degree should consult with appropriate Asian Studies faculty, refer to the website of the appropriate department, and consult the Bulletin of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences or the appropriate professional school Bulletin.

Graduate Degrees & Programs

Graduate Certificate in Asian Studies

BUCSA is pleased to offer the Graduate Certificate in Asian Studies. Graduate students in any Boston University graduate or professional program can earn the certificate by fulfilling the following requirements while also fulfilling the requirements of their degree programs. The Graduate Certificate in most cases can be completed without taking courses beyond the number required for the student’s degree. The certificate will be awarded only upon completion of the degree program.

Master of Arts in International Relations

The Department of International Relations offers six MA programs, including joint programs with Law, Management, Environmental Policy, Communications, and Religion. Students with an interest in Asian studies can choose from a broad range of courses on East Asia, as well as some offerings in South Asia and Central Asia.

Master of Business in International Management

The International Management Program is an MBA program that begins in Asia over the summer, following the same requirements as the School of Management’s General MBA program. Students spend five weeks in Shanghai (China) and then five weeks in Kobe (Japan), combining intensive classwork, multicultural teamwork, and visits to Shanghai’s and Kansai’s great corporations and cultural landmarks. During this Asian stage, they earn 20 MBA credits, 16 core credits, and 4 electives credits for a Business in Asia course. All courses in Asia are taught by BU School of Management faculty. After completing the Asian component of the program, students come to Boston in September and finish their remaining 44 MBA credits.

Master of Arts in Asian Art History

The MA of Arts in Asian Art History program provides graduate students interested in the arts of Asia a comprehensive and rigorous structure of study. Five of the eight semester courses taken to fulfill the MA degree course requirement are in Asian art history. Two of the five Asian art courses must be the basic colloquia courses, AH 726 Arts of Japan and AH 727 Arts of China; students take three other courses in Asian art history. For the three elective courses, students are encouraged to choose from the Art History Department’s diverse offering of courses on Western and non-Western art and architecture, as well as the wide range of courses on Asia. Language and comprehensive exams are specific to the Asian Art History MA degree. Entering students to the program are expected to have working research knowledge of modern Chinese or Japanese.

Programs at the School of Theology and Graduate Division of Religious Studies

At Boston University students can earn degrees with an Asian focus as Doctor of Philosophy in Mission Studies and/or Church History in the School of Theology; and Doctor of Philosophy in Religion and Culture, and Doctor of Philosophy in the History of Christianity in the Graduate Division of Religious Studies.

The PhD degree programs are offered to students who wish to enhance their knowledge or teaching competencies in advanced areas of theology, ministry, and the history of Christianity. The PhD in Religion and Culture is an interdisciplinary program on the relation of religion and culture in modern or traditional societies. Up to two-thirds of coursework is completed in the social sciences (sociology or anthropology.) The PhD in History of Christianity is designed to provide a broad overview of the history and thought of World Christianity as well as to train specialists in mission history. Over the years, many students have defended dissertations on Asian topics.

Center for Global Christianity and Mission: Boston University is also home to the Center for Global Christianity and Mission, an academic institution supporting the study of Christianity as a multi-cultural and global movement in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Center faculty encourage projects undertaken by BU doctoral students and facilitate dissertation field research.