Each graduate student has an adviser who is to be consulted on a regular basis (at least once a semester, usually at the time of course selection). The responsibilities of the adviser are to guide and approve student course selection, to provide counseling on the overall course of study, and to serve as mentor, offering the student general academic development and career counseling.

Students must obtain the written approval of their graduate adviser, or the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), before registering for courses. All changes to a student's semester schedule after registration must also be approved in writing by the student's graduate adviser. Courses not approved in this manner may not be accepted for credit toward the degree. Non-EALC courses may be taken only if they are relevant to the program and only with the explicit approval, by signature, of the student's graduate adviser or the DGS.

A student wishing to change graduate advisers may do so only with the written agreement of the new adviser or the DGS. In the event the DGS is the student's original adviser, the Department Head's approval may be substituted.

2. Admission to the Graduate Program

Admissions to the graduate program are made by the Graduate Admissions Committee. Students are admitted to either the Master's (Master of Arts; A.M.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degree program. Students who have not earned a Master's degree in a related field are eligible for admission into the A.M. program; students who have earned a Master's degree in East Asian studies (or the equivalent) either at UIUC or at another university are eligible for admission into the Ph.D. program.

3. Admission of EALC A.M. Students into the Ph.D. Program

Students in the EALC A.M. program who desire to enter the Ph.D. program must apply by January 15 of the year in which admission is sought, and must have completed all requirements for the A.M. by the time of admission. Applicants must submit a letter of application setting forth a plan of study, including the major and minor fields to be offered for the Ph.D., as well as a tentative dissertation topic. A written endorsement from the proposed major adviser, who will normally serve as the thesis adviser, is also required.

As part of the review, the Graduate Committee will solicit evaluations from the faculty with whom the student has taken courses. Initial decisions on admission to the Ph.D. program for applicants from the EALC A.M. program are made during the January admissions cycle by the Graduate Admissions Committee. Applicants from the EALC A.M. program who receive a positive endorsement by the Committee at that time will be admitted to the Ph.D. program contingent upon successful completion of the requirements for the A.M., including a grade of either "pass with distinction" or "pass, admit to Ph.D." on the A.M final examination (see A.M. final exam grading options below).

4. Review and Evaluation of Student Progress

All graduate students in EALC receive regular evaluations of their progress to help them in planning their training. Students in the A.M. program receive a formal evaluation in the A.M. final examination. Students admitted into the Ph.D. program receive a formal review of progress, including an evaluation of research capability, at the end of their first year in the program.

5. A.M. final examination policy

Students may sit for the A.M. examination during the semester they expect to complete all other course and language requirements for the degree. Students are responsible for forming an A.M. examination committee consisting of three members, at least two of whom must be EALC department members, and at least one of whom must be a non-zero-time EALC department member. The committee will construct a written final examination related to the student's course of study, covering a reading list constructed by the student in consultation with committee members.

Students are responsible for scheduling the exam. Students will receive two questions from each of the three committee members, must answer four of the total of six questions, and must answer at least one question from each committee member. The student will receive the questions at 9 AM on the day of the examination and will submit the completed examination before 5 PM the same day. The student must write the answers to the questions at a predetermined location within the department, without the aid of computers or word processors.

Each committee member is responsible for grading his or her own submitted questions, and must grade the examination within three working days. Each of the four questions answered shall receive one of four grading options: (1) Pass with distinction (2) Pass, admit to Ph.D. (if the student is an applicant to the EALC Ph.D. program) (3) Pass (4) Fail.

As is the case for the individual examination questions, the four grading options for the entire examination are: (1) Pass with distinction (2) Pass, admit to Ph.D. (3) Pass (4) Fail. The final grade for the entire exam shall be the highest grade for which there is unanimous consent, as reflected on the grades received on the individual questions.

6. Ph.D. Admission and Examination Procedures (Approved 04/25/02)

A.. Admission to the Ph.D.: No student is admitted to the Ph.D. program in East Asian Languages and Cultures without a faculty sponsor who will serve as the student's major adviser. Before admitting a student to the Ph.D. program, the Admissions Committee consults with the appropriate faculty and obtains written agreement to work with the student in question.

B. First-Year Review: Every student in the Ph.D. program is reviewed during the spring term of his or her first year in the program. The Director of Graduate Studies polls each student's major adviser and other relevant faculty to ascertain whether the student is making satisfactory progress. In particular, the student's ability to carry on independent research is assessed, with special attention to language skills. In the case that a student is adjudged not to be making satisfactory progress, this is communicated to the Graduate Committee, who may recommend to the Head that the student be asked to leave the program at the end of the academic year. This procedure is in lieu of a Qualifying Exam, which is often given at the end of the first or second "Ph.D. year" to assess a candidate's suitability to continue in the Ph.D. program

C. Fields of Study: Students in the Ph.D. program focus their studies on three fields-one major and two minor-selected from the Department's approved list (appended below). Students may also petition the Director of Graduate Studies to create a "constructed field" not included in the list. The petition, in the form of a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies, must include a clear rationale for the field and a list of relevant courses either taken or to be taken. A letter of support from the faculty member proposed as the student's adviser in the constructed field must accompany the petition.

D. The Preliminary Examination: Within two semesters following completion of their formal coursework and before beginning their dissertation research (usually the third year of study), Ph.D. students must pass a "preliminary examination." The preliminary examination consists of two parts, one written and one oral. Students enroll in a combination of EALC 590: Independent Study, EALC 599: Thesis Research, and other appropriate courses to prepare for the preliminary exam.

E. Preliminary Examination Committees: There are two interrelated committees involved in the preliminary examination process. A) The written prelim committee consists of the student's advisers in his or her major and minor fields. B) The oral prelim committee is normally identical to the committee that will guide the student's dissertation and consists of at least four voting members, including at least one from each of the student's three fields; at least three must be members of the graduate faculty, at least two of whom (specifically including the committee chair) must hold regular (i.e., non-zero-time) appointments in EALC; at least two members must be tenured. The student is responsible for getting the consent of each individual to serve on these committees.

F. Scheduling the Preliminary Examination: By the final day of classes in the semester before the exams are to begin, and in no event later than the tenth day of the semester during which the student wishes to begin taking the preliminary examination, the student files a "Request to Schedule Preliminary Examinations" with the Director of Graduate Studies. The form must be signed by the student and by all members of the preliminary examination committee, giving dates when the examinations will occur. Changes to the preliminary exam schedule must be submitted to the DGS in writing three weeks prior to the date of the exam and must be signed by the student and all members of the exam committee.

G. Format of the Written Prelim: The written preliminary examination shall consist of separate three-hour exams in each of the student's three fields of study (the major and two minor fields), based on reading lists compiled in consultation with the student's preliminary examination committee. Written preliminary examinations test the student's command of the relevant field of study. Written examinations are scheduled over a period of time within one semester, usually one to three months. Each exam is graded by the faculty member who composed it. After each exam is graded, it is circulated for informational purposes among the other members of the committee. Preliminary exams are graded "High Pass," "Pass," or "Fail."

H. Retaking Failed Exams: In the case of a failure in an exam, the student may direct a petition to retake the exam to the DGS. The petition must include a written recommendation from the student's adviser in the field in question and the approval of the prelim exam committee. Students may not retake examinations in more than two fields. A student retaking an exam must complete the process within the time frame specified in 11 below. If a student does not appear for a scheduled exam, a grade of "fail" will be recorded.

I. Scheduling the Oral Examination: The oral examination follows within fifteen working days of the successful completion of all three written preliminary examinations. The student schedules the oral exam in writing with the DGS on a form provided for that purpose, which must be signed by the student and all members of the committee.

J. Purpose of the Dissertation Defense: The purpose of the dissertation proposal defense of the dissertation proposal is to determine whether the student has formulated a cogent, original, feasible research plan that can be carried out with significant results. The dissertation proposal should be prepared with considerable care and include a bibliography of works studied, details concerning materials to be examined, methodologies to be used, and a timetable for completion. The student must submit a copy of the dissertation proposal to each member of the oral preliminary examination committee at least one week prior to the oral exam.

K. Timetable for Completing the Preliminary Exam Process: The preliminary examination process, including the oral exam, is completed no later than three weeks after classes end for the semester during which the student was examined. A student retaking a failed exam does so in the semester following the semester in which he or she was originally tested. Preliminary examinations are not normally given during the summer.

L. Admission to Ph.D. Stage III (ABD): Upon successful completion of both written and oral preliminary examination, the student enters Graduate College Ph.D. Stage III; colloquially known as "ABD" (All-But-Dissertation).

Fields in EALC: